Big Buff will be back in a Winnipeg Jets uniform in October.
The Jets unveiled plans for an alumni game and released a preliminary roster for the event to be held in conjunction with the 2026 Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium.
Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler and Winnipeg’s Mike Keane will serve as the team captains and play in the game. Unlike the last alumni game at the 2016 Heritage Classic that featured only original Jets players, this preliminary roster is solely former Jets 2.0 players.
The Jets roster also includes Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little, Mathieu Perreault, Paul Stastny, and fan favourite Chris Thorburn.
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“What’s cool about it is most of us are still, well, we all are still young people,” said Wheeler. “So hopefully the product will still be OK. Who knows how much of us have really been skating over the years.”
Winnipegger Dale Weise, Paul Byron, David Desharnais, Patrice Brisebois, and David Savard will all suit for the Habs alumni team.
Wheeler would like to see the old Ladd-Little-Wheeler line from 2011 reunited in the fall.
“I don’t know who is coaching the team,” said Wheeler. “But I’d think that’s got to be a good line to put together.”
Just like in 2016, the alumni game will be played the day before the big game on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Princess Auto Stadium.
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