# 1990–91 Winnipeg Jets season

The 1990–91 Winnipeg Jets season was the Jets' 19th season, their 12th season in the National Hockey League. The Jets placed fifth in the Smythe and did not qualify for the 1991 Stanley Cup playoffs.

## Off-season

The Winnipeg Jets made a blockbuster trade at the 1990 NHL Entry Draft on June 15, 1990, sending Dale Hawerchuk and their first-round pick in the same draft to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Phil Housley, Scott Arniel, Jeff Parker and the Sabres' first-round pick in the same draft. Hawerchuk, who had been with the Jets since the 1981–82 season, was coming off a season with 26 goals and 81 points, both career-lows, in 79 games. Housley, a defenceman, had 21 goals and 81 points in 80 games for the Sabres in the 1989–90 season, while Arniel had 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games with Buffalo. Arniel had previously played with the Jets for five seasons, from 1981 to 1986.
At the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, the team selected Keith Tkachuk from Malden Catholic High School, a high school in Massachusetts. Another notable pick by Winnipeg was Alexei Zhamnov in the fourth round.
On September 6, 1990, the Jets traded Laurie Boschman to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Bob Brooke. Boschman had been with Winnipeg since the 1982–83 season and was coming off a 10-goal, 27-point season in 1989–90. Brooke had 8 goals and 18 points in 35 games with the Devils. However, the next day, he announced his retirement from professional hockey. As compensation, the Jets then received the Devils' fifth-round pick in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
On September 30, 1990, Winnipeg traded Peter Taglianetti to the Minnesota North Stars in exchange for future considerations. Taglianetti had 3 goals and 9 points in 49 games with the Jets in 1989–90.
The Jets changed their primary logo and uniforms for the 1990–91 season, however, the team stayed with the same colours of blue, red and white.
With the departure of Hawerchuk, Randy Carlyle and Thomas Steen continued to serve as co-captains.

## Regular season
### Final standings

Smythe Division :
| | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| Los Angeles Kings | 80 | 46 | 24 | 10 | 340 | 254 | 102 |
| Calgary Flames | 80 | 46 | 26 | 8 | 344 | 263 | 100 |
| Edmonton Oilers | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | 272 | 272 | 80 |
| Vancouver Canucks | 80 | 28 | 43 | 9 | 243 | 315 | 65 |
| Winnipeg Jets | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | 260 | 288 | 63 |
Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against Note: Teams that qualified for the playoffs are highlighted in bold.
Campbell Conference :
| R | | Div | GP | W | L | T | GF | GA | Pts |
| 1 | p – Chicago Blackhawks | NRS | 80 | 49 | 23 | 8 | 284 | 211 | 106 |
| 2 | St. Louis Blues | NRS | 80 | 47 | 22 | 11 | 310 | 250 | 105 |
| 3 | Los Angeles Kings | SMY | 80 | 46 | 24 | 10 | 340 | 254 | 102 |
| 4 | Calgary Flames | SMY | 80 | 46 | 26 | 8 | 344 | 263 | 100 |
| 5 | Edmonton Oilers | SMY | 80 | 37 | 37 | 6 | 272 | 272 | 80 |
| 6 | Detroit Red Wings | NRS | 80 | 34 | 38 | 8 | 273 | 298 | 76 |
| 7 | Minnesota North Stars | NRS | 80 | 27 | 39 | 14 | 256 | 266 | 68 |
| 8 | Vancouver Canucks | SMY | 80 | 28 | 43 | 9 | 243 | 315 | 65 |
| 9 | Winnipeg Jets | SMY | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | 260 | 288 | 63 |
| 10 | Toronto Maple Leafs | NRS | 80 | 23 | 46 | 11 | 241 | 318 | 57 |
Divisions: NRS – Norris, SMY – Smythe
bold – Qualified for playoffs; p – Won Presidents' Trophy

