Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996) Seasons
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, playing its home games at Canada Life Centre. The Jets were established as the
Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...
on June 25, 1997, and began play in the
1999–2000 NHL season The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, 28 teams each played 82 games. This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for an ...
. True North Sports & Entertainment then bought the team in May 2011, and
relocated Relocated may refer to: * ''Relocated'' (album), 2006 album by Camouflage *'' Red vs. Blue: Relocated'', 2009 television miniseries *"The Relocated", Inuit of the High Arctic relocation The High Arctic relocation (french: La délocalisation du ...
the franchise to Winnipeg prior to the 2011–12 season, making them the first NHL franchise to relocate since the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. The team was renamed the Jets after Winnipeg's original WHA/NHL team, which relocated after the 1995–96 season due to financial issues to become the Phoenix (later Arizona) Coyotes.


History


Original Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996)

On December 27, 1971, Winnipeg was granted one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association (WHA). By 1979, many of the WHA's teams had folded, but the Jets were absorbed into the NHL along with the Quebec Nordiques, Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers as part of the WHA–NHL merger. Team owner Barry Shenkarow sold the team to American businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke. Burke and Gluckstern originally planned to move the team to Minnesota (which had lost the
North Stars The Minnesota North Stars were a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 26 seasons, from 1967 to 1993. The North Stars played their home games at the Met Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, and the team's colors for m ...
to Dallas in 1993), but eventually reached an agreement with Phoenix businessman Jerry Colangelo that would see the team move to Arizona and become the
Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Coyotes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and currently play at the Mull ...
. The original Winnipeg Jets played their last game on April 28, 1996.


Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2011)

The city of Atlanta was awarded an NHL expansion franchise, named the Atlanta Thrashers, on June 25, 1997. It was the second NHL franchise for Atlanta (their first being the Atlanta Flames, established in 1972, who departed for
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...
in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
to become the Calgary Flames). The Thrashers began play in the 1999–2000 season. In the 12 years in Atlanta, the Thrashers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs once, during the 2006–07 season, and never won a playoff game. Partially due to their lack of playoff success, the team had difficulty drawing fans to attend their games in their final seasons.


Winnipeg Jets (2011–present)

