A memorial grows at the arena in Jasper where Danica Hills, 18, and her best friend and teammate Kayla Peacock, 17, laced up for the last time Monday night — mere hours before being killed while driving home from practice.

The two girls played for the co-ed U18 Jasper Bearcats hockey team but lived in Hinton, about 75 km to the east in western Alberta.

Jasper Minor Sports called the teenagers “bright shining lights” when announcing their deaths and said the entire community is in deep shock.

“These kids have grown up playing mixed teams between Hinton and Jasper for a few years now,” said Grant Bradley, president of Jasper Minor Sports.

He said both played on the local Jasper Grizzlies girls team before opting to join the Jasper mixed U18 non-body contact team this year.

“They were widely accepted and well respected,” he said.

The loss of hockey players on winter roads is, sadly, not a new tragedy in Canada. From the Humboldt Broncos crash eight years ago that killed 16 people and wounded 13 others, to the more recent crash that killed three teenage boys headed to practice earlier this month in southern Alberta, the hockey community is hurting.

“It’s heartbreaking, yeah, it’s very hard,” Bradley said. “To see it here and being directly impacted by it is hard… From a parental point, that’s where I get emotional on it.

“I’ve hugged my kids a little tighter the last couple days and just, you know, trying to be aware of the vulnerabilities that happen with youth.”

Playing hockey was Kayla and Danica’s favourite thing to do, said a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs for the Hills family.

“If you didn’t catch Danica fishing, you’d find her making jokes, dancing to country music, or always by Kayla’s side.”

They both loved the Edmonton Oilers, their favourite player was Leon Draisaitl and both girls planned to play in adult beer leagues after aging out of minor hockey.

The post said Danica made the most of her short 18 years on earth.

“Laughing and lighting up every room she walked into, you are privileged if you had the opportunity to know Danica.”

The girls were close, as evident in an 18th birthday post last month by Kayla’s mom Stacey Peacock who expressed gratitude for her place in the family’s life.

It contained a joint high school graduation portrait of the two, plus photos of the girls living their lives: at hockey, riding horses, and at the Rimbey Rodeo — where Kayla was named queen in 2025.

The Rimbey Rodeo said it was deeply saddened to share the news of her passing.

“Kayla was an incredible ambassador for the sport of rodeo, representing our community with grace, kindness, and unwavering dedication. She touched the lives of so many, and her presence will be profoundly missed,” said a post by the central Alberta organization.

A second GoFundMe for the Peacock family said in a single moment, two bright, beautiful young lives were taken far too soon.

“Kayla was just 17 years old and on the brink of graduation from Harry Collinge High School in Hinton. She had her whole future ahead of her — dreams forming, milestones approaching, and a life full of promise.”

Flags were lowered to half mast at the high school in Hinton, where classes were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday but the school remained open for grieving students to gather and seek counselling.

Both girls were set to graduate this spring.

The fundraiser described a bright young girl with a busy life — a “proud cowgirl and a fierce competitor on the ice” who “brought heart, determination, and grit to every game.”

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“Whether she was horseback or lacing up her skates, Kayla lived with strength, passion, and an undeniable spirit.”

A year and a half ago, the people of Jasper were forced to flee a wildfire that consumed hundreds of homes in the small mountain town and now, this tragedy brings about is a new wave of shock and grief.

“It’s been now some layering of trauma and stressful situations that people are trying to deal with,” Bradley said.

“It’s hard to even decipher right now, whether that trauma is from this particular incident or it’s from the other incidents both communities have witnessed in the past couple years.”

A memorial hockey game featuring teams from two neighbouring communities will take place Friday for the girls, with all proceeds going to their families.

The Hinton Canadians and Edson Eagles will play their second semifinal playoff game at the Jasper arena, and Jasper Minor Sports is holding a 50/50 fundraiser.

“Everything that will go to the families of Kayla and Danica and we’re trying to spread that. We’re just getting the posters done now, the QR codes, and we’ll try to spread it across Western Canada to help support them,” Bradley said.

On Tuesday, Hinton Mayor Brian LaBerge noted his town, Jasper, Edson, and the Yellowhead County area are closely connected and plenty of locals travel between the communities each day for work and other commitments. Bradley echoed that sentiment, in particular between Jasper and Hinton.

“We’re tight-knit communities between the two of us.”

The crash happened around 7:15 p.m. Monday, about 45 minutes after practice ended.

