What Changes do you want in the E.V. Arena (if we get one)?

[DowntownBooster]

The Jets are the Thrashers.. and the Coyotes ARE the Winnipeg Jets v1. Just the way it is. I'm all for removing banners though. maybe put a plaque of the history somewhere

The Jets were the Thrashers. The only connection to them is a few players. Other than that, the ownership is different, the coaching and management is different, the front office staff is different, etc.

Picking up where the Jets dropped the ball. The Jets tried to erase the history of their franchise relocating by acting as if their current team's history in Atlanta never happened.

That's where we differ. You say we dropped the ball by acting as if the Jets history in Atlanta never happened. I would say that we respect the people of Atlanta and didn't want to abscond with the Thrashers history because it belongs to their fans. It was them that watched the team and it's their memories. We can't take it from them and pretend that they're our memories.

We know what it's like to lose a team so it's hard for people that haven't lost a team (like those in Arizona) to know what it feels like. I don't begrudge a team being in Arizona and actually think it's great for the fans there to have an NHL team. However, when the Coyotes decided to have the Ring of Honor with former Jets players, it was just like adding salt to the wound to us in Winnipeg. Those players never played in Phoenix and the fans there weren't witness to the players exploits on the ice. It was us who cherished the memories of those players. Most of us in Winnipeg (there are always some exceptions) have nothing against the fans in Arizona and wish them no ill will. We just didn't like what the team owners did regarding the history of the Jets as we felt it belonged in Winnipeg.

If the NHL wants to maintain team records so that they follow the franchise wherever it happens to be based then that's up to the league. (I would point out however that both the NBA and NFL have proven it can be handled differently.) But in regards to the NHL, even though they have their policy regarding franchise records, the individual teams have the freedom to choose not to hang banners, etc. for players that never played in the city where the team relocated to. The Colorado Avalanche do not have banners for players that played for the Nordiques and I think it shows respect to the people of Quebec with that decision. I am hopeful that the Coyotes organization at some point will make the decision to restrict the Ring of Honor members to those players that actually played for the Coyotes from the time the team arrived in 1996.

 

[Bonsai Tree]

The Jets were the Thrashers. The only connection to them is a few players. Other than that, the ownership is different, the coaching and management is different, the front office staff is different, etc.



That's where we differ. You say we dropped the ball by acting as if the Jets history in Atlanta never happened. I would say that we respect the people of Atlanta and didn't want to abscond with the Thrashers history because it belongs to their fans. It was them that watched the team and it's their memories. We can't take it from them and pretend that they're our memories.

We know what it's like to lose a team so it's hard for people that haven't lost a team (like those in Arizona) to know what it feels like. I don't begrudge a team being in Arizona and actually think it's great for the fans there to have an NHL team. However, when the Coyotes decided to have the Ring of Honor with former Jets players, it was just like adding salt to the wound to us in Winnipeg. Those players never played in Phoenix and the fans there weren't witness to the players exploits on the ice. It was us who cherished the memories of those players. Most of us in Winnipeg (there are always some exceptions) have nothing against the fans in Arizona and wish them no ill will. We just didn't like what the team owners did regarding the history of the Jets as we felt it belonged in Winnipeg.

If the NHL wants to maintain team records so that they follow the franchise wherever it happens to be based then that's up to the league. (I would point out however that both the NBA and NFL have proven it can be handled differently.) But in regards to the NHL, even though they have their policy regarding franchise records, the individual teams have the freedom to choose not to hang banners, etc. for players that never played in the city where the team relocated to. The Colorado Avalanche do not have banners for players that played for the Nordiques and I think it shows respect to the people of Quebec with that decision. I am hopeful that the Coyotes organization at some point will make the decision to restrict the Ring of Honor members to those players that actually played for the Coyotes from the time the team arrived in 1996.

Many of us, including myself, have it in for Winnipeg for the actions of those who bombarded our hockey boards and call in sports radio shows trying to decrease local support for the team when it looked like they might relocate. I'm not talking about the garbage I saw on the BOH threads. I'm talking about posing as locals (despite the clear Canadian accent) on talk radio and plastering the local Arizona hockey boards. It was an organized attack. I was relieved when the Thrashers relocated and suddenly the nonsense stopped.

