All-Time Winnipeg ICE Lineup

When making an all-time team, you have to start with what is your criteria. Then you think, what are your exceptions, do you want any exceptions? These are supposed to be fun to make and fun to read. No matter who you put on the team, someone is going to disagree with you.

That is why with my all-time Winnipeg ICE team, I sorted by points and only used players that played in Winnipeg. It is not a very long list, and only a few play professional hockey now. It still was fun putting this roster together because I was blown away by some of the stats I read. Let’s get started.

The Forwards

The forwards of the Winnipeg ICE are stacked. The points do drop off rather abruptly, but the top-end talent is otherworldly. Leading the way is Connor McClennon with 201 points with 95 goals in 154 games with the Winnipeg ICE. His stats speak for themselves. He came into the league flying, and he is still up there. If you look at whom McClennon played with, then it starts to make sense why he has so many points. Another interesting fact I found about McClennon was that he is the all-time leader of penalty minutes with 130 PIMs.

Krebs, Savoie, and Geekie

When on your all-time team, you have Peyton Krebs on your fourth line, you have a deep lineup. Krebs only played parts of two seasons with the team, but he put up 103 points in just 63 games. He was here for a short time, but his effect on the franchise is everlasting.

Then look at the recent first-round talent that has been with the team recently in 2022 first-round picks Matthew Savoie and Conor Geekie. You would think there is no way they played at the same time Krebs did. You would be wrong if you thought that. Krebs, Savoie and Geekie all played together for two years. How they did not win a championship is a mystery to me.

The Future First Rounder

Zach Benson is a future top-10 pick. He is electric, he is skilled, and he is your third-line center on the Winnipeg ICE all-time team. Benson is projected to go top 10 in the upcoming NHL draft; some people even have him top 3 in the draft. When Zach Benson gets going, he is one of the best players in junior hockey. With him having 121 points in 108 games, you know he is going to create something offensive when he touches the puck.

The Defencemen

The all-time defence of the Winnipeg ICE is not as flashy as the forwards. There is still a lot of talent on this defence, as you still have Carson Lambos and Ben Zloty. The defence as a whole had very slim picking as these are only players that played in Winnipeg.

Lambos, Zloty, and Prosofsky

Carson Lambos and Karter Prosofsky are actually D partners at this time. They are not the biggest duo in the league, but they are very effective in what they do. They are able to shut down the opposition’s best players as well as put up some impressive points. Lambos will most likely be moving to pro hockey next year, as he was drafted by the Minnesota Wild two years ago. Prosofsky was passed over in the 2022 NHL Draft, so he is still available to any team.

Ben Zloty is the most experienced player that has ever played in Winnipeg. He has a total of 166 games played which is at the top of the all-time list. Zloty has racked up 118 assists and 138 points. He is currently playing on the third pair for the ICE. Ben Zloty has not been drafted and will be 20 at the end of this season, which means he will not be eligible to return to juniors.

Orzeck, Ladyman, and Harsch

Now you have three guys that are no longer with the team. Nolan Orzeck now plays in the ECHL for the Iowa Heartlanders. While with the ICE, he played a lot, as he sits second on the all-time game’s played list and third on the team scoring by a defenceman. He put up 66 points with 10 goals and 56 assists in 138 games.

Mike Ladyman played parts of two seasons with the Winnipeg ICE. He was effective offensively when he played but left in 2021 for the BCHL. He now plays for the Mount Royal University as he continues his hockey career. Reece Harsch played the fewest games in Winnipeg and now plays overseas in the EIHL. He had 26 points as a member of the ICE and had 38 PIMs.

The Goaltenders

Daniel Hauser is an amazing goaltender. It is just mind-blowing when you look at his record. How has he only lost four games? FOUR GAMES! It would be one thing if he had only played 30 games. He has played 65 games. Hauser has gone 57-4-2 in 65 games, with a .910 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against average. He also has nine shutouts in those 65 games.

Daniel Hauser is insane and also up for grabs in the upcoming draft. The only thing that will hold Hauser back is his size. He is 5 feet 11 inches and weighs 156 pounds. Do you know who else is that small, Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators. He stands at 5 feet 11 inches and weighs 180 pounds. If he follows the same career path as Saros, we will see him again in the pro ranks down the line.

Gage Alexander

Gage Alexander was good for the Winnipeg ICE. He put up a .903 save percentage which does not look good, but if you look at his goals against average, which is at a respectable 2.58. His record was 25-11-5 in 57 games. Alexander was one of five goaltenders to suit up for the ICE in their first season in Winnipeg. Gage Alexander currently still plays in the WHL for the Swift Current Broncos and was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the fifth round 148th overall in 2021.

In conclusion, the Winnipeg ICE all-time team is pretty solid. Would they win against other all-time teams, I would say probably not. The goaltending is immaculate, the defence is good, and the forwards are elite, but their depth is where I think it would cost them. To no fault of their own because these are just players that have played in Winnipeg, and they just have not been in town very long. If I were to redo this in five years, I think they would be one of the best all-time teams.