Peacock was behind the wheel of a pickup and Hills was a passenger, when their truck and a semi tractor-trailer collided on Highway 16, east of Jasper.

Both girls died on scene. RCMP said slippery road conditions are believed to be a factor.

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Federal ministers who met with representatives of OpenAI expressed disappointment Wednesday that the company did not present steps it will take to improve its safety measures — including when police are warned of a user’s online behaviour.

Experts in the field and opposition MPs, however, are questioning why the federal government has been slow to regulate artificial intelligence before concerns were raised this month following the Tumbler Ridge, B.C., mass shooting.

Artificial Intelligence Minister Evan Solomon said he is giving the company a chance to update him in the coming days on “concrete” actions before he and other ministers address the issue through legislation, though he noted a series of bills addressing AI safety and privacy are in the works.

“Look, we told this company we want to see some hard proposals, some concrete action,” Solomon told reporters in Ottawa while heading into a Liberal caucus meeting.

“We’re disappointed that by the time they came here, they did not have something more concrete to offer, but we’ll see very shortly what they have,” he added, noting that “all options” were on the table for how the government might act.

Solomon summoned representatives of the company behind ChatGPT to Ottawa after it emerged that the shooter who killed eight people in Tumbler Ridge on Feb. 10 was flagged internally last June for her activity on the AI chatbot.

OpenAI did not alert the RCMP until after the mass shooting occurred, saying the “violent” activity did not meet the internal threshold of an “imminent” threat when the account was flagged and banned over seven months prior.

Justice Minister Sean Fraser, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree and Culture and Identity Minister Marc Miller — whose ministry is working on new online harms legislation — were also present at the meeting.

Prime Minister Mark Carney told reporters Wednesday he had not yet been briefed on the OpenAI meeting, but suggested he would be open to changes.

“I sat with the families of Tumbler Ridge, met with the first responders, saw the horror that — what happened and the pain that’s been caused,” he said.

“Obviously, anything that anyone could have done to prevent that tragedy or future tragedies must be done. We will fully explore it to the full lengths of the law and we’ll be very transparent about that process.”

Solomon and other ministers who were at the meeting said any action the government takes would focus on the threshold used to escalate concerning behaviour to law enforcement.

“There are issues around the assessment on credibility of a threat and the imminence of a thread that in my view, if properly administered, could prevent tragedies on a go-forward basis,” Fraser said.

“The message that we delivered, in no uncertain terms, was that we have an expectation that there are going to changes implemented, and if they’re not forthcoming very quickly, the government is going be making changes.”

OpenAI told Global News Tuesday evening that the company appreciated the “frank discussion on how to prevent tragedies like this in the future.”

“Over the past several months, we have taken steps to strengthen our safeguards and made changes to our law enforcement referral protocol for cases involving violent activities, but the ministers underscored that Canadians expect continued concrete action and we heard that message loud and clear,” a spokesperson said.

“We’ve committed to follow up in the coming days with an update on additional steps we’re taking, as we continue to support law enforcement and work with the government on strengthening AI safety for all Canadians.”

OpenAI did not detail exactly what changes have been made in recent months, and did not immediately respond to Global News’ request for comment Wednesday.

Researchers who study online harms and AI say the Tumbler Ridge incident shows the AI industry shouldn’t be left to regulate itself, and that the government needs to be more proactive.

“The ministers ought to be looking at themselves as the ones who are responsible for undertaking regulation seriously when it comes to ChatGPT and other similar tools,” said Jennifer Raso, an assistant professor in law at McGill University.

“Pulling people up to Ottawa after one of the most horrible mass shootings in Canada to have them account for themselves after the harm’s been done seems to be too little, too late.”

Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner said she is “very concerned about the government’s capacity and willingness to address artificial intelligence policy writ large” and the pace of progress, noting no meaningful regulations have been enacted since ChatGPT emerged in 2022.

“I certainly don’t see it as a front-burner issue,” she told reporters ahead of question period Wednesday.

“I am calling on the government to take this issue a little more seriously, to be less reactive, and to restate that Conservatives are willing to collaborate with the government on smart policy and certainly discussions on the topic at least.”

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NDP interim leader Don Davies told Global News in an interview that the government’s pace has been “glacial.”

“AI isn’t new. Online harms and threats and all sorts of intimidation and disclosure of intimate pictures, this is not new. This has been going on for years and the government has been fully aware of it,” he said.

