My Childhood heroes are slipping away.

[Jetfaninflorida]

I hear ya. Seems like only yesterday I was watching the Winnipeg Victorias host the 1896 Cup on the back of a shutout. Then came the lean years, 116 of them.

But we're back, baby! Enjoy the ride, and add a few new heroes to your wall. Those old-timers can use the company.

Yes, that 1896 Cup victory was something special. By the way, you still owe me 2 c for the beer I bought you. With inflation, you owe me $12,486,897.15.

It was a long wait after that 1896 Cup victory before I was watching the Winnipeg Falcons capture the Allan cup in 1920 which of course led to the steam ship across the Atlantic (that was a bitch, everyone was seasick for almost a week), but well worth seeing the Falcons represent Canada to capture the first Olympic Gold Medal in Ice Hockey in Antwerp in 1920. Oh, those were the days. Glad they are back!

 

[LucianoBorsato]

For those interested in some nostalgia, there is a 77-78 Avco Cup Champ Jets reunion dinner next week:

Jets 1977-78 Reunion

 

[JohnStaymoose]

Great thread. After reading this it got me thinking about my first Jets 1.0 game my dad brought my cousin and I to, I was only 5 but I remember it vividly as it is one of my favorite childhood memories. It was cold outside like really cold but that didn't stop my excitement of seeing my first NHL game even if it was against the Capitals who mind you had a 50 win season that year (85-86). I remember my dad buying my cousin (who is 4 years older) and I pucks, I got the Jets puck and my cousin got the Capitals puck yet my cousin didn't complain about it as he was just as excited as I was. Don't remember the score but I do know the Jets won and I remember taunting my cousin on the way home back to St Vital with my Jets puck in hand waving it in front of his face saying "Go Jets Go". Still to this day when my dad, cousin and myself are in the same room we bring that day up. My memories of the old barn and Jet's 1.0 will always bring a smile to my face and despite them never making it passed the second round I still love that team and the memories they gave me and Jet's 2.0 is no different yet this season and these playoffs have given me a excitement and buzz I have never felt in this city before. Going to the Street Fest and noticing all the camaraderie between young and old makes me feel like a kid again and nights where the Jets don't play I find myself off and on thinking ahead to the next game or wondering what kind of Game Day Post Zham will come up with next? This excitement around this team is infectious and no city deserves it more than our underrated city. I love our rich history and what we are enduring right now with this team is special even if they fall short on expectations. I love this team as did my 5 year old self and that will never change win or lose.

 

[Spock]

A fan on the street asked me to post his childhood memories/heroes...

• Growing up in the early 90s begging to stay up "for one more period!" He can still hear Curt Keilback's voice... "BIG SAVE ESSENSA!"
• Randy Carlyle was his first favourite for the sole reason that he did not wear a helmet. His Dad took him to meet him at training camp one year.
• Going to games with his parents, and Grandpa, who was the "clubhouse manager" of the Junior Jets and WHA Jets. He possesses one of his Grandpa's Avco cup rings ('75-'76) and the original scoresheet from the final WHA game ever played (game 6 vs the Oilers in '79).
• His grandpa introducing him to players and alumni at the old arena, and meeting Brett Hull and Dale Hawerchuk outside the dressing rooms when they were visiting as Blues.
• He even has fond memories of going to Moose games at the Arena with his Grandpa as a kid, and as an "older kid" with friends at the MTS Centre, the Calder Cup run was a lot of fun, (he says).

As a Vulcan, my memories do not carry emotion; however this fellow that I ran into has a spot in his heart that will forever hold onto Jets 1.0 memories, while making room for new 2.0 ones with his wife (they share season tickets with his parents), family, and friends.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

mine was Charlie O's.
I used to go there when i was 16 and watch Jets games on their satellite. I once remember having to babysit my 13 year old sister and bringing her there with me and a friend. lol

Must've passed by Tubby's/Charlie O's literally hundreds of times, but never actually went inside.

It's The Grove now. Probably my favourite Winnipeg hangout, not for the food (which is a'ight) or the setup (constantly craning your neck to see the TV no matter where you sit). Just one of those go-to places if you're in River Heights/Crescentwood/Wolseley.

 

[Hank Chinaski]

My favourite Jets 1.0 memories, no particular order:

-First game I went to against the Sharks in 1992, and the blue haze of smoke in the concourse.

-Game 3 against the Canucks in 1993, Teemu's hat trick. Missed his third goal because everyone stood up on his breakaway, and I was a shrimpy 8 year old.

-Games right after Xmas with my uncle. He'd rent a limo and we (uncle, dad, and my siblings) would sit a few rows from the ice. Saw Zhamnov pull the 'Forsberg' before Foppa even entered the league, tucked a one-handed deke past old Reggie Lemelin of the Bruins.

