Jets forward Ehlers drops non-contact jersey at morning skate ahead of Game 6

The Winnipeg Jets topped the St. Louis Blues in Game 5, leaving them one game away from advancing to the next round.

ST LOUIS — Forward Nikolaj Ehlers returned to the Winnipeg Jets lineup Friday night for the first time since injuring his right foot three weeks ago.

He made his series debut in Game 6 against the St. Louis Blues on the second line with Adam Lowry and Cole Perfetti.

Ehlers, out on a week-to-week basis since his last game action April 12, shed his usual non-contact jersey and was a full participant in the Jets' morning skate at Enterprise Center.

The Jets entered play with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

For a player who only recently resumed skating with the team, Ehlers made significant strides over the last few days. He had 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) over 69 games this season.

The Jets didn't have top-line centre Mark Scheifele available after he was hurt in a 5-3 home win in Game 5 on Wednesday. He didn't make the trip to St. Louis and is considered day-to-day.

Entering Friday's game, the home team had won every game in this first-round showdown. The Blues won Games 3 and 4 and had won 14 straight home contests overall.

Ehlers was not made available to reporters after the morning skate.

"We view him as a huge piece of our team," Lowry said after the 45-minute workout. "At both ends of the rink, I think he's had a really good year."

The Jets also tinkered with their fourth line for Game 6 by slotting in centre Dominic Toninato for Jaret Anderson-Dolan.

Also Friday, the Jets recalled forward Brayden Yager from the Western Hockey League's Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Yager, a first-round draft pick in 2023, had 82 points in 54 games with Lethbridge and the Moose Jaw Warriors this past season.

The Jets won the Presidents' Trophy for the first time in franchise history after a 116-point regular season. They haven't won a playoff series since 2021.

If a seventh game is necessary, it will be played Sunday at Canada Life Centre.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 2, 2025.

Gregory Strong, The Canadian Press