10 years ago today - Return of the Jets

[RetroWinnipeg]

What we were all feeling that spring.

 

[Ludwig Fell Down]

Congrats to everyone in Winnipeg. I became infatuated with the Jets as Hawerchuk was my favorite player, and I was fascinated by the team that was in the middle of nowhere and had a giant portrait of the queen in their rink. Hawerchuk struggled to get notoriety going up against Gretzky, Messier and Yzerman, and the Jets always struggled in the Smythe.

I never thought your city would get a team again, with Bettman being so disingenuous about expansion and relocation, and with the league's infatuation with the southern U.S.

I was so excited when the team was announced. Got to make my first trip to Winnipeg in Jan. 2019, and can't wait to go back.

Cheers!

 

[Guardian17]

Very good interview with Gary Bettman on the NHL return.

 

[GeorgeJETson]

With a thread title containing "Return of the Jets", I'm surprised there isn't a photoshopped picture of the Return of the Jedi poster here

 

[Jetfaninflorida]

Great to have the Jets to cheer for again.

Btw, the title of the thread needs to be updated.

 

[kanadalainen]

10 years is a long time. Its been a good ride thus far in the era of 2.0

I remember so many happy conversations with my friends, buddies at work, and just people you bump into shopping, etc. The buzz was focused on Buff, Ladd and a few others.

Such a great moment in the history of this province.

I immediately bought every one of my kids a Jets jersey ha ha. My youngest kids' school basically just cancelled classes and they held a small rally.

Of course as a huge fan, and I am unabashedly biased, but I think the Jets give so much to our community, and for that I am very thankful.

 

[BobEssensa]

My office used to be located in the Johnston Terminal, so we knew the grounds people working at the Forks. My coworker pulled me aside and relayed the information to me that she was told by one of the groundskeepers to set up for a big party happening in a few days. Immediately walked over to my boss’s office and asked for that day off. It was pretty funny when he saw me in the morning on the day of the announcement, wondering why I was at work in cargo shorts on my day off. I opened up my backpack cooler filled with beer and assured him I wasn’t working that day.

My only regret that day was not taking more pictures.

 

[TheDeuce]

Geez, fast forward to the 1:35 mark and check out "Bob's Best Available":

1. Couturier
2. Hamilton
3. R. Murphy
4. Brodin
5. Beaulieu
6. Siemens
7. Armia
8. Biggs
9. Bartschi
10. Oleksiak
11. Miller
12. McNeill
13. Morrow (as in Joe Morrow???)
14. Klefbom
15. Saad
16. Grimaldi

Scheifele is nowhere to be seen. I could not be happier with the Schief pick!



m.

 

[DudeWhereIsMakar]

I just hope for Number 10 we win the cup for him.

 

[Lions67]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-cheers-return-of-nhl-1.1062589

As the Jets gear up for a 2nd round match-up with the Leafs or Habs, it's nice to look back and remember the thrill of the announcement of the Thrashers relocating to Winnipeg, May 31st 2011.

I was one of those crazies who frequented the Jetsowner.com message boards, and hung on to every tidbit of info about the NHL returning. For people like me who heard "never gonna happen" from naysayers for years, May 31st 2011 was particularly special.

I dream that one day we'll all celebrate again together, this time with a Stanley Cup victory parade down Portage ave. But win or lose, I love this team and will always be a fan. Go Jets Go!

I was also on jetsowner.com
Was there since 2005(6?).
Crazy times.
Miss Dave… he would have loved this!

 

[Lions67]

And remember the team name debates? It seems insane to me that True North was not just considering going with another name but has a wildly strong preference to abandon the Jets name. What a marketing gaffe that would have been - right up there with New Coke.

And some of the ideas were really out there: Winnipeg Ice (people inferred this was a possibility when the practice facility was named MTS Iceplex), Manitoba Falcons, Winnipeg Polar Bears, Manitoba Jets was one of them.

Anyone recall other candidates?

I was more excited when Chipman announced the team name at the draft than I was when the relocation was finally made official. I knew that we would be getting a team for years but I was NOT at all certain that they would have been named the Winnipeg Jets. I was genuinely worried that I would be forced to support the Winnipeg Excitement or some such...



m.

I remember that well. Dave said we should do a petition for the Jets name. I told him if you make it I will sign it.
I was the first signature.
And I know you remember me.
Can’t believe I’m STILL banned at the Jets hockey forum lol

 

[Lions67]

Lastly, on that glorious day of May 31, 2011, when the word broke, my work called me that morning and told me that since I had been bugging everyone by saying the team would be back for the last 6 years I get the day off to go enjoy the moment!
Love my job!

 

[AussieBomberJet]

Yes, Happy 10 years in Winnipeg!

I was living in Edmonton at the time and decided to wear a Jets jersey the day of the announcement. Of course most in the office were Coilers fans, a few even sRacial Slured at me and said Winnipeg was never going to get a team back and that we didn't belong in the NHL for xyz reasons.

