Moose ready to take on Jets’ Prospect Showdown

It’s that time of year again; the wind is nippy, days are getting shorter, pumpkin spice lattes are back, and so is hockey.

Skates hit the ice on Wednesday ahead of the Winnipeg Jets’ trip to the Prospect Showdown in Montreal. A total of 21 prospects, many of whom have Manitoba Moose connections, put the finishing touches on their preparation for the weekend.

For young players, moments like these offer a taste of their lifelong dreams; an opportunity to pull an NHL sweater over their shoulder pads and step out of the ice at Bell Centre in Montreal, one of the league’s most storied arenas.

“It's exciting,” said Chase Yoder, who signed a one-year contract with the Moose following a successful career with the Providence College Friars. “It'll be fun to play in front of that many people and in that environment.”

In some cases, it’s the first time going through this process with the Jets, but for others, they’ve done this before. Among them is young netminder Domenic DiVincentiis, who split time between the Moose and their ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, in his first professional season.

Through his 28 games in antlers in 2024-25, the Bolton, Ont. native boasted a .906 save percentage, buoying his side to 13 wins. That included a victory in the season finale, while notching his first-career AHL shutout.

At the start of the season, DiVincentiis made things seem easy, stopping 37 of 39 shots in his AHL debut and owning a .921 save percentage through his first 10 games, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Those rough patches, however, taught him some of his most important lessons.

“Something that I learned last year is just staying in the moment, take it day by day,” the 21-year-old explained. “There are goals that I set for myself, and there are things that I want to achieve. Making my NHL debut is one of them for this year, but just staying in the moment is how I'm going to get there.”

In his first season in the Jets’ organization, Yoder joins knowing only two of his peers. One of those is fellow Friar alum Parker Ford, who will remain in Winnipeg for informal skates. The other is Brayden Yager, with whom he shared the ice at previous Pittsburgh Penguins camps.

Unlike some of the younger players heading to Montreal this weekend, Yoder has the benefit of extra years of experience. The 23-year-old is the second-oldest player on the roster, trailing only Moose defenceman Ben Zloty. Yoder followed up a season with the U.S. National Team Development Program with five seasons in the NCAA, in which time he suited up in 172 games, scoring 62 points (32G, 30A).

“I'm going into this just trying to have fun and compete,” the Fairview, Texas native detailed. “I’ve played a lot of college games, been to a lot of development camps, and the experience definitely plays a big part. I just want to showcase my abilities and give it my all.”

With only two games – one against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday evening (6 p.m. CT), and one against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night (6 p.m. CT) – opportunities to make an impression could be scarce.

Nevertheless, there’s something to be said about just taking a deep breath, soaking up the surroundings, and appreciating how cool it is to be there in the first place.

“It's pretty exciting for the new guys to be able to get this opportunity to play, especially in front of a sold-out crowd in Montreal,” DiVincentiis said, smiling ear to ear. “Even for myself, it's pretty special. The nerves will be high, the excitement is going to be high, but it's all about our compete level when we get out there.”

Fans can stream the Jets’ Prospect Showdown games live on winnipegjets.com. Manitoba Moose play-by-play announcer Daniel Fink will have the call with colour commentary by Jamie Thomas.

Ticket Memberships for the 2025-26 Manitoba Moose season are available now. For more information on the benefits of becoming a Moose ticket member or to purchase a membership for the 2025-26 season, visit moosehockey.com.