## Schedule and results

| No. | R | Date | Score | Opponent | Record | Attendance |
| 1 | W | October 4, 1990 | 7–1 | Toronto Maple Leafs (1990–91) | 1–0–0 | 14,144 |
| 2 | T | October 6, 1990 | 3–3 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 1–0–1 | 17,502 |
| 3 | L | October 8, 1990 | 3–4 | Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 1–1–1 | 11,851 |
| 4 | L | October 10, 1990 | 2–4 | Boston Bruins (1990–91) | 1–2–1 | 13,125 |
| 5 | L | October 12, 1990 | 1–3 | @ Washington Capitals (1990–91) | 1–3–1 | 15,117 |
| 6 | L | October 13, 1990 | 3–4 | @ Philadelphia Flyers (1990–91) | 1–4–1 | 17,382 |
| 7 | L | October 16, 1990 | 1–4 | @ New York Islanders (1990–91) | 1–5–1 | 9,805 |
| 8 | L | October 17, 1990 | 3–5 | @ New York Rangers (1990–91) | 1–6–1 | 14,942 |
| 9 | W | October 19, 1990 | 7–5 | Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 2–6–1 | 12,900 |
| 10 | W | October 24, 1990 | 3–1 | Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 3–6–1 | 12,185 |
| 11 | W | October 26, 1990 | 6–2 | Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 4–6–1 | 15,566 |
| 12 | L | October 28, 1990 | 2–6 | Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 4–7–1 | 14,087 |
| 13 | W | October 31, 1990 | 1–0 OT | @ Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 5–7–1 | 15,436 |
| 14 | L | November 1, 1990 | 1–2 | @ Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 5–8–1 | 19,974 |
| 15 | W | November 3, 1990 | 5–3 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 6–8–1 | 14,066 |
| 16 | L | November 6, 1990 | 2–4 | Philadelphia Flyers (1990–91) | 6–9–1 | 11,771 |
| 17 | W | November 9, 1990 | 5–4 | Hartford Whalers (1990–91) | 7–9–1 | 12,175 |
| 18 | T | November 11, 1990 | 3–3 OT | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1990–91) | 7–9–2 | 17,856 |
| 19 | L | November 12, 1990 | 2–5 | @ Toronto Maple Leafs (1990–91) | 7–10–2 | 15,610 |
| 20 | L | November 14, 1990 | 4–6 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1990–91) | 7–11–2 | 10,786 |
| 21 | L | November 16, 1990 | 4–6 | New York Rangers (1990–91) | 7–12–2 | 15,498 |
| 22 | W | November 18, 1990 | 4–3 | St. Louis Blues (1990–91) | 8–12–2 | 12,834 |
| 23 | L | November 20, 1990 | 2–4 | @ St. Louis Blues (1990–91) | 8–13–2 | 16,905 |
| 24 | L | November 22, 1990 | 1–3 | @ New York Islanders (1990–91) | 8–14–2 | 10,053 |
| 25 | W | November 24, 1990 | 11–4 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1990–91) | 9–14–2 | 13,881 |
| 26 | L | November 25, 1990 | 3–4 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1990–91) | 9–15–2 | 16,459 |
| 27 | T | November 28, 1990 | 2–2 OT | Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 9–15–3 | 11,871 |
| 28 | L | November 30, 1990 | 2–4 | Minnesota North Stars (1990–91) | 9–16–3 | 12,394 |
| 29 | L | December 2, 1990 | 1–5 | Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 9–17–3 | 10,469 |
| 30 | T | December 3, 1990 | 4–4 OT | New Jersey Devils (1990–91) | 9–17–4 | 11,758 |
| 31 | T | December 5, 1990 | 3–3 OT | @ Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 9–17–5 | 14,646 |
| 32 | T | December 8, 1990 | 4–4 OT | @ Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 9–17–6 | 16,005 |
| 33 | T | December 11, 1990 | 3–3 OT | @ St. Louis Blues (1990–91) | 9–17–7 | 15,340 |
| 34 | L | December 13, 1990 | 4–5 | @ Chicago Blackhawks (1990–91) | 9–18–7 | 17,576 |
| 35 | W | December 15, 1990 | 4–2 | Montreal Canadiens (1990–91) | 10–18–7 | 15,506 |
| 36 | L | December 16, 1990 | 2–4 | Philadelphia Flyers (1990–91) | 10–19–7 | 12,172 |
| 37 | L | December 18, 1990 | 2–9 | @ Pittsburgh Penguins (1990–91) | 10–20–7 | 14,543 |
| 38 | L | December 20, 1990 | 1–3 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1990–91) | 10–21–7 | 19,473 |
| 39 | L | December 22, 1990 | 2–5 | Detroit Red Wings (1990–91) | 10–22–7 | 12,041 |