“Where they’ve been absolutely, I think, negligent is in acting.”

Efforts to regulate the AI industry and address online harms through legislation died in Parliament last year ahead of the federal election.

The Artificial Intelligence and Data Act would have required AI companies to ensure its platforms are monitored for safety concerns and misuse, while enacting “proactive” measures to prevent real-world harm.

Fraser introduced legislation late last year that would crack down on the sharing on non-consensual sexualized deepfake images generated by AI, following similar bills enacted by provinces like British Columbia.

Solomon has promised to unveil a new federal AI strategy in the first quarter of this year, delaying its launch from late 2025.

In a speech last year, he said Ottawa would avoid “over-indexing on warnings and regulation,” reflecting the Carney government’s emphasis on AI’s economic benefits and speedy adoption of the technology.

A summary of public comments submitted during consultation on the forthcoming strategy showed Canadians are deeply skeptical of AI and want to see government regulation, particularly addressing online harms and mental health concerns.

While allies like the United Kingdom and European Union have moved to strengthen AI regulation, attempts to do so in the U.S. have been sporadic. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered states not to pass regulations before a national strategy is in place, but that federal standard has yet to emerge.

Canada’s privacy legislation says private companies “may” — not must — disclose personal information to authorities or another organization if they believe there is a risk of significant harm or that a law will be broken.

Any further decision-making is up to the company itself, leading to internal thresholds like OpenAI’s “imminent” threat identification.

Solomon said Wednesday that work is underway to update the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, but did not say when it will be tabled or offer further details.

Anandasangaree expressed confidence that the investigation into the shooting will yield answers, including from OpenAI.

“The number of issues arising around Tumbler Ridge concern me,” he told reporters after Wednesday’s caucus meeting.

“Yesterday’s meeting was a critical first step with OpenAI. There’s still a lot of unanswered questions, and there’s certainly a sense of frustration and, frankly, a sense that tech companies overall are not doing enough to address the issues around information that they hold.”

Solomon emphasized that the government wants to make sure what happened in Tumbler Ridge “does not happen again.”

“Of course a failure occurred here,” he said. “I mean, look what happened.”

—with files from Global’s Touria Izri

A Hamilton Police Service officer has been charged with child exploitation offences following an investigation by Halton Regional Police.

In a statement, Hamilton police said Const. Dave Hamilton, a 19-year member of the service, was charged with possession and transmitting of child sexual abuse and exploitation material.

Police said the charges were laid by the Halton Regional Police Service.

The officer has been suspended without pay, according to Hamilton police.

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Const. Hamilton is scheduled to appear in a Milton court at a later date.

“The matter is now before the courts. Out of respect for the court process, Hamilton Police Service will not be providing further comment,” the service said in its release.

Months after putting forward the idea of a drug enforcement task force, the Manitoba government is moving ahead with the premier’s plan with its first meeting happening today.

Premier Wab Kinew hinted at the task force last November in the throne speech, promising the establishment of a body to help coordinate drug enforcement among all police agencies in the province.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced the creation of Manitoba’s Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Task Force on Wednesday.

The task force, Wiebe said, would strengthen the response to the trafficking of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and other illicit drugs.

“We’re charting a new course to address drug enforcement in Manitoba,” Wiebe said. “Toxic drugs have devastated people, they’ve devastated individuals and they’ve devastated whole communities … Manitobans have had enough.”

When he first announced what he called a “meth task force,” Kinew said the Winnipeg Police Service, RCMP, and “all the law enforcement agencies including First Nations” would be involved to “bring the hammer down” on drug traffickers.

Officials from the WPS, RCMP and Manitoba First Nations Police Service were all in attendance Wednesday, alongside Kevin Brosseau, Canada’s fentanyl czar.

Wiebe said the task force was the first of its kind and would hold its first meeting later on Wednesday. A second meeting, he said, is already planned for March 20.

The minister said under advice and guidance of Brosseau, a province-wide enforcement strategy focused on resources and coordination will be honed.

Brosseau said with multi-commodity trafficking, complex organized crime groups and synthetic drugs that are cheaper and more potent, it requires an “equally sophisticated, coordinated, and united” response.

“It reflects what’s really simple, but it’s a vital truth that no single agency on its own, no matter how capable, can meet these challenges alone,” Brosseau said.