Needless to say I gloated hard that day and laughed in all of their shocked and pouty faced. That is why I have an extra hatred for Coilers fans. f*** you Deadmonton Coilers!

GO JETS GO!!!

 

[Guardian17]

Yes, Happy 10 years in Winnipeg!

I was living in Edmonton at the time and decided to wear a Jets jersey the day of the announcement. Of course most in the office were Coilers fans, a few even sRacial Slured at me and said Winnipeg was never going to get a team back and that we didn't belong in the NHL for xyz reasons.

Needless to say I gloated hard that day and laughed in all of their shocked and pouty faced. That is why I have an extra hatred for Coilers fans. f*** you Deadmonton Coilers!

GO JETS GO!!!

I was living in Calgary at that time and wore my Jets jersey to work too.

Flames fans went out of their way to let me know they were happy Winnipeg was back in the NHL.

 

[kanadalainen]

I was living in Calgary at that time and wore my Jets jersey to work too.

Flames fans went out of their way to let me know they were happy Winnipeg was back in the NHL.

Great story.

 

[ps241]

Can’t believe it’s been 10 years. My son was 2 and my daughter wasn’t born yet. I had known before the announcement that the probability was really high we would be getting a team (“when not if”).

The day of the announcement I got held up at the boarder with two new Seadoos I bought in Minnesota back when the Canadian $ was at par. I pulled over on the side of the highway to watch the official announcement. might have shed a tear.


Obviously the novelty has faded but having a team is something I don’t take for granted. I do have to remind myself once in a while when I am over passionate about wins and losses.

Always better to be inside the NHL tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Yes, Happy 10 years in Winnipeg!

I was living in Edmonton at the time and decided to wear a Jets jersey the day of the announcement. Of course most in the office were Coilers fans, a few even sRacial Slured at me and said Winnipeg was never going to get a team back and that we didn't belong in the NHL for xyz reasons.

Needless to say I gloated hard that day and laughed in all of their shocked and pouty faced. That is why I have an extra hatred for Coilers fans. f*** you Deadmonton Coilers!

GO JETS GO!!!

I've heard a few stories of people from Edmonton being super resentful when the NHL came back to Winnipeg. There is no other place that reacted that same way. Not Calgary, not Toronto, not Montreal. So why were the people up in the 780 so mad?

 

[Wolf357]

ok.

this is my memmory. or am I crazy?

so I remember on Jetsowner...there was a lot of warnings that the Jets Name was off the table. and both True North and the NHL wanted to move on... Polar bears, blah blah....I thought "Yorkmen" might be a good name after the Yorkboats the HBC used to move furs up to the Bay....anyway....


For Me the first time I remember hearing that the name Jets was even an option was on the CBC I think noon-hour show on the 31st right after the announcement....I think Marylin Mackie was interviewing Bettman and asked if the Jets name was available and Bettman said Yes.... and that was the first time I heard ANYONE with any kind of authority even hinted that the name could be Jets.

anyone else remember that?

 

[Wolf357]

ok.

this is my memmory. or am I crazy?

so I remember on Jetsowner...there was a lot of warnings that the Jets Name was off the table. and both True North and the NHL wanted to move on... Polar bears, blah blah....I thought "Yorkmen" might be a good name after the Yorkboats the HBC used to move furs up to the Bay....anyway....


For Me the first time I remember hearing that the name Jets was even an option was on the CBC I think noon-hour show on the 31st right after the announcement....I think Marylin Mackie was interviewing Bettman and asked if the Jets name was available and Bettman said Yes.... and that was the first time I heard ANYONE with any kind of authority even hinted that the name could be Jets.

anyone else remember that?

Yes I remember that...On the 10th anniversary interview Chipman and co. Said that He really wanted to go with 1. Moose as there really was some blood sweat and tears built up with the AHL/IHL Brand. 2. Bear (Polar not clear) this seemed to get moved up to number one at one point with even a Jersey being made.
But it was overwhelming popular demand that the team be called Jets that made them rethink... They really did want a whole new start from 1.0.
If you think about the Wild/North Stars Legacy..there really isn’t much of a connection...so having that name makes a huge difference even though the franchises are separate.

 

[Guardian17]

Another podcast reliving the NHL return to Winnipeg.

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-podca...e-jets-come-back-to-winnipeg?onboarding=false

 

[SUX2BU]

Hope you don’t mind folks, I’m posting in Threads that I want to circle back to once I have my Like privileges restored. I plan to smash the shit out of the LIKE button on these ones when I get it back.

I’m not allowed to go into more detail than this…
View attachment 457905

fhfhfhhobcbnhfvghbh

there, like that ........

 

[Ginger Papa]

fhfhfhhobcbnhfvghbh

there, like that ........