| 40 | W | December 26, 1990 | 6–4 | @ Minnesota North Stars (1990–91) | 11–22–7 | 7,948 |
| 41 | W | December 28, 1990 | 6–0 | Boston Bruins (1990–91) | 12–22–7 | 14,485 |
| 42 | W | December 31, 1990 | 2–1 | Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 13–22–7 | 11,558 |
| 43 | T | January 2, 1991 | 3–3 OT | Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 13–22–8 | 11,853 |
| 44 | L | January 4, 1991 | 1–4 | @ Buffalo Sabres (1990–91) | 13–23–8 | 16,325 |
| 45 | L | January 5, 1991 | 3–4 | @ Hartford Whalers (1990–91) | 13–24–8 | 12,006 |
| 46 | L | January 7, 1991 | 2–5 | @ Boston Bruins (1990–91) | 13–25–8 | 13,773 |
| 47 | L | January 11, 1991 | 1–3 | Chicago Blackhawks (1990–91) | 13–26–8 | 13,432 |
| 48 | W | January 13, 1991 | 4–3 | Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 14–26–8 | 12,433 |
| 49 | L | January 15, 1991 | 5–7 | @ Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 14–27–8 | 20,006 |
| 50 | W | January 16, 1991 | 2–1 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 15–27–8 | 14,248 |
| 51 | W | January 21, 1991 | 2–0 | Minnesota North Stars (1990–91) | 16–27–8 | 11,061 |
| 52 | W | January 25, 1991 | 8–1 | New York Islanders (1990–91) | 17–27–8 | 14,052 |
| 53 | L | January 27, 1991 | 2–3 | Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 17–28–8 | 12,892 |
| 54 | W | January 29, 1991 | 5–2 | @ Quebec Nordiques (1990–91) | 18–28–8 | 13,140 |
| 55 | L | January 30, 1991 | 4–8 | @ Montreal Canadiens (1990–91) | 18–29–8 | 16,100 |
| 56 | W | February 2, 1991 | 4–2 | @ Washington Capitals (1990–91) | 19–29–8 | 17,923 |
| 57 | W | February 3, 1991 | 4–3 | @ New York Rangers (1990–91) | 20–29–8 | 15,017 |
| 58 | T | February 6, 1991 | 5–5 OT | Toronto Maple Leafs (1990–91) | 20–29–9 | 12,157 |
| 59 | W | February 8, 1991 | 6–2 | Pittsburgh Penguins (1990–91) | 21–29–9 | 13,224 |
| 60 | L | February 10, 1991 | 0–2 | Buffalo Sabres (1990–91) | 21–30–9 | 14,221 |
| 61 | L | February 12, 1991 | 1–6 | @ Detroit Red Wings (1990–91) | 21–31–9 | 19,374 |
| 62 | T | February 14, 1991 | 3–3 OT | @ New Jersey Devils (1990–91) | 21–31–10 | 10,299 |
| 63 | W | February 17, 1991 | 6–0 | Quebec Nordiques (1990–91) | 22–31–10 | 12,798 |
| 64 | T | February 20, 1991 | 5–5 OT | Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 22–31–11 | 11,832 |
| 65 | L | February 22, 1991 | 4–6 | Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 22–32–11 | N/A |
| 66 | L | February 24, 1991 | 3–5 | Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 22–33–11 | 15,568 |
| 67 | W | February 26, 1991 | 5–4 | Hartford Whalers (1990–91) | 23–33–11 | 10,839 |
| 68 | L | February 28, 1991 | 2–4 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 23–34–11 | 16,005 |
| 69 | L | March 2, 1991 | 3–6 | @ Los Angeles Kings (1990–91) | 23–35–11 | N/A |
| 70 | L | March 5, 1991 | 4–5 | Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 23–36–11 | 11,568 |
| 71 | L | March 8, 1991 | 1–2 | Washington Capitals (1990–91) | 23–37–11 | 13,701 |
| 72 | W | March 10, 1991 | 4–3 | New Jersey Devils (1990–91) | 24–37–11 | 13,734 |
| 73 | L | March 12, 1991 | 3–5 | @ Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 24–38–11 | 19,915 |
| 74 | L | March 13, 1991 | 2–6 | Buffalo Sabres (1990–91) | 24–39–11 | 12,475 |
| 75 | W | March 15, 1991 | 4–3 | Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 25–39–11 | 14,768 |
| 76 | L | March 18, 1991 | 3–4 OT | @ Calgary Flames (1990–91) | 25–40–11 | 19,915 |
| 77 | L | March 22, 1991 | 1–3 | @ Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 25–41–11 | 16,123 |
| 78 | W | March 23, 1991 | 3–0 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 26–41–11 | 17,503 |
| 79 | L | March 28, 1991 | 2–3 OT | @ Vancouver Canucks (1990–91) | 26–42–11 | 16,123 |
| 80 | L | March 31, 1991 | 3–6 | @ Edmonton Oilers (1990–91) | 26–43–11 | 16,926 |