-Seeing Deron Quint score the two fastest goals in NHL history up close. I was selling 50/50 tickets with my Atom AA teammates, and the ushers let us sit in a whole row of vacant seats at ice level.

-Listening to all their games on the radio in the 1995-96 season, hoping that they'd make the playoffs, win the cup, and be forced to stay in Winnipeg. Yeah, I was 11 and pretty naive...

-Save The Jets rally at the Forks

-Jets games on CKND or HNIC. Being so excited that the game was on TV, that was all I could think about all day. Seems crazy now, we certainly take for granted the fact that every single game is televised now.

 

[HannuJ]

Must've passed by Tubby's/Charlie O's literally hundreds of times, but never actually went inside.

It's The Grove now. Probably my favourite Winnipeg hangout, not for the food (which is a'ight) or the setup (constantly craning your neck to see the TV no matter where you sit). Just one of those go-to places if you're in River Heights/Crescentwood/Wolseley.

yeah. no clue how i went to Charlie O's. back in the day, finding a bar with satelight was pretty tough. when i was 18, we started hitting the Pemby before it was cool. would watch Jets and Bombers games and get the $5.45 pitchers of beer ("you must be seated at a table to get it!").
I remember hearing the story (folklore?) of the cook at Tubby's getting his hand caught in the pizza dough mixer. yikes.

the Grove is alright. "typical" winnipeg bar. like, there's no reason why it should be busy because its name is horrible, the layout sucks, its design sucks, its location is a bit odd...but it's busy. *shrugs*

 

[ps241]

Great to hear all these memories. Makes me realize that there are all these kids making memories right now that will share them in 40 years. I loved taking my 9 year old son to his first White Out in game 2 vs the Wild. I have his towel....some great photos....and the game tickets and I am going to frame it for him as a keep sake.

 

[HannuJ]

Sigh...

 

[Ciao]

It is a bit strange to think that my first Jets memories are from a time period that is chronologically as close to the late 1920s as it is to today. Seeing (or more likely hearing) the Jets play against Gordie Howe and Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon and Jacques Plante and Andy Bathgate. My 9 year old self taking it on faith that the Blazers, Stags and Fighting Saints were every bit as venerable as the Rangers, Canadiens and Bruins. Missed payrolls and teams forever folding, moving in midseason, springing back to life again. That triumphant feeling on the rare occasions that CBC and Hockey Night in Canada were forced by some circumstance to acknowledge that Canada had 8 hockey teams -- not three --, which they took immense pains to avoid doing but couldn't quite always.

Leafs fan, but I really identify with this. I grew up watching Bobby Hull, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson at the Winnipeg Arena by Polo Park. We all lived and died with the Jets.

When Benny Hatskin gave Bobby Hull that symbolic oversized, million-dollar cheque at the corner of Postage and Main we could hardly believe it was true.

In a way, Bobby looked like he didn't really believe it either.

It was all very magical.

 

[Jets4Life]

1990 playoffs was the highlight of my experience with Jets 1.0. I still remember Dave Ellett goal in 2OT to give the Jets a 3-1 series lead. Other notable events from that series:

-believe the Jets could have swept the series, but Essensa got beat on a shot in Game 2.
-Hawerchuk turning on the Jets in Game 3, scoring with a couple of minutes left in the game to win it.
-Glenn Anderson taking a cheap shot to Essensa, and knocking him out of the game
-Dale Hawerchuk stopped on a breakaway in G5, that could ahve put it away for the Jets
-Jets coming back from a 3-0 lead to tie it midway through the third in G6
-a fan throwing popcorn on the ice, and delaying the game
-Oilers score less than 10 minutes to go, to force a Game 7

 

[Guardian17]

There used to be a set of train tracks running parallel to St. James Street.

My dad used to park on Madison Street and we'd sometimes have to climb under the train cars to get to the Arena.

 

[trebendan]

From Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame:

Hockey has lost one of its great guys with the passing of #MBHHF member Ab Mcdonald. Turning pro in 1958, Ab played for 6 clubs winning 4 Stanley Cups in 15 years in the NHL. Joining the WHA Winnipeg Jets in 1972, Ab scored the 1st goal in franchise history.

 

[SUX2BU]

From Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame:

Hockey has lost one of its great guys with the passing of #MBHHF member Ab Mcdonald. Turning pro in 1958, Ab played for 6 clubs winning 4 Stanley Cups in 15 years in the NHL. Joining the WHA Winnipeg Jets in 1972, Ab scored the 1st goal in franchise history.

Thanks for bringing this up

A separate thread would be nice for this gentleman. Sorry, not sure how to do yet ...

 

[voyageur]

I have fond memories of the Jets-Oilers playoff series. Never could get past them. May have won it all if we ever did.

