Moose roar into playoffs with boosted roster and surging prospects. Can they overcome Admirals and a historic Griffins challenge?
The Winnipeg Jets may be heading into the offseason, but Manitoba hockey fans still have postseason hockey to follow as the AHL’s Manitoba Moose open their first-round playoff series Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Admirals.
The Moose enter the playoffs with momentum and a reinforced roster, receiving a key boost this week when the Jets loaned defenseman Elias Salomonsson to Manitoba for the postseason push.
Manitoba has also recently welcomed back two of its most closely watched prospects in Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert. Yager finished the regular season with 30 points in 68 games, while Lambert contributed 13 points in 34 appearances, both showing flashes of the offensive upside that has made them important parts of Winnipeg’s long-term plans.
The Moose closed out their regular season in strong form with a dominant 6–1 win over the Iowa Wild on Saturday, carrying positive momentum into a favorable first-round matchup. Manitoba finished the year 35-29-5-3, placing 10th in the Western Conference, while Milwaukee ended just behind them at 32-32-4-3 in 13th.
The winner of the best-of-three series will advance to face the Grand Rapids Griffins, who enter the postseason as one of the most dominant teams in AHL history. Grand Rapids posted a 51-16-4-1 record and set multiple league benchmarks, including the best start through 35, 40, and 50 games, along with the second-best marks through 45 and 55 games, making them a formidable next-round opponent.
Manitoba forward Colby Barlow has been particularly effective down the stretch, scoring four goals in his last four games and collecting six points over his final nine outings after managing just 10 points across his previous 56 games. His surge adds another dimension to a Moose lineup looking to make a deep playoff run.
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