Although they moved for financial reasons, the Coyotes have never been profitable in Arizona. Mounting losses eventually compelled the franchise to file for bankruptcy after the 2008–09 season. The team was taken over by the league before the next season began. As early as October 2009, there were rumours that True North Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns both Winnipeg's Canada Life Centre (then known as MTS Centre) and the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Manitoba Moose, had been invited to bid on the city's former franchise. TNSE submitted a series of bids for the Coyotes, which were taken seriously enough that the league drew up a tentative schedule with Winnipeg in place of Phoenix. The NHL shelved the bid after securing a large subsidy from the Coyotes' municipal government. In contrast to aggressive, public bids by Jim Balsillie (who had unsuccessfully attempted to use bankruptcy laws to skirt NHL rules and move the Coyotes to Hamilton), the low-key approach by TNSE and its chairman, Mark Chipman, was praised by NHL commissioner
Gary Bettman Gary Bruce Bettman (born June 2, 1952) is an American sports executive who serves as the commissioner of the National Hockey League (NHL), a post he has held since February 1, 1993. Previously, Bettman was a senior vice president and general cou ...
and other owners, raising their profile when the question of the Thrashers' relocation came up. On May 20, 2011, the ''
Winnipeg Sun The ''Winnipeg Sun'' is a daily tabloid newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is owned by Postmedia following its acquisition of Sun Media, and shares many characteristics typical of Sun tabloids, including an emphasis on local news sto ...
'' confirmed that an agreement in principle had been reached for True North to purchase the Thrashers, while Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz announced that he was confident that the Thrashers' relocation to Winnipeg would soon be officially announced. On May 31, 2011, at a press conference at the MTS Centre, Bettman confirmed that the Atlanta Thrashers had been sold to True North and would relocate to Winnipeg for the 2011–12 season, pending the approval of the sale and relocation by the NHL's Board of Governors, which came at their June 21, 2011, meeting. The reported purchase price was $170 million, with $60 million going to the NHL as a relocation fee. After the announcement, True North made preparations to move the Moose franchise to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Season ticket A season ticket, or season pass, is a ticket that grants privileges over a defined period of time. History The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' has illustrative quotations which show the term ''season ticket'' used in the United States in 1820 ...
sales began June 1, 2011, with Manitoba Moose season ticket holders having priority. The team sought to sell 13,000 season tickets in an effort to prove its viability. Within the first three and a half hours, the new franchise sold 1,870 packages to Moose season ticket holders. Season tickets opened to the general public on June 4 and sold out in 17 minutes. Once the "Drive to 13,000" was completed, True North started a season ticket waiting list, which was shut down after 8,000 people signed up in two hours. In July 2011, tickets for October 9 home opener against the Montreal Canadiens were listed for an average price of $1,711 on StubHub, with an average selling price of $713. True North said the team's name would not be announced until after the successful completion of the season ticket drive at the earliest. The team was not to be named the Thrashers, since True North did not acquire the name in the transaction, and the rights to that name and the Thrashers logo were retained by the ownership group in Atlanta. There was considerable support in Winnipeg to reuse "Winnipeg Jets", the name of the city's original WHA and NHL franchise, though rumours spread that True North preferred "Manitoba Moose". "Whiteout" and "Falcons" were also considered, but the latter was quickly rejected in deference to Atlanta, which has another professional sports team by that name. True North kept their selection secret until the
2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hoste ...
in St. Paul, Minnesota, on June 24, when Chipman introduced General Manager
Kevin Cheveldayoff Kevin A. Cheveldayoff (born February 4, 1970) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player who is currently the executive vice president and general manager of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Playing career Cheveldayoff p ...
to "make our first pick, on behalf of the Winnipeg Jets." Before the franchise relocation was officially completed, True North bought out the remaining years of General Manager Rick Dudley's contract on June 4, 2011. Thrashers President Don Waddell, who had been with the franchise since its inception, had earlier announced he would not be moving with the team.
Kevin Cheveldayoff Kevin A. Cheveldayoff (born February 4, 1970) is a Canadian ice hockey executive and former player who is currently the executive vice president and general manager of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. Playing career Cheveldayoff p ...
, a former GM of the Chicago Wolves and former assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks, was hired to replace Dudley four days later. The team also retained
Marcel Comeau Marcel Comeau (born March 1, 1952) is a Canadian ice hockey scout, and former player, coach, and National Hockey League team executive. He played eleven seasons in the International Hockey League (IHL), where he was the league's top scorer an ...