The garbage Greg Adams goal that knocked us out the year Keith Tkachuk broke in for us. Now 3 of his sons are going to play in the NHL.

And we're talking about $9 million for Laine, when $9 million was a team salary in the 80's. Bob Dylan is singing somewhere, about the times they are a changing.

 

[John Agar]

I never understood the love for Chi Chi's. While Mexican food is so flavourful, Chi Chi's was always as bland as bland could be.

That's coming from the 18 year old me, long before my tastes were further refined.

I could imagine describing it as slop these days were it still around.

I don't know... I have special memories of Chi Chi's... not the food... I agree...

I bought a last round of Strawberry Margaritas for my two buddies, gave them my credit card on a late night...

So being the smart asses they are they proceeded to order 2 jumbos for each of us on my credit card while I was in the Loo'....

I don't care for strawberries, never mind tequila and I watched them drink them all, 3 each, at closing time in Chi Chi's lounge...

I didn't want to drive, so made them take the bus back into Charleswood with me...

The bus driver kicked us/them off the bus just after the village, blocks from my house...

They had started puking on the bus and didn't quit all the way back to my place...

I didn't let them into sleep it off until after they were done puking....

The next morning after they left I walked back the blocks of the night before...

It was a "red" mess all the way back...

REVENGE can be SO SWEET....



Good times those years....

Ironically and with a twist on hockey history and present day NHL connections.... the bartender was one of the Bowey brothers... I won't say which one... he overserved us/them the Margaritas for a generous tip....

 

[DowntownBooster]

Lots of great stories in this thread. Thanks for sharing your Jets memories everyone.

Like a few of you, I go all the way back to the days the Jets were in the WHA when I first became a fan. My first game was during January of 1973 when my dad took me and my brother to see the Jets play the Minnesota Fighting Saints. I can still remember walking up the ramp from the concourse into the seating area and seeing the rink and the scoreboard hanging above the ice and noticing all the players warming up for the start of the game. It was an incredible sight for a 10 year old about to witness a professional hockey game in person for the first time. Like most kids at the time, I had watched hockey on television (HNIC) but seeing it up close and in person was something else. Within a couple of years I was a hard core Jets fan.

The 1975-76 season was probably my favorite as the Jets started the season wearing new mesh jerseys which looked so cool to me. The Hot Line of Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson were gaining recognition outside of the NHL for their on ice exploits. The Jets were also showing they could compete with the powerhouse Houston Aeros during the regular season and then bulldozed through the playoffs to win their first Avco Cup championship defeating the 2 time defending champion Aeros 4 games straight including a 9-1 romp in the last game. I remember believing the Jets were the best team in the world at that time. My mom gave me and my brother permission to skip school to go downtown for the Jets victory parade.

I would go to many games during the Jets time in the WHA. Included among them was the game against the Birmingham Bulls when Bobby Hull had his hairpiece ripped off his head by Steve Durbano. I was also on hand when the Jets won their second Avco Cup winning it against the New England Whalers. That would be the last time the Hot Line would play together as Hedberg and Nilsson had signed with the New York Rangers for the following season. Merger talks with the NHL were also in the air so there was a belief the Jets were destined for the NHL with this possibly being the last time the Avco Cup would be awarded. I would often head to the Winnipeg Arena as early as possible on game day so that I could get in when the doors opened just so I could soak up the atmosphere.

As it turned out, there would be one more year before the merger agreement between the NHL and WHA would take place. The Jets purchased the contracts of the Houston Aeros players when that team folded before the start of the 1978-79 season. The Jets uniforms would now consist of blue pants instead of the red that we were familiar with. Bobby Hull would retire after 4 games into the season. The Jets were no longer the dominant team they once were but somehow managed to pull it together late in the season and would end up making it to the finals and defeat Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers for the last ever Avco Cup championship. With confirmation of the Jets being accepted into the NHL for the following season of 1979-80, I was super stoked that the fans in other NHL cities would be able to see our Winnipeg Jets. Much to my dismay, the Jets GM John Ferguson would change our uniforms going into the NHL which meant that nobody would get to see the style of uniforms the Jets wore when winning all those Avco Cup championships. Instead, the jerseys would be patterned after those used by the New York Rangers for 2 seasons (1976-77 & 1977-78) when Ferguson was their GM before getting fired. Also, the jersey fabric would not be mesh either. In spite of my anger at the uniform change, I would continue to be a Jets fan through thick and thin.

I could go on with my Jets memories like the rest of you probably could but I will end things at this point by stating that it was an awesome day on May 31, 2011 when it was announced that the NHL was returning to Winnipeg. It got even better when we found out the team would once again be named the Jets. I am looking forward to watching the Jets hoist the Stanley Cup (hopefully soon) to add to my memories of the Avco Cup championships from many years ago.