The Winnipeg Jets got a little encouraging news on Monday, and it came with Josh Morrissey back on the ice in yellow.
Morrissey, who has been out since Oct. 7 against the Colorado Avalanche, joined the Jets for a 35-minute practice at Bell Centre in a non-contact jersey. The 31-year-old has been listed as week-to-week since the injury, but his return appears to be drawing closer.
“We’ll see where we’re getting to for this weekend,” said head coach Scott Arniel. “As soon as that yellow jersey comes off (he’ll return).
I know we haven’t practiced because of the schedule. That’s getting closer.”
Before the injury, Morrissey had three assists in four games. He has been Winnipeg’s top producer on the blue line in points every season since 2021-22, and in 2024-25 he finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting after posting 14 goals and 62 points.
Monday also brought a pair of other injury updates for Winnipeg. Dawson Mercer did not skate after getting “nicked up” on Sunday afternoon in Carolina.
Arniel said the team wanted to give the forward the day off and will check his status again at Tuesday’s morning skate. Mercer has played 425 consecutive games.
Cole Koepke was back on the ice and took regular rushes Monday after missing Sunday’s game against the Hurricanes. That leaves him as a possible option for the Jets against the Montreal Canadiens.
“That was kind of a day-to-day thing. He felt better,” said Arniel. “I have to go talk to (Head Athletic Therapist, Rob Milette) after.”
In Other News...
Hurricanes Just Pushed Winnipeg Deeper Into A Spiral
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Adam Lowry offered a similar read on a team that knows the results are no longer sustainable. The captain acknowledged the struggles and suggested the group understands changes will have to come if the losing streak keeps rolling, a blunt reminder that the Jets are now past the stage of simply waiting for things to turn around. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Hit A New Low As This Losing Streak Gets Harder To Explain
The skid keeps getting uglier for the Jets, and Fridays 7-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes felt like another night where little went right from the opening shift. Winnipeg is now winless in nine straight, and the pattern has become impossible to ignore: the Jets have given up the first goal in 11 of their last 13 games, a habit that keeps forcing them to chase instead of control the pace.
The Hurricanes pushed the game out of reach early, and Winnipeg spent most of the night on its heels while getting badly outshot. Cole Koepke was unavailable because of an injury-related issue, adding another wrinkle to a lineup already searching for answers, but the larger concern is the way the losses are piling up and the lack of resistance once the game starts slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Hit A Defining Week As Early Slide Starts To Feel Serious
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A road trip now offers a chance to change the tone, but it also brings a difficult test right away with a visit to the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. For a team trying to stop an early slide from turning into something more serious, the next stretch is about more than just points in the standings. It is about finding enough structure and depth to survive until the lineup starts to look whole again. [Read more 🡒]