, the director of amateur scouting. On June 12, 2011, Cheveldayoff had Thrashers Head Coach
Craig Ramsay Craig Edward Ramsay (born March 17, 1951) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He played in the NHL from 1971 to 1985 for the Buffalo Sabres before beginning an NHL coaching career, serving as the final head coach of the ...
reinterview for his position, then formally dismissed him as head coach eight days later. Claude Noel, who had been the head coach of the Manitoba Moose, was named head coach four days later; the other finalist for the job had been Chicago Blackhawks Assistant Coach
Mike Haviland Mike Haviland (born July 24, 1967) is the former head coach for the Colorado College Tigers of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, NCHC from 2014 to 2021. Previously he was head coach of the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League. Prev ...
.
Charlie Huddy Charles William Huddy (born June 2, 1959) is a Canadian former NHL defenceman and former assistant coach of the Winnipeg Jets. He is also one of only seven Edmonton Oilers to be a member of all 5 of the franchise's Stanley Cup-winning teams (1984, ...
,
Pascal Vincent Pascal Vincent (born September 22, 1971) is a Canadian former ice hockey player and current associate coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Vincent was previously the head coach of the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (2016–2021) and ...
and
Wade Flaherty Wade Flaherty (born January 11, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender who has played in the National Hockey League for the San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and the Nashville Pre ...
, formerly of the Dallas Stars and Blackhawks, were named Noel's assistant coaches. The Jets made their formal regular season debut on October 9, 2011, when a sellout crowd at the MTS Centre saw the visiting Montreal Canadiens defeat the Jets 5–1, with Nik Antropov scoring the first-ever Jets goal. The opening ceremonies featured a concert by Winnipeg-based rock band Bachman–Turner Overdrive, who performed " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" with the title sung as "we just got back the Jets". Other highlights on the first Jets schedule included a home-and-home set with the Phoenix Coyotes, Winnipeg's previous NHL franchise (including a December 1 game in Winnipeg, the Coyotes' first regular season appearance in Winnipeg since vacating the city), as well as a December 17 home game against the
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...
, which was former Jet
Teemu Selanne Teemu is a Finnish male given name. Notable people with the name include: *Teemu Aalto (born 1978), Finnish professional ice hockey player * Teemu Eronen (born 1990), professional ice hockey defenceman *Teemu Hartikainen (born 1990), Finnish profe ...
's first playing appearance in Winnipeg since being traded from the Jets in February 1996. During the summer of 2012, the Jets added Perry Pearn to their coaching staff. Larry Simmons was appointed assistant general manager, the same position he had held with the Thrashers. As the Jets inherited the Thrashers' position in the Southeast Division since the 2011–12 season, the NHL and National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) were prompted to consider realignment of teams. Beginning in 2013–14, the Jets moved to the Western Conference and play in the new-look, seven-team Central Division. The Jets fired Noel and Pearn in January 2014, with the former being replaced by veteran coach Paul Maurice. On April 9, 2015, the Jets clinched their first
Stanley Cup playoff The season structure of the National Hockey League (NHL) is divided into the pre-season, regular season, and the Stanley Cup playoffs. In the pre-season, which is generally held during the last two weeks of September, each team plays several not-fo ...
appearance since relocating to Winnipeg following a 1–0 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche. They clinched the spot after the Calgary Flames defeated the Los Angeles Kings later in the night. Finishing the season in the second wild-card spot, they played the top-seeded
Anaheim Ducks The Anaheim Ducks are a professional ice hockey team based in Anaheim, California. The Ducks compete in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division, and play their home games at Honda Center. ...
in the
first round First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
. In the first playoff series that involved a team from Winnipeg since the 1996 playoffs, the Ducks swept the Jets in four games. The season following their first playoff run was a disappointment, as the Jets finished 25th overall, well out of the playoffs. Management was forced to deal with expiring contracts of two star players, electing to sign Dustin Byfuglien to a five-year extension while trading team captain Andrew Ladd to the Chicago Blackhawks at the NHL trade deadline. Despite finishing with the sixth-worst record in the league, the Jets managed to win the second overall pick in the
2016 NHL Entry Draft The 2016 NHL Entry Draft was the 54th NHL Entry Draft. The draft was held on June 24–25, 2016 at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The first three selections were Auston Matthews going to the Toronto Maple Leafs, Patrik Laine ...
through the draft lottery, which they used to select Finnish prospect
Patrik Laine Patrik Laine (; born 19 April 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. Laine formerly played in his native Finland with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga befor ...
. Later that summer, the team appointed
Blake Wheeler Blake James Wheeler (born August 31, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Dra ...
as their new captain.


