Kyle Connor has dominated through the first two games of the Winnipeg Jets' 2026-27 season, setting the stage for an unforgettable year.
Connor has already been making NHL history this season. He tormented the Detroit Red Wings again on Sunday with two goals and an assist in Winnipeg's 3-2 win, continuing a career-long trend against the Wings while moving up the Jets' record book in power-play goals.
Per Dave Hogg of NHL.com, "Connor has 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 17 games against the Red Wings. … Connor passed Thomas Steen (73) for the fifth-most power-play goals in Jets history."
So far in 2026-27, Connor has five points and three goals in two games. All three of his goals have come on the power play.
With 75 power-play goals, Connor finds himself chasing teammate Mark Scheifele, who has 96. Scheifele is looking to recapture the Jets' points and goals lead from Dale Hawerchuk and the assists lead from Thomas Steen, but has been shut out through two games.
That said, if Scheifele falls into a slump early, Connor could close the gap in power-play goals if he keeps playing at an elite level on the man advantage.
Since his first season with the Jets, Connor has averaged 6.6 power-play goals per season. He may not find himself catching Scheifele any time soon once the longtime Jet starts pitching in, but Connor will close the gap on Paul MacLean (97), Ilya Kovlachuk (115), and Dale Hawerchuk (122) in power-play goals.
To catch and ultimately pass Hawerchuk, however, Connor will need to dramatically up his game on the power play. But he already has three power-play goals in two games so far in 2026-27. That puts him in a prime position to pass his single-season career-high of 11, which he set in 2018-19.
He also has one more game to go this season against the Red Wings, a team he has been outright phenomenal against.
With three points and two goals in Sunday's win, it marked the fifth season Connor has logged over a point per game against his hometown team. The first time Connor accomplished this feat occurred in 2018-19, when he posted two goals, four points, and a plus-3.
Connor did it again in 2019-20, putting up three points, two goals, an assist, and a plus-1. He finished 2022-23 against the Red Wings with the same number of goals and points, but with a minus-1. Fast-forward to 2024-25, and Connor again had three points against Detroit, but with one goal and two assists.
He also had two points and a goal against the Red Wings in 2021-22. In 2023-24, Connor appeared in just one game against Detroit and had a goal in that contest. That marks seven times when he has scored at least one point per game while playing against the Red Wings.
Amidst the Jets' struggles in 2025-26, the Red Wings shut out Connor. While he matched a career-high with nine shots on goal against Detroit, he failed to convert any of them for a goal. Connor also had a minus-3 against the Red Wings that season.
Michigan hockey fans are familiar with Connor, who was born in Clinton Township and grew up in the Detroit area. He also played at the University of Michigan before turning pro for the 2016-17 season. We will see what Connor has in store next when the Jets face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday night.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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