Michael Hutchinson’s next hockey stop keeps him close to the game and close to home.
The former Winnipeg Jets goaltender has been hired by the Selkirk Steelers of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League as their new goaltending coach, the club announced Thursday. It’s his first coaching job, and it comes only weeks after he wrapped up an 11-season NHL career at the end of July.
For the Steelers, it’s a significant add. Hutchinson brings the kind of resume young goalies don’t often get access to: 154 NHL regular-season games, six shutouts, and more than a decade spent grinding through pro hockey’s highest level.
Hutchinson’s best run came with Winnipeg. After signing with the Jets organization in 2013, he made a name for himself with the AHL’s St.
John’s IceCaps before forcing his way into a full-time NHL role. In 2014-15, he posted a 21-10-5 record with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage while sharing the crease with Ondrej Pavelec.
That season helped push Winnipeg back into the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Atlanta.
The Barrie, Ont. native went on to appear in 102 games for the Jets over parts of five seasons. After that, he had stops with the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings.
His overall NHL line finished at 57-62-18, with a 2.94 GAA and a .903 save percentage.
When Hutchinson announced his retirement, the Jets marked the moment by congratulating him online and saying they "can't wait to see you at the Alumni Game," a sign of how closely his name remains tied to Winnipeg.
Hutchinson has already been rooted in the city beyond his playing days. He runs Hutchinson Goaltending in Winnipeg, and now he’s adding another role to that local hockey footprint by helping mentor the next wave of Manitoba goaltenders from behind the bench.
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Winnipeg is still not in a rush to accept a lesser package, and that stance is part of what makes this so tricky. The club is holding firm for the kind of offer that makes sense on its end, while also needing a path to cover the crease if it does move Hellebuyck. Signing Stuart Skinner shows the Jets are preparing for that possibility, but the bigger question remains whether another team can assemble something strong enough to get the deal done. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Hutchinsons Next Hockey Move Will Hit Home For Jets Fans
Michael Hutchinsons playing days are over, but his ties to Winnipeg hockey are only getting deeper. The former Jets goaltender, who logged 154 NHL games across several teams, has officially retired from professional hockey and settled into a life here that feels pretty fitting for a player who made this city his permanent home.
Hutchinson is staying close to the crease in a new way, working with young netminders in Winnipeg and adding another local connection to a career that already resonated with Jets fans. His next chapter is more about teaching than stopping pucks, and it gives the city a chance to keep one of its familiar hockey figures in the middle of the game he knows best. [Read more 🡒]