As to restricting the Ring of Honor, I agree, but it is awfully hard to unring a bell.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

When the Ring of Honor was created here, was it a foregone conclusion that Winnipeg would ever get another team in the NHL? If not, then it seems like those players maybe should have been honored in some fashion? I don't believe anyone was trying to 'steal Winnipeg's history', but although yes, it's a bittersweet reminder that a team was lost, to get mad at Arizona seems a bit immature....and as Bonsai mentions there are certainly no shortage of Winnipeg people capable of acting immature on the internet. Plus, after all the events of the last 10 years on here, I'm betting a poll on here asking "should we jettison the Jets history from GRA?" would probably come back "yes".

Is there something similar in Colorado for former Nordiques? If not, are there Nordiques that should have been honored in a similar fashion? Does a team's history belong to the team or to the city when it moves? What if the city gets another team? What if the city *doesn't* get another team? It seems after a 20-odd year gap of ignoring the Whaler history because the guy that moved them still owned them, Carolina with a new owner now is starting to embrace that history a little, in part because the NHL is unlikely to ever return to Hartford?

Bottom line, getting mad at us isn't a proper reaction. Very similar to the GTA "we hate southern teams because 'we finance them', and we can't afford tickets to our own team" shtick so common here, when the people they should be lobbying are their own owners. Sure, it's frustrating, because a boycott would be useless and their owners wouldn't/don't care, but to take it out on "the southern strategy" seems misguided.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

haha, there's an idea. if we do get a new arena, leave the ring of honor in GRA

 

[DowntownBooster]

Many of us, including myself, have it in for Winnipeg for the actions of those who bombarded our hockey boards and call in sports radio shows trying to decrease local support for the team when it looked like they might relocate. I'm not talking about the garbage I saw on the BOH threads. I'm talking about posing as locals (despite the clear Canadian accent) on talk radio and plastering the local Arizona hockey boards. It was an organized attack. I was relieved when the Thrashers relocated and suddenly the nonsense stopped.

As to restricting the Ring of Honor, I agree, but it is awfully hard to unring a bell.

I understand your feelings and don't blame you. Unfortunately for the rest of us in Winnipeg that are glad there is a team in Arizona, we were unable to control those type of individuals that you mentioned. It's sort of like when a sports team wins a championship and everyone is happy and celebrating but then there are those in the crowd that choose to riot and damage things by smashing store fronts, looting and setting cars on fire. I think the anger for the most part was directed at the NHL as many had felt there was little to no help by the league to keep the team in Winnipeg. No one should have directed their anger at the fans of Arizona that's for sure. I know there are still some individuals calling for the Coyotes to move as I have come across those type of posts in various threads on HFBoards. I'm hoping that Alex Meruelo buys the team, a new arena gets built and that the Coyotes stay in Arizona for the long term. As someone from Winnipeg, I enjoy the friendly rivalry that has developed between the Jets and the Coyotes and would like to see it continue into the future.

 

[azcanuck]

Don't care much for the Vegas production. I like a traditional hockey environment but we are in the desert....
I would like to see better food options.
But I just want an arena where it belonged in the first place and we I don't ever have to contemplate going out to Glendale again where they clearly cant support hockey.

 

[BigMac1212]

Here's an option:
Keep GRA, but have the arena house our ECHL affiliate. Yay, nay, or meh?

 

[Jamieh]

Here's an option:
Keep GRA, but have the arena house our ECHL affiliate. Yay, nay, or meh?

The Coyotes can't afford to pay rent there. An ECHL team with a couple thousand fans for peanuts would do nothing in that big building.

 

[Mosby]

Here's an option:
Keep GRA, but have the arena house our ECHL affiliate. Yay, nay, or meh?

I'd like to see the ECHL team play out of the Arizona Sundogs' old arena in Prescott Valley.