The Jets secured the No. 1 seed in the Central Division and Western Conference after earning a point in Saturday’s 5-4 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Cole Perfetti scored the shootout winner for Winnipeg.
The top seed guarantees Winnipeg a Round 1 matchup with the second wild-card team and home-ice advantage through the first three rounds of the playoffs.
Winnipeg will face either the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues, or Calgary Flames in the opening round, with Calgary being the least likely opponent.
The Jets’ clinch also locks the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche as the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Central Division, setting up their first-round matchup against each other. Both teams made significant additions before the trade deadline, with Dallas acquiring former Avalanche player Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes.
The NHL-leading Jets haven’t secured the Presidents’ Trophy yet, but they hold a five-point advantage over the Washington Capitals.
This marks the first time in franchise history the Jets have earned a conference’s top seed.
It’s also Winnipeg’s first division title since the team relocated from Atlanta in 2011. The Atlanta Thrashers previously won the Southeast Division in 2007.