According to a news release, the task force will look at new ways to disrupt criminal organizations, including using unexplained wealth orders, and support joint police operations.

An unexplained wealth order can be used to require a person to provide information about how they lawfully acquired property or an interest in property that is suspected to be linked to crime.

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Wiebe said organized crime is operating at both an international and national level, but in Manitoba the drugs are being brought in and distributed and impacting both big and small communities.

“This is an opportunity for us to bring everyone to one table, to bring the expertise and develop the opportunities together at one table and to really go after those organized crime groups,” Wiebe said.

He added what spurred the creation of the task force was the government’s commitment to getting “tough on crime.”

Assistant commissioner Scott McMurchy, commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP, said when it comes to their jurisdictions they see everything from street-level individual dealers to small gangs to street gangs in the province.

He also said he’s heard concerns from multiple jurisdictions about what they’re seeing.

“Crystal meth and methamphetamines is taking over the city of Winnipeg, it’s taking over the city of Brandon, and it is slowly creeping into rural Manitoba,” McMurthy said.

“I work very closely with First Nations leaders in northern Manitoba, Grand Chiefs, Chiefs and Councils, and they are deathly afraid of the wave of drugs that are coming into their communities.”

He also raised concerns about the synthetic drugs that are being seen, like fentanyl and other opiates.

Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers said the task force will also look at how to improve the tools they use to combat drug crime, including improving technology just as drug dealers and organized crime are doing the same.

Bowers had one message though to dealers as the task force begins its work: “If you’re going to do this kind of behaviour, you’re going to end up in handcuffs.”

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Toronto city council members are paying tribute to former councillor and MPP Giorgio Mammoliti after learning of his death Wednesday.

Mammoliti was elected to six terms on Toronto City Council from 1998 to 2018, first representing North York Humber from 1998 to 2000, and then York West from 2000 to 2018.

He chaired the Toronto Zoo board, and was on the board of the Canadian National Exhibition Association. He also served on the board of the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority.

Mayor Olivia Chow issued a statement recognizing Mammoliti’s years of public service.

“Giorgio Mammoliti served the public for many years, both as an MPP and as a city councillor. I extend my sincere condolences to his family and friends, and to all those mourning his loss today,” Chow said.

Mammoliti twice ran unsuccessfully for mayor — in 2010 and 2023.

In 2025, Mammoliti was the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) candidate in the riding of Simcoe-Grey.

“Giorgio had a long and distinguished career in public service,” said PPC Leader Maxime Bernier in a statement. “What defined him was not party ideology, but his dedication to the people he represented.”

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Condolences were also shared by current council members on social media.

Coun. Anthony Perruzza, who was also an NDP MPP alongside Mammoliti, said he was “saddened to learn of the sudden and tragic passing of Georgio Mammoliti.”

Perruzza added his “thoughts and prayers are with Georgio and his family during this time of loss,” and wrote, “Rest in peace, my friend.”

Other politicians have also offered their condolences, including Deputy Mayor Mike Colle.

“Tragic passing of former MPP and Toronto City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti who was fighting for his life at Sunnybrook Hospital where he had been admitted,” his post read on Facebook.

“Condolences to his family and friends and may Giorgio’s memory be an eternal blessing.”

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An Ontario post-secondary institution is introducing voluntary staff exit packages as colleges across the province continue to grapple with financial pressures linked to declining international student revenue and a prolonged tuition freeze.

Humber Polytechnic says it is launching a Voluntary Employee Exit Program (VEEP), citing what it describes as significant fiscal challenges.

In a letter to the Humber community, president and CEO Ann Marie Vaughan said the school is facing budgetary strains despite recent provincial funding for the sector.

“Humber continues to navigate significant fiscal pressures outside of this investment, including caps on international students, rising operational costs driven by inflation, and the structural impacts of years of constrained funding,” Vaughan wrote.

She said those factors have placed increasing pressure on the institution’s finances.

“Unfortunately, we have arrived at the time when we must make more fundamental choices,” the letter states.

Humber said the voluntary exit program is being introduced in an effort to minimize involuntary job losses.

The program is open to all full-time employees, including the executive team, and offers financial packages for eligible staff who choose to leave.

Employees have until March 9 to indicate their interest.

The institution says it will assess participation levels after the deadline before determining whether further workforce reductions are required.