## Player statistics
### Regular season
#### Scoring

| Player | Pos | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG |
| Phil Housley | D | 78 | 23 | 53 | 76 | 24 | -13 | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| Thomas Steen | C | 58 | 19 | 48 | 67 | 49 | -3 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| Pat Elynuik | RW | 80 | 31 | 34 | 65 | 73 | -13 | 16 | 0 | 4 |
| Ed Olczyk | C | 61 | 26 | 31 | 57 | 69 | -20 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Fredrik Olausson | D | 71 | 12 | 29 | 41 | 24 | -22 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul MacDermid | RW | 69 | 15 | 21 | 36 | 128 | -6 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Brent Ashton | LW | 61 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 58 | -10 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Doug Evans | LW | 70 | 7 | 27 | 34 | 108 | -1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Teppo Numminen | D | 80 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 28 | -15 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Randy Carlyle | D | 52 | 9 | 19 | 28 | 44 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Dave McLlwain | C/RW | 60 | 14 | 11 | 25 | 46 | -13 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Danton Cole | C/RW | 66 | 13 | 11 | 24 | 24 | -14 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Moe Mantha | D | 57 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 33 | -20 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Phil Sykes | LW | 70 | 12 | 10 | 22 | 59 | -9 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Scott Arniel | LW | 75 | 5 | 17 | 22 | 87 | -12 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greg Paslawski | RW | 43 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 10 | -6 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mark Osborne | LW | 37 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 59 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Dave Ellett | D | 17 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 6 | -4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Mark Kumpel | RW | 53 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 10 | -10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Eagles | C/LW | 44 | 0 | 9 | 9 | 79 | -10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Paul Fenton | LW | 17 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 18 | -4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Gord Donnelly | D | 57 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 265 | -13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Erickson | RW | 6 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shawn Cronin | D | 67 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 189 | -10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sergei Kharin | RW | 7 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Marchment | D | 28 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 91 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Don Barber | W | 16 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 14 | -3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doug Smail | LW | 15 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | -6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bob Essensa | G | 55 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Duncanson | LW | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 16 | -5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Draper | C | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stephane Beauregard | G | 16 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Luciano Borsato | C | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rick Tabaracci | G | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Iain Duncan | LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guy Larose | C | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rudy Poeschek | RW/D | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Simon Wheeldon | C | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

#### Goaltending

| Player | MIN | GP | W | L | T | GA | GAA | SO | SA | SV | SV% |
| Bob Essensa | 2916 | 55 | 19 | 24 | 6 | 153 | 3.15 | 4 | 1496 | 1343 | .898 |
| Rick Tabaracci | 1093 | 24 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 71 | 3.90 | 1 | 570 | 499 | .875 |
| Stephane Beauregard | 836 | 16 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 55 | 3.95 | 0 | 423 | 368 | .870 |
| Team: | 4845 | 80 | 26 | 43 | 11 | 279 | 3.46 | 5 | 2489 | 2210 | .888 |
    Pos = Position; GPI = Games played in; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes; +/- = Plus/minus; PPG = Power-play goals; SHG = Short-handed goals; GWG = Game-winning goals
    Min, TOI = Minutes played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T,T/OT = Ties; OTL = Overtime losses; GA = Goals-against; GAA = Goals-against average; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Shots saved; SV% = Save percentage;

