The Janesville Jets are a
Tier II junior ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
team in the
North American Hockey League
The North American Hockey League (NAHL) is one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States and is in its 48th season of operation in 2022–23. It is the only Tier II junior league sanctioned by USA Hockey, and acts as an alternati ...
. Based in
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat and largest city in the county. It is a principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is included in the Madison–Jan ...
, their home games are played at the
Janesville Ice Arena.
History
The Jets name was chosen by a name-the-team contest. Choices were ''Jackals'', ''Jaguars'', ''Jayhawks'', ''Jets'', and ''Juggernauts'', having been whittled down from over 200 original submissions.
The Jets name and logo were announced on June 5, 2009, with "Jets" taking 35% of the vote.
The name is the name as a previous Janesville hockey team, which played in the former
Continental Hockey League in the 1981–82 season. The logo was designed by Tony DiNicola and Christy Kapellen.
The first home game of the 2010–11 season on October 9 was against the
Chicago Hitmen
The Chicago Hitmen were a Junior A Tier II ice hockey team based out of the Chicago region.
NAHL team history
The Chicago Hitmen played in the North American Hockey League from 2010 to 2012. The team first played in the 1,000-seat West Meadows I ...
.
In the 2011–12 season, the Jets were moved from the North Division to a newly formed Midwest Division, along with the
St. Louis Bandits and
Springfield Jr. Blues.
The Jets unveiled new uniforms for the 2014–15 season, featuring a home gold jersey. In the regular season the Jets set NAHL records for total wins (49), total points (100), and fewest goals against (114). Additionally, forward Zach LaValle set the franchise record for individual scoring. In the postseason, the Jets defeated the
Michigan Warriors
The Michigan Warriors were a Tier II Junior A ice hockey team based in Flint, Michigan. The Warriors played in the North American Hockey League's North Division. Previously known as the Marquette Rangers, the Warriors played their home games ...
and the
Soo Eagles
The Soo Eagles are an American junior ice hockey team from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan that plays in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League (NOJHL). In 2012, the Eagles bought the North American Hockey League franchise rights of the Travers ...
to capture the North Division title before losing to the eventual Robertson Cup Champions, the
Minnesota Wilderness
The Minnesota Wilderness are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Cloquet, Minnesota, and play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The organization formerly fielded teams in the Canada-based Junior A Superior International Junior Ho ...
.
In the summer of 2015, the
NAHL Nahl or NAHL may refer to:
* Nahl (surname)
* National Accident Helpline, a British personal injury lawyer service
* North American Hockey League, an American junior hockey league
* North American Hockey League (1973–1977), an American professi ...
's divisional realignment moved the Jets into the Midwest Division, joining the
Fairbanks Ice Dogs
The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's Midwest Division. The Ice Dogs play home games at the 2,200-seat Big Dipper Ice Arena in Fairbanks, Alaska.
History
Originally started in 1997 ...
,
Kenai River Brown Bears
The Kenai River Brown Bears are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League based in Soldotna, Alaska. The team joined the North American Hockey League (NAHL) as an expansion team for the 2007–08 season, and since then ...
,
Minnesota Wilderness
The Minnesota Wilderness are a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Cloquet, Minnesota, and play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). The organization formerly fielded teams in the Canada-based Junior A Superior International Junior Ho ...
,
Coulee Region Chill
The Chippewa Steel is a Tier II junior ice hockey team based in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, that plays in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
History
The franchise began in 2005 as the North Iowa Outlaws based in Mason City, Iowa, where th ...
, and the
Springfield Jr. Blues.
The Jets finished in second place in the Midwest Division in 2015–16. The team was defeated in the playoffs by the Minnesota Wilderness.
Season-by-season records
Janesville Jets (1981–82)
The Janesville Jets were also a hockey team that played in the
Continental Hockey League (CnHL) in 1981–82.
References
External links
Janesville Jets official websiteNAHL website
{{Wisconsinsports
North American Hockey League teams
North American Hockey League
Janesville, Wisconsin
Amateur ice hockey teams in Wisconsin
Ice hockey clubs established in 2009
2009 establishments in Wisconsin