The move comes amid broader financial challenges facing Ontario’s publicly funded colleges, with the past year being marked by falling revenue from international students and the continued freeze on domestic tuition.

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Several colleges, including Seneca and Algonquin, have announced campus closures, while others, such as Sheridan College, have suspended dozens of programs.

Other institutions have also reduced staffing levels.

Meanwhile, the Ontario government has defended its funding commitments to the post-secondary sector.

“We’re investing a record amount. No one’s ever invested upwards to seven billion dollars in our colleges and universities. Those are staggering numbers,” Premier Doug Ford told reporters on Wednesday.

Ford also praised Humber, calling it the largest college in the country.

“I wish them all the best, drive efficiencies, run it like a business, educate our kids for jobs of the future.”

Humber acknowledged the uncertainty created by the staffing review and said further updates will be provided once decisions are finalized.

“Change is never easy. I believe our community will emerge from this time stronger, more agile, more innovative,” Vaughan wrote.

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New economic data coming on Friday is set to give the clearest picture yet of how hard U.S. tariffs and the trade war hammered the Canadian economy for the full year of 2025.

That comes as uncertainty continues to dominate most predictions for 2026 and amid a new round of 10 per cent U.S. tariffs on countries around the world that went into effect on Tuesday after previous global tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump early in 2025 were struck down on Feb. 20.

December’s report on gross domestic product (GDP) will be released by Statistics Canada on Friday, and will give a summary of the final quarter of 2025, offering insight into the full scope of the economic impacts for the year.

Royal Bank of Canada released a report on Feb. 20 outlining predictions for the GDP report. It was authored by RBC’s assistant chief economist Nathan Janzen and senior economist Claire Fan.

“International trade uncertainty and volatility has been a persistent feature in the growth backdrop over the last year, but we expect a flat Q4 gross domestic product reading for Canada next Friday [Feb. 27] was in part due to temporary disruptions in the economy with signs of stronger activity late in the quarter,” the report said.

Despite some positive signs within a few of the previous GDP reports, RBC says, “still, soft spots remain.”

GDP is measured by adding the value of all goods and services produced within a country during a given period.

In November, GDP showed zero per cent growth from October, when GDP fell 0.3 per cent.

December’s GDP report will conclude the fourth quarter of 2025.

RBC’s report is somewhat optimistic for the results expected to be released on Friday, and forecasts that GDP in the month will be up by 0.2 per cent.

“The silver lining to a soft looking quarter is that most of the weakness was concentrated in October and November with industry reports for December mostly positive,” the RBC report said.

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“Following two soft growth prints in October and November, we expect a 0.2 per cent increase in December that would be slightly above Statistics Canada’s 0.1 per cent advance estimate. That would leave Q4 tracking close to our (and the Bank of Canada’s) forecast for no growth after a 2.6 per cent annualized increase in Q3.”

The third quarter of last year saw GDP rise 2.6 per cent in the three months from July through September. This meant Canada avoided a recession, which economists define as two back-to-back quarters, or six straight months, where GDP drops.

When the September GDP report was released, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce warned that there were still concerns for the economy.

“Canada’s headline growth only looks good on paper — external conditions will continue to put pressure on the economy,” Andrew DiCapua, principal economist at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement from November.

“We’ll need strong domestic demand to carry more of the load — it simply wasn’t there in third quarter GDP. Households and businesses are still holding back, and the economy hasn’t found the momentum it needs to shift into a higher gear.”

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An Ontario city has approved amendments to one of its bylaws, aimed at giving police and municipal enforcement officers greater authority to address disruptive gatherings ahead of St. Patrick’s Day.

City officials say the changes, approved Monday, are intended to support a more proactive response to large, unsanctioned street parties that have historically drawn crowds and created safety concerns.

The bylaw revisions focus on issues including blocked roadways and interference with pedestrian movement, cited as common problems during St. Patrick’s Day weekend and university homecoming events.

A staff report notes that a nuisance party provision introduced in 2023 has helped manage gatherings at private residences that spill onto sidewalks and streets.

Staff observed that individuals have at times deliberately obstructed sidewalks or remained on roadways to force street closures, actions the city stated can pose public safety risks.

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Under the amendments, the bylaw now includes two standalone revisions: prohibiting the obstruction of highways and pedestrian areas when a nuisance is being created and requiring individuals to leave a roadway when directed by an officer for safety reasons.