## Transactions
### Trades

| July 9, 1990 | To New York RangersBrian McReynolds | To Winnipeg JetsSimon Wheeldon |
| September 6, 1990 | To New Jersey DevilsLaurie Boschman | To Winnipeg Jets 5th round pick in 1991 - Yan Kaminsky |
| September 6, 1990 | To Minnesota North StarsBrian Hunt | To Winnipeg JetsCraig Duncanson |
| September 30, 1990 | To Minnesota North StarsPeter Taglianetti | To Winnipeg JetsFuture Considerations |
| November 7, 1990 | To Minnesota North StarsDoug Smail | To Winnipeg JetsDon Barber |
| November 10, 1990 | To Toronto Maple LeafsDave Ellett Paul Fenton | To Winnipeg JetsEd Olczyk Mark Osborne |
| December 14, 1990 | To Chicago Blackhawks4th round pick in 1991 - Igor Kravchuk | To Winnipeg JetsMike Eagles |
| January 22, 1991 | To New York RangersGuy Larose | To Winnipeg JetsRudy Poeschek |
| February 4, 1991 | To Buffalo SabresGreg Paslawski | To Winnipeg JetsCash |
| February 28, 1991 | To St. Louis BluesTom Draper | To Winnipeg JetsFuture Considerations |
| May 21, 1991 | To Washington CapitalsCraig Duncanson Brent Hughes Simon Wheeldon | To Winnipeg JetsBob Joyce Tyler Larter Kent Paynter |
| May 24, 1991 | To St. Louis BluesFuture Considerations | To Winnipeg JetsTom Draper Jim Vesey |
| May 30, 1991 | To Minnesota North Stars7th round pick in 1991 - Geoff Finch | To Winnipeg JetsRob Murray Future Considerations |
| June 12, 1991 | To Edmonton Oilers5th round pick in 1991 - Ryan Haggerty | To Winnipeg JetsJohn LeBlanc 10th round pick in 1992 - Teemu Numminen |
| June 20, 1991 | To Boston BruinsJim Vesey | To Winnipeg JetsFuture Considerations |
| June 22, 1991 | To Buffalo SabresTom Draper | To Winnipeg Jets7th round pick in 1992 - Artur Oktyabrev |

## Draft picks

Winnipeg selected the following players at the 1990 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia on June 16, 1990.

### NHL Amateur Draft

| Round | Pick | Player | Nationality | College/Junior/Club team |
| 1 | 19 | Keith Tkachuk (C) | United States | Malden Catholic High School (USHS-MA) |
| 2 | 35 | Mike Muller (D) | United States | Wayzata High School (USHS-MN) |
| 4 | 74 | Roman Meluzin (RW) | Czechoslovakia | HC Zlín |
| 4 | 75 | Scott Levins (RW) | United States | Tri-City Americans (WHL) |
| 4 | 77 | Alexei Zhamnov (C) | Soviet Union | Dynamo Moscow (Soviet Union) |
| 5 | 98 | Craig Martin (RW) | Canada | Hull Olympiques (QMJHL) |
| 6 | 119 | Daniel Jardemyr (D) | Sweden | IFK Uppsala (Sweden) |
| 7 | 140 | John Lilley (RW) | United States | Cushing Academy (USHS-MA) |
| 8 | 161 | Henrik Andersson (D) | Sweden | VIK Västerås HK (Sweden) |
| 9 | 182 | Rauli Raitanen (C) | Finland | Ässät (Finland) |
| 10 | 203 | Mika Alatalo (LW) | Finland | KooKoo (Finland) |
| 11 | 224 | Sergei Selyanin (D) | Soviet Union | Voskresensk Khimik (Soviet Union) |
| 12 | 245 | Keith Morris (LW) | Canada | University of Alaska Anchorage (WCHA) |
| S | 19 | Mark Richards (G) | United States | University of Massachusetts Lowell (Hockey East) |