Veteran defenseman to play for the Jets despite massive life changing event

The Winnipeg Jets have some major positional battles to sort out before the regular season arrives, and one of those could be the presence of veteran Haydn Fleury on their blue line. During the off-season, the Jets inked him to a one-year, two-way deal, and while he likely won't beat out Logan Stanley or Colin Miller for a spot on the third pairing, an impressive showing in the pre-season could change that.

Now, Head Coach Scott Arniel has confirmed Fleury's presence for the pre-season opener against the Minnesota Wild, despite his partner giving birth less than 24 hours ago.

This is a major commitment from Fleury as the 28-year old looks to secure his future in the NHL, with the former Lightning blue liner likely to find inspiration from his brand new baby boy.

It remains to be seen whether he can find his way onto this team, but with the Jets needing some depth, he will certainly play a role for the Jets in 2024/25, and if he has a strong pre-season, there will certainly be a story to watch on the Jets blue line this season.