The Manitoba Moose didn’t waste any time making a statement to open the 2026-27 season. Two games in, they’re sitting on a perfect start after knocking off the defending Western Conference Champions twice and doing it in very different ways.
It began Saturday with a 3-0 win over the Chicago Wolves, powered by Domenic DiVincentiis and his 36-save shutout. The performance marked the first time a Moose goalie had posted a clean sheet in a season opener. Kevin He, in his pro debut, and Colby Barlow each chipped in with two points, finishing with a goal and an assist apiece.
Sunday’s rematch turned into a track meet. Manitoba struck for three goals in the first 10 minutes, Chicago answered with three of its own, and then the Moose took over from there.
By the end of it, Manitoba had rolled to an 8-3 win. Noah Gregor led the way with three points, a goal and two assists, and he finished the weekend with four points overall after adding another two goals and two assists across the two games.
Brayden Yager also had a big night with three points of his own, scoring twice and setting up another. In all, 12 of the 18 Moose skaters recorded at least one point.
That kind of start put Manitoba tied for the most goals in the AHL after the weekend and sitting atop the league in goal differential.
“It was huge. I think we talked about it before game two, you know getting a sweep is always tough,” said Parker Ford as the team returned to practice this week.
“The other team always comes out a little bit harder. They don’t want to get swept.
Our start was really good, then we came back in the second and played really well. It was a big two games for our group.”
The Moose also got a look at some fresh faces on the back end. Rookie Alfons Freij scored his first AHL goal on Sunday, while the blue line also includes Dysin Mayo and Henry Thrun. Thrun, who previously played in San Jose and Toronto, is settling into a new team and a new system as the season begins.
“The locker room is easy. There are a lot of good guys here, really welcoming, and the staff is the same way.
That aspect takes care of itself,” explained Thrun. “On the ice it’s a little different, you know?
Different teams play different systems, especially on the special teams side of things. That takes a little time to learn.”
Thrun also pointed to the appeal of organizations like San Jose, Toronto and Winnipeg, where the NHL club and AHL affiliate share the same city.
“Between the facilities being in the same place, all the personnel and players… it goes a long way,” “Most importantly, culturally it means a lot. Whether guys are going up and down or wherever they are at in their career, I think it helps a lot to be able to see the NHL on the day-to-day and know what you’re pushing for.”
Manitoba will practice at hockey for all centre on Wednesday before heading out for its first road trip of the season. The Moose visit the Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday in a rematch of their Central Division Semifinals meeting in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs.
Puck drop is set for 6 p.m. CDT, with coverage beginning at 5:45 p.m.
CDT on CJOB.com, the Winnipeg Jets App and AHLTV on FloHockey.
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