The Winnipeg Jets will not be starting the 2025-26 season the way they did their Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign. 

Beginning the 2024-25 season with a perfect 8-0-0 record before going on to win 15 of their first 16 games, the Jets re-wrote the record books with their stellar campaign before falling to the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Fast forward five months and the two teams were back at it from Canada Life Centre for the season-opener. And this time, Winnipeg dropped its opener by way of a 5-4 final.

Thursday night in Winnipeg also marked Jonathan Toews' regular season debut for his hometown Jets.

The game was more emblematic of a lengthy 910-day journey of soul searching than that of a productive affair. Opting to sign with the team he grew up cheering for after spending two full seasons of hockey away from the game as he attempted to recover from Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.

Toews, now 37, ran out of the Jets' tunnel to a raucous crowd and spent the night on the team's second line between Gustav Nyquist and Nikita Chibrikov. He finished the night with 18:19 of ice time. 

“I think it is just really exciting before the game," Toews said following the game. "But then once you get your legs out under you, you just go out there and play. But as the game went on you just try not to think about it too much and just enjoyed it. You enjoy it when you play your best, and I just tried to find a way to do that.” 

Things didn't exactly start all that well for the injured Jets and their reigning Hart, Vezina and Jennings Trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck.

He allowed two goals on nine shots to start the game and saw his team fall behind 2-1 through 20 minutes of play. 

Kyle Connor, fresh off the signing of an eight-year, $96 million extension, tied the game at ones after Mikko Rantanen's opening strike. But with just 4:36 remaining, Nils Lundkvist restored Dallas' lead, as he put a puck past Hellebuyck cleanly through a Tanner Pearson screen.

Toews and company trailed 9-7 on the shot chart and 2-1 on the scoreboard after 20 minutes, but rebounded with a strong second period. Despite not scoring a goal, the Jets had two power plays and moved the puck well - including their second unit featuring Toews and fellow newcomer Nyquist. 

Having drawn a penalty in the first period, Toews took one himself in the middle stanza, but managed to escape the period without drawing the ire of Winnipeggers ready for his first big moment as a Jet. 

Dallas outshot Winnipeg 18-7 in the period and 27-14 overall through 40 minutes of play.

A few critical saves from Hellebuyck on Stars' power plays gave the Jets some momentum as the period wore on.

But with Neal Pionk already in the box for interference, Alex Iafallo found himself seated beside him for tripping just 18 seconds into the first minor. And this time, the Jets were unable to kill off the threat. 

As a matter of fact, it was three-straight goals in a span of just 2:22 that did Winnipeg in.

Jason Robertson got the power play marker 1:01 into the third period, before Tyler Seguin tapped home a spinning Matt Duchene feed. Wyatt Johnston put the cherry on the top by way of the 5-1 marker, all with just 3:23 having ticked off the clock in the third period. 

Unwilling to go down without a fight, the Jets battled back. 

First, it was Morgan Barron, who scored a shorthanded tally on a strong individual effort as he fended off two Stars on his way up the ice. Then just over a minute later, Connor potted his second of the game on a messy Jake Oettinger rebound, bringing the score to a much more manageable two-goal deficit. 

With 3:03 to go, Connor bust up the wing and fired his third of the game past Oettinger, singlehandedly getting his mates to within one goal of the Stars.

“He’s a special player," Toews said of Connor. "Such a huge moment for this franchise and this city to sign a player of his calibre, given what he’s already contributed to this city and what he’s done for this team on the ice. He’s obviously, very deserving of it and went out there and proved it again tonight. Pretty cool to watch. It’s always fun when you get the chance to play with some truly elite talent, and he’s definitely one of them.”

Just seven seconds after the ensuing face-off, Thomas Harley put the puck over the glass, sending Winnipeg to a power play with 2:56 left to play. But, to the major displeasure of the sellout crowd, Oettinger stepped up in the dying moments, keeping the game-tying goal out of the net and shutting down the Jets' power play attack. 

Hellebuyck finished the night with 32 saves on the 37 shots he faced, while Oettinger made 21 stops on 25 Jets shots. 

Winnipeg will look to rebound on Saturday afternoon when the Los Angeles Kings roll into town.