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Michael Hutchinson's Next Chapter Keeps Him Close To Home
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- Michael Hutchinson's Next Chapter Keeps Him Close To Home
Michael Hutchinson may have retired from professional hockey, but the former Winnipeg Jets goaltender certainly hasn't left the game behind.
Just over a month after officially calling time on an 11-season NHL career, Hutchinson has landed his first coaching role, joining the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Selkirk Steelers as goaltending coach for the 2026-27 season.
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For Hutchinson, it's another indication that his post-playing career will unfold in the same province where his NHL career truly took off.
The 36-year-old Barrie, Ont., product has made Winnipeg his permanent home after a professional career that took him across North America and eventually overseas. Now, instead of packing his bags for another training camp, Hutchinson will make the roughly 30-minute trip north of Winnipeg to work with the next generation of Manitoba goaltenders.
Photo by James Carey Lauder/USA Today
It's a fitting next step for a player whose connection to Winnipeg has long extended beyond the crease.
Hutchinson signed with the Jets organization in 2013 and eventually appeared in 102 games over parts of five seasons with the club. His breakout came in 2014-15, when he posted a 21-10-5 record, 2.38 goals-against average and .914 save percentage while helping Winnipeg qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Atlanta.
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He ultimately appeared in 154 NHL games between Winnipeg, Florida , Toronto , Colorado , Columbus and Detroit before finishing his professional career with SaiPa in Finland.
But no matter where hockey took him, Winnipeg remained home. Hutchinson's wife, Jenna, co-founded Winnipeg-based Jenna Rae Cakes with her twin sister, Ashley Kosowan. The bakery has since grown from its original location into one of the city's most recognizable local brands.
The Hutchinsons also maintained their roots in Manitoba throughout Michael's hockey travels, eventually building their permanent home in Winnipeg and returning to the city following the conclusion of his playing career.
And it hasn't taken Hutchinson long to find ways to remain involved in the sport.
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He launched Hutchinson Goaltending in Winnipeg, offering private and semi-private lessons, team skates, consulting and video analysis to local netminders. His new role with Selkirk now provides another opportunity to pass along knowledge accumulated through more than a decade of professional hockey.
The Steelers announced the hiring this week, pointing to Hutchinson's 154 games of NHL experience and five seasons with the Jets as reasons for their excitement in adding him to the staff.
His return to Manitoba hockey won't be limited to coaching, either. 'Hutch' is also the lone goaltender currently listed on the Winnipeg Jets roster for the 2026 Alumni Game against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 24 at Canada Life Centre. He'll share the ice with a collection of familiar Jets 2.0 names, including Blake Wheeler , Dustin Byfuglien , Andrew Ladd , Bryan Little , Mathieu Perreault , Paul Stastny and others.
When Hutchinson announced his retirement in July, the Jets' message to their former netminder included a telling line: they couldn't wait to see him at the Alumni Game.
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It turns out fans won't have to wait until October to see Hutchinson involved in hockey again. After years spent bouncing between organizations, cities and countries in pursuit of the next opportunity between the pipes, Hutchinson has finally stopped moving. Manitoba is home.