Playoff years (2017–present)

In the 2017–18 season, the Jets clinched their second playoff spot since relocating from Atlanta, with the help of starting goaltender, Connor Hellebuyck. On March 25, 2018, the Jets beat the Nashville Predators 5–4 in a shootout, and clinched a spot in the
2018 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the 2017–18 regular season and concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capitals winning their fir ...
. On April 11, 2018, the Jets won the first playoff game in the history of the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise when they defeated the Minnesota Wild 3–2. On April 20, 2018, the Jets won their first playoff series in franchise history (and the first series victory in 31 years for the city) with a 5–0 victory over the Minnesota Wild in game five of the First Round series, winning the series 4–1. On May 10, 2018, the Jets made further franchise history by advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the first time, defeating the Nashville Predators four games to three; Nashville were the defending holders of the Campbell Bowl Trophy from the previous season and holders of the President's Trophy for most points in the league during the
2017–18 NHL season The 2017–18 NHL season was the 101st season of operation (100th season of play) of the National Hockey League. With the addition of a new expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, 31 teams competed in an 82-game regular season. The regular sea ...
. This would also mark the first time that either iteration of the Winnipeg Jets had advanced beyond the second round of the playoffs. Facing the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals, the Jets defeated the Golden Knights in the first game of the series 4–2. However, the Jets went on to lose the Western Conference Finals, with the Golden Knights defeating the Jets in the following four games in the series. In 2019, the Jets clinched the playoffs, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in six games in the First Round. The Jets struggled in the 2019–20 season due to the departure of many high-profile defencemen such as Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers and Dustin Byfuglien, but were still in contention for a wild-card spot when the league shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Jets were awarded a playoff spot as part of the expanded format, but injuries to star forwards Mark Scheifele and
Patrik Laine Patrik Laine (; born 19 April 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. Laine formerly played in his native Finland with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga befor ...
in the first game of their series against the Calgary Flames in the Qualifying Round handicapped the team and they were eliminated three games to one in the best-of-five series. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck was also awarded the Vezina Trophy for being the league's best goaltender. The Jets won their fourth consecutive playoff berth in the 2020–21 season and swept the Edmonton Oilers in the First Round but were themselves swept in the Second Round by the Montreal Canadiens. In the 2021–22 season, the Jets finished a disappointing sixth in the Central Division, missing the playoffs. At the start of the 2022–23 season, forward
Blake Wheeler Blake James Wheeler (born August 31, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Dra ...
was stripped of the team captaincy.


Team information


Jerseys

No new logo and colours for the Jets accompanied the team's nickname announcement at the
2011 NHL Entry Draft The 2011 NHL Entry Draft was the 49th NHL Entry Draft. It was held on June 24–25, 2011, at the Xcel Energy Center in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It was the first time the Draft was held in the state of Minnesota since the Minnesota North Stars hoste ...
(draft pick Mark Scheifele was presented with a generic black and silver NHL jersey and cap), but True North confirmed that they were in the process of conceiving a logo and colour scheme for the Jets, with True North's chairman, Mark Chipman, stating that the previous Jets' blue and red colours would be incorporated. The Jets unveiled their new logos and colours on July 22, 2011, three days before the team had scheduled to release them (this after team merchandise containers were broken into and a crude picture of a Jets' T-shirt made the rounds on the internet). While blue and silver are the main colour palette, the insignias are a dramatic departure from the previous Jets' logos and pay homage to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), particularly Winnipeg's 17 Wing; the primary logo is patterned after the roundels used by the RCAF and includes a silhouette of a
McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet The McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet (official military designation CF-188) is a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) variant of the American McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. In 1980, the F/A-18 was selected as the winner of the New ...
. (Red is a secondary part of the colour scheme due to a maple leaf, the incorporation of which came with the permission of the Toronto Maple Leafs.) Game uniforms for the new Jets were unveiled in September at 17 Wing; the team did not introduce a third jersey for its inaugural season due to a limited timetable. The Jets kept their existing uniforms when
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
took over production of NHL uniforms in 2017. Prior to the 2018–19 season, the Jets introduced their first alternate uniform, featuring aviator blue as the base colour, along with a new "Jets" wordmark, block letters and numbers, and striping inspired from the 1990–96 uniforms of the original Jets. Even though the current Jets are not historically connected with the original franchise now known as the Arizona Coyotes, the team continued to pay tribute to its original incarnation on a few occasions. From 2016 to 2019, the Jets wore throwback white uniforms based on the 1973–78 design worn by the original Jets. The uniforms made its debut in the
2016 Heritage Classic The 2016 Heritage Classic (known as the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic for sponsorship reasons) was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League (NHL) game that was held on October 23, 2016. The game featured the Winnipeg Jets hostin ...
and have been used during Jets Hall of Fame induction nights since. A blue version of the throwback uniforms was later unveiled, this time for the
2019 Heritage Classic The 2019 NHL Heritage Classic (branded as the 2019 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic for sponsorship reasons) was an outdoor regular season National Hockey League (NHL) game. The game, the fifth Heritage Classic, was held on October 26, 2019. Th ...
. For the 2020–21 season, the Jets wore "Reverse Retro" alternate uniforms, recreating the original Jets' 1979–90 uniforms but recoloured to match the current Jets' scheme. In addition, the current Jets' 10th-anniversary logo in 2021 also served as a memorial logo to Dale Hawerchuk, whose no. 10 (in the original Jets' number and colour style) was added in lieu of the team's current logo following his death on August 18, 2020. Starting with the 2021–22 season, the Jets' blue "Heritage" uniforms were promoted to alternate status, replacing the previous aviator blue alternates. In the 2022–23 season, the Jets wore "Reverse Retro" uniforms based on the white uniforms worn by the original Jets from 1990 to 1996, again recoloured to the current Jets' scheme. The logo was designed by Reebok, the NHL and designer Linda Lynch. Reebok's lead uniform and team identity designers, Dominique Fillion and Linda Lynch, have been associated with the identity design.


Mascot

True North announced they had "recalled" their former Moose mascot,
Mick E. Moose This is a list of current and former National Hockey League (NHL) mascots, sorted alphabetically. The New York Rangers are the only team to have never had a mascot. Current mascots Al the Octopus Al the Octopus is the octopus mascot of the Detro ...
, from the AHL. Mick E. had spent the past 15 seasons with the Manitoba Moose of the International and American hockey leagues, entertaining fans at Moose games and community events. Slight modifications to the costume were made, including a new vintage leather aviator helmet." Since the start of the 2015–16 season, Mick E. Moose has served as mascot for both the Jets and the Manitoba Moose. A fan favourite, he also averages over 100 community appearances per season in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. In the
2016 Heritage Classic The 2016 Heritage Classic (known as the 2016 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic for sponsorship reasons) was a regular season outdoor National Hockey League (NHL) game that was held on October 23, 2016. The game featured the Winnipeg Jets hostin ...
, the current Jets resurrected their mascot from its original incarnation, Benny, and has since served as the team's secondary mascot.


Traditions


National anthem

Beginning in 2011, during the singing of " O Canada", fans commonly shout the words "True North!" (in the line "The True North strong and free") to recognize True North Sports & Entertainment. Jennifer Hanson was the Jets' regular national anthem singer for the final seven seasons of the original franchise, and performed again during the 2016 Heritage Classic Alumni Game. Stacey Nattrass (who has been uniquely known as Your Winnipeg Jets' Own) has performed the anthems at the majority of home games since 2011.


Winnipeg Whiteout

The Winnipeg Whiteout is a hockey tradition that dates back to 1987 when fans of the original Jets franchise were asked to wear white clothing at the home playoff games. It was created as a response to the "C of Red" created by fans of the Calgary Flames, whom the Jets were facing in the first round of the
1987 Stanley Cup playoffs The 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs, the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 8, after the conclusion of the 1986–87 NHL season. It concluded on May 31, with the Edmonton Oilers defeating the Philadelphia Flyers to ...
. The Jets eliminated the Flames in six games, and fans wore white for every home playoff game thereafter. Fans of the former Jets AHL affiliate, the
St. John's IceCaps The St. John's IceCaps were a professional ice hockey team based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. They were members of the North Division of the Eastern Conference of the American Hockey League (AHL). The team was originally aff ...
, also continued this tradition, as did fans of the continuing franchise in Glendale, the Arizona Coyotes. It is referred to as the "Ice Cap's Whiteout" and "Coyotes Whiteout," respectively by IceCaps and Coyotes fans. The Whiteout was also used during the Canada vs Russia Gold medal game, at the
1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships The 1999 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships (''1999 WJC'') was held in Winnipeg, and five other communities in Manitoba, Canada from December 26, 1998 to January 5, 1999. In the gold medal match at Winnipeg Arena, Russia defeated Canada 3–2 ...
, hosted by the city of Winnipeg. During the
2009 Calder Cup playoffs The 2009 Calder Cup playoffs of the American Hockey League (AHL) began on April 15, 2009.2009 Calder Cup P ...
between the Manitoba Moose and the Hershey Bears, fans were asked to wear white for Game 6 of the Calder Cup Finals. The Winnipeg Jets resurrected this tradition when they qualified for the
2015 Stanley Cup playoffs The 2015 Stanley Cup playoffs of the National Hockey League (NHL) began on April 15, 2015, and ended on June 15, 2015, with the Chicago Blackhawks defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning four games to two in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals. The New York ...
.


Season-by-season record

''For the full season-by-season history, see
List of Winnipeg Jets seasons The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team, owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, plays its hom ...
'' ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, OT = Overtime losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against''


Players and personnel


Current roster


Team captains

''Note: This list does not include captains from the
Atlanta Thrashers The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...
.'' * Andrew Ladd, 2011–2016 *
Blake Wheeler Blake James Wheeler (born August 31, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Dra ...
, 2016–2022


Head coaches

''Note: This list does not include head coaches from the Atlanta Thrashers.''


Team and league honours


Retired numbers

The previous Winnipeg Jets organization retired the jersey numbers of two players, while their successors, the Arizona Coyotes, have honoured the numbers of players who played for the former Jets. No numbers have been officially retired by the current franchise to date, although several members of the original franchise are honoured by the current Winnipeg Jets organization as part of its Hall of Fame (see below). The number 99 is retired league-wide in honour of Wayne Gretzky; this was done by the NHL at the
2000 NHL All-Star Game The 2000 NHL All-Star Game was the 50th All-Star Game in the National Hockey League. It took place on February 6, 2000, at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, home to the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 1st NHL All-Star Game took place in 1947 and was also ho ...
. Retired/honoured by the original Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes * #9 Bobby Hull: Upon relocation of the team from Atlanta in 2011, Evander Kane received permission from Hull to wear this number and did so until traded to the Buffalo Sabres in February 2015. Andrew Copp wore this number from 2015 to 2022. * #10 Dale Hawerchuk: Bryan Little switched from number 10 to number 18 during the franchise relocation in 2011, out of respect for Hawerchuk. The current organization incorporated the number into its commemorative logo for the 2020–21 season which simultaneously celebrated the team's tenth season in Winnipeg and honored Hawerchuk, who died of cancer in August 2020. * #25
Thomas Steen Anders Thomas Steen (born June 8, 1960) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the former city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, Nati ...
: This number was worn briefly by
Zach Redmond Zachary Thomas Redmond (born July 26, 1988) is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for EHC München in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL). He was drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the seventh round, 184th overall, of ...
and
Brett MacLean Brett MacLean (born December 24, 1988) is a former Canadians, Canadian professional ice hockey player who played for the Phoenix Coyotes and Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League. He was drafted 32nd overall by the Coyotes in the 2007 NHL ...
. It was last worn by Paul Stastny, a close friend of Steen's son,
Alex Alex is a given name. It can refer to a shortened version of Alexander, Alexandra, Alexis. People Multiple *Alex Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Alex Gordon (disambiguation), multiple people *Alex Harris (disambiguation), multiple pe ...
. Stastny chose the number in part because of Steen. Honoured by the Atlanta Thrashers/current Winnipeg Jets * #11
Rick Rypien Richard Joseph Rypien (May 16, 1984 – August 15, 2011) was a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who spent parts of six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Vancouver Canucks. After a major junior career of four years wi ...
: This number was not issued in honour of former Manitoba Moose player Rypien following the player's death shortly after signing with the Jets organization prior to the 2011–12 season.
Nate Thompson Nathan Scott Thompson (born October 5, 1984) is an American professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League (AHL). He has previously played for the Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, ...
was granted special permission to wear the honoured number after signing with the club for the 2020–21 season. The Jets and Moose also wear stickers bearing #11 on their helmets as part of the ''Project11'' initiative in support of mental health awareness. * #37 Dan Snyder: The Atlanta/Winnipeg organization did not issue this number between 2003 and 2016 following the death of Snyder in 2003. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has worn the number since 2016, having received the blessing of the Snyder family.


Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame

The organization created the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame in 2016 to honour the impact and accomplishments of the original Winnipeg Jets, and the history of professional hockey in the city. The inaugural inductees were the "HOT Line" consisting of
Anders Hedberg Anders Hedberg (born 25 February 1951) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player who was one of the first European-born players to make an impact in North America. Along with countryman Ulf Nilsson, Hedberg signed a contract to play for ...
, Bobby Hull and
Ulf Nilsson Ulf Nilsson may refer to: * Ulf Nilsson (