By: Daniel Fink

The Manitoba Moose couldn’t have asked for a much better start to their 2026-27 season. The club came out of the first two games of the campaign with a pair of wins over the defending Western Conference Champions.

Saturday’s opener saw Domenic DiVincentiis throw down a 36-save shutout, leading the Moose to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Wolves. It was the first time in franchise history (AHL/IHL/St. John’s) a Moose netminder recorded a clean sheet in a season opener. Both Kevin He, while making his pro debut, and Colby Barlow picked up two points (1G, 1A) in the win.

The rematch between the long-time rivals saw considerably more offence. The Moose fired off three goals in the opening 10 minutes, only for the Wolves to reply with three of their own. Manitoba took control in the remaining two periods, running up an 8-3 final score. Veteran forward Noah Gregor racked up three points (1G, 2A) in the game, capping off a four-point (2G, 2A) weekend. Centre Brayden Yager notched three points (2G, 1A) of his own, while 12 of 18 skaters recorded at least a point in the win.

Manitoba finished the weekend tied for the most goals in the AHL and carries the best goal differential in the league.

“It was huge. I think we talked about it before game two, you know getting a sweep is always tough,” said Parker Ford as the team returned to practice this week. “The other team always comes out a little bit harder. They don’t want to get swept. Our start was really good, then we came back in the second and played really well. It was a big two games for our group.”

The Moose blueline features numerous new players, including rookie Alfons Freij who picked up his first AHL goal on Sunday. The Jets second round pick is joined by a pair of more experienced defencemen in Dysin Mayo and Henry Thrun. After previous stops in San Jose and Toronto, Thrun is adapting to a new organization and system as the season gets rolling.

“The locker room is easy. There are a lot of good guys here, really welcoming, and the staff is the same way. That aspect takes care of itself,” explained Thrun. “On the ice it’s a little different, you know? Different teams play different systems, especially on the special teams side of things. That takes a little time to learn.”

There are no shortage of differences between San Jose, Toronto and Winnipeg. The cities and NHL organizations do, however, have something in common. Their AHL affiliate plays in the same city. That proximity is very attractive to a player like Thrun, who has spent time playing in both leagues.

“Between the facilities being in the same place, all the personnel and players… it goes a long way,” he said. “Most importantly, culturally it means a lot. Whether guys are going up and down or wherever they are at in their career, I think it helps a lot to be able to see the NHL on the day-to-day and know what you’re pushing for.”

The Moose practice at hockey for all centre on Wednesday before hitting the road for the first time this season. Manitoba faces off against the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday in a rematch of their Central Division Semifinals clash in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs. Puck drop is slated for 6 p.m. CDT. Coverage on CJOB.com, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV on FloHockey gets going at 5:45 p.m. CDT.