The staff report states the updates will allow enforcement officers to have a more proactive, consistent and clear response to large gatherings.

The amendments reflect recommendations from the city’s Large Street Gathering Task Force, according to the staff report.

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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe says a trade deal between Canada and India would be “a real positive” for both the nation and the province.

Moe’s comments Wednesday come ahead of his trip with Prime Minister Mark Carney on a trade mission to Mumbai and New Delhi.

Carney’s office said Tuesday that he will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss ways to expand their trading relationship.

Moe said Saskatchewan “has been waiting some time” for Canada to sign trade agreements with a nation like India.

“Those discussions were occurring a number of years ago, and they were put on pause for a number of years,” he said.

“I’m thankful to see that’s even part of the discussion as we go there, and I’m hopeful that should we be able to get back to the table and start to work out the opportunities for that more broad-based trade agreement, that’s a real positive for Saskatchewan and Canada.”

Last year, India imposed a 30 per cent tariff on Canadian yellow peas, dealing a major blow to Saskatchewan’s agriculture industry.

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The province has urged Ottawa to immediately negotiate with India to alleviate pressures.

Earlier this year, Moe joined Carney on a trade mission to China. Both countries agreed to see Beijing reduce tariffs on Canadian canola products in exchange for Ottawa lowering duties on Chinese electric vehicles.

NDP Leader Carla Beck said Tuesday that she hopes Carney and Moe can come back with a deal.

“Get the tariffs off of peas,” she said.

“I also hope that while he has time to be sitting with the prime minister, that we see some big announcements in this province about infrastructure.”

The trip comes ahead of the Saskatchewan spring legislative sitting, which is to start next week.

— with files from The Canadian Press

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Two Winnipeg Jets stars were at the opposite sides of the border Tuesday ahead of the team’s first game back from the Olympic break.

Kyle Connor returned to the Jets instead of joining his U.S. men’s hockey teammates at the White House, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stayed stateside and attended U.S. President Donald Trump’s state of the union address that night.

Trump announced that Hellebuyck, who stopped 41 shots in the 2-1 gold-medal victory against Canada Sunday, will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour.

Hellebuyck, whose 41 saves included a crucial desperation paddle stop on defenceman Devon Toews, tapped his heart as those in the chamber applauded.

“Watching him have the game of his life was incredible,” said Connor, who only played two games during the Winter Olympics.

“He was fantastic, and being a part of it was an experience I’ll never forget.”

The 29-year-old forward told reporters after practice that he “just wanted to get back,” given that the team plays in Vancouver against the Canucks Wednesday night.

Head coach Scott Arniel told reporters Monday that Connor was expected to be with his U.S. teammates Tuesday.

“It’s a big second half, so I wanted to make sure I was ready,” Connor said.

“It’s a quick turnaround. Obviously, I haven’t been playing, so I wanted to get a practice under me and be ready for that game.”

The U.S. men’s team chartered into Miami on a flight from Italy on Monday and dined together in Miami Beach before visiting a nightclub where hundreds of fans clamoured to get inside.

They then made their way to Washington Tuesday. Videos and photos shared on social media by Trump administration aides showed the hockey players posing for a photograph in front of the South Portico. They walked along the West Wing colonnade where Trump has posted portraits of every U.S. president just steps away from the Oval Office, where they were welcomed by Trump.

As they approached the Oval Office, some of the players popped into the press office’s open door to flash their medals. It was the Americans’ first gold medal in men’s hockey since the “Miracle on Ice” in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1980.

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With the Olympics in the rearview mirror, the Jets must now pivot back to the reality of the NHL’s stretch run.

Winnipeg is currently 11 points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Jets have 26 games remaining on their regular-season schedule, which will be played over a stretch of just 51 days.

Backup goalie Eric Comrie is expected to start Wednesday’s road game against the Canucks, with Hellebuyck slated to return to the crease on Friday when the Jets visit the Anaheim Ducks.

The Jets will also be without defenceman Josh Morrissey Wednesday as he returns from Italy to be evaluated by team doctors after suffering an undisclosed injury in Canada’s opening game.

When Hellebuyck does return, the Jets are hoping his Olympic high will provide a much-needed spark for a team trying to string together wins.

“The confidence that he has in himself doesn’t waver,” captain Adam Lowry said Monday.

“To know his game is at an elite level at the world stage, I’d expect he can carry that over coming back to us.”

— with files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press

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