For many NHL players, Winnipeg is a quick stop along their professional hockey-playing journey. But for Michael Hutchinson, it became his home
The former Winnipeg Jets goaltender announced his retirement this week, bringing to a close an 11-season NHL career, to which he spent time with six different big league organizations. While his playing days took him across North America and eventually overseas, Hutchinson’s roots remained firmly planted in Manitoba
After signing with the Jets organization in 2013, Hutchinson quickly became a fan favourite, starring with the St. John’s IceCaps before earning a full-time NHL opportunity. He enjoyed his best season in 2014-15, posting a 21-10-5 record with a 2.38 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in relief of Ondrei Pavelec. His play helped Winnipeg return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the franchise relocated from Atlanta
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The Barrie, ON. product would appear in 102 games for the Jets over parts of five seasons before later spending time with the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings. He finished his NHL career with just another 52 games played, for a total of 154 NHL games before spending his final professional season with Sai Pa in Finland’s Liiga
Yet for many Manitobans, Hutchinson has become much more than just a former Jets goaltender
His wife, Jenna Hutchinson, is the co-founder of Jenna Rae Cakes – an immensely popular Winnipeg bakery that she launched alongside her twin sister, Ashley Kosowan. What began as a single bakery has grown into one of Manitoba’s best-known local businesses, with multiple locations across the city and a national following
The couple also chose Winnipeg as their permanent home base despite Hutchinson’s career taking them to several NHL cities. In a feature for House & Home on their custom-built home, Jenna described Winnipeg as the place they would always return to, while Michael spoke about finally having a place to call his own after years of moving from team to team
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That connection to the province has only strengthened since his playing days with the Jets, with Hutchinson frequently returning to Winnipeg during the offseason and remaining a familiar face around the city. Recently, he and Jenna attended Adam Lowry’s wedding this July
The Jets recently posted online, congratulating Hutchinson on his retirement, adding they “can’t wait to see you at the Alumni Game” – a fitting next chapter for a player whose impact in Winnipeg extended well beyond the crease
Oh, and not to mention, Hutchinson now runs a local goaltending school (@HutchinsonGoaltending) to which he serves as the lead instructor in Winnipeg
Over a decade of success and a lifetime to go – the now 36-year-old family man has chosen to remain in the place where he spent the longest stretch and found the most success in his career: Winnipeg
