WINNIPEG— Nikolai Ehlers quickly shook off the idea that he was now Denmark’s Wayne Gretzky.

Thanks to an empty-net insurance goal in Winnipeg’s 7-4 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning On Sunday afternoon, the Jets forward became the highest-scoring Danish NHL player in history with 474 points.

“No, no, no no, definitely not,” Ehlers protested. “I try to be myself… There have been a lot of very good Danish players in the NHL so far. I’ve played with most of them, so that’s pretty cool for me too. They were idols for me. Being up there now is a pretty cool feeling.

Frans Nielsen, who played for the New York Islanders And Detroit Red Wingsheld the brand since 2021.

“I’m obviously very proud of it,” Ehlers said. “There are Danes I watched growing up and Frans was obviously one of them. He was an exceptional player in this league. Luckily, I was able to play with him at the world championships during his senior year. It is a moment of great pride. Very happy.

Ehlers had reached the milestone during its creation Logan Stanleythe goal at the start of the second period.

“I knew I was one step away from getting to the same level as him,” he said. “And I forgot there after the empty net, I forgot for a second. And then I asked (Marc Scheifele) to get the puck. It was pretty cool.

Ehlers had not spoken to Nielsen recently.

“I played with Frans several times, for the national team,” he said. “He’s an incredible role model. A great guy. He was a great player. So, I’m sure he’s – I hope he’s happy for me.”

Jets coach Scott Arniel was excited for the man they call “Fly.”

“His career, obviously, he’s a goalscorer,” Arniel said. “This line (with Vladislav Namestnikov And Cole Perfetti), they started slowly and are now operational. He feels pretty good about himself.

The Jets also felt good after Stanley’s hellish hit. Luc Glendening at the start of the third period. Zemgus Girgensons then challenged Stanley to a fight which the Jets defenseman won. Girgensons was then penalized for a third man, a major penalty for fighting and a 10-minute professional foul. Stanley received a major penalty.

Alex Iafallo scored on the ensuing power play, giving Winnipeg a 4-3 advantage. Although the Bolts tied it 4-4, it gave the Jets a psychological boost.

“That hit, I was on the ice, I felt it too,” Ehlers said. “And you know, him stepping up and fighting, it gets the whole team moving – the bench – and then we had a power play come in and score a goal. It’s pretty exciting for us and obviously that changes the momentum.

Arniel said the move got fans excited.

“They went for it,” he said. “Obviously our bench did it too. Stan is a big man. When he does things like that, he’s going to create more space for himself. It was a big moment and we knew what we had to do next That.”

Stanley seemed to relish the blow.

“You just try to have a good gap and sometimes those come up,” he said. “Just enjoy it. It was a good move. »

Stanley had no problem with Girgensons challenging him to a fight.

“I have a lot of respect for him,” he said. “He’s been in the league a long time and stands up for his teammates. I would do the same thing.

NOTES — With his assist on Iafallo’s goal, Kyle Connor extended his franchise record to 12 games with points early in a season. … With two assistants on Sunday, Josh Morrissey recorded his 13th assist in 12 games. … The Jets have now held first place for 14 consecutive days, the longest in franchise history. … The Jets have scored a power play goal in five straight games. …The competition was Winnipeg’s annual Pride Game aimed at promoting inclusion, acceptance and respect for members of the Rainbow community. Pride jerseys were auctioned off at the game to raise funds for the Rainbow Resource Center and Pride Winnipeg.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published November 3, 2024.