Fans of the Winnipeg Jets are flying high right now thanks to their team having set NHL history, becoming the first-ever team to win 14 of their first 15 games of a season. Their most recent triumph was a convincing 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars at Canada Life Centre, improving their record to 14-1.
Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, who was replaced by backup Casey DeSmith after surrendering the fourth goal of the game, was given a sarcastic serenade from the fired-up sellout crowd in Winnipeg.
The shouts of “U.S. Backup!” rang loud and clear from the fans:
Jets fans are chanting "U.S. backup" at Jake Oettinger as he is down 4-0 to fellow American goalie Connor Hellebuyck 😅🇺🇸
(via @avatarrant) pic.twitter.com/QwjQsvYn5M
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) November 9, 2024
His Jets counterpart Connor Hellebuyck will almost certainly be named the starter for the United States at the NHL's upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off next year. There's still plenty of time for Oettinger to state his care for the role, but it just wasn't his afternoon in Winnipeg.
Other goaltenders who are contenders to be with Team USA include Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks along with Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins.
Jake Oettinger was re-signed by the Stars to a hefty extension
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The Stars, who selected Oettinger with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, made sure that he would be a long-term part of their future, signing him to an eight-year, $66 million deal – the exact same contract that was given to Boston Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman before the season began.
He's in the final season of a three-year, $12 million deal. And Dallas was the only place that he wanted to play, via NHL.com.
“Just so excited and happy to know where I'm going to be for the foreseeable future,” Oettinger said. “I couldn't be more honored to have them believe in me like that, and the way (Stars general manager) Jim (Nill) treated me since I became a Dallas Star has been first class, and can't say enough great things about the way everything went down. Just really happy to be here.”
So far this season, Oettinger has accumulated a record of 6-2-1 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.