The Gauntlet 2025-26 · Qualification night
The Jets quench the Kings
Jets 3, Kings 2
October 11, 2025. The Winnipeg Jets went out in the quarterfinals, quenched by the Seattle Kraken.
Every round of the 2025-26 Gauntlet
Flamekeeper
Mark Scheifele
He tied it on a backhand with 1:03 left in the 2nd, then tipped in the winner at 11:47 of the 3rd.
Scheifele strikes twice as the Kings go dark
No mercy on night one
Qualification night lit all 32 candles, and in Winnipeg two of the brightest stood side by side. The Winnipeg Jets had finished last season 1st of 32. The Los Angeles Kings had finished 6th. One of them would lose its flame before the shelf had even settled. The Kings knew that feeling too well: a season ago, the Vegas Golden Knights snuffed them on qualification night.
The Kings flip it
Alex Iafallo struck first, a power-play wrist shot at 4:48 of the 1st, set up by Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi. Jeff Malott and Luke Schenn dropped the gloves at 9:26. Then Los Angeles answered. Defenseman Mikey Anderson ripped a slap shot at 0:50 of the 2nd, fed by Drew Doughty and Adrian Kempe. At 9:12, Kempe tipped in an Anze Kopitar feed, and the Kings led.
Scheifele takes over
Mark Scheifele owned the rest of the night. With 1:03 left in the 2nd, he leveled it on a backhand from Morgan Barron. At 11:47 of the 3rd, he tipped in a Josh Morrissey feed for the winner. Neal Pionk went off at 16:30 and Tanner Pearson at 19:42, but Connor Hellebuyck finished with 30 saves on 32 shots. The Jets burn on, one of 31 flames still lit. For the Kings, a second straight Gauntlet ended on night one, their candle doused before it had a chance to warm.
What is the Gauntlet?
A proposal for an NHL in-season tournament. All 32 teams start alive, every Gauntlet game is a game already on the regular-season schedule, and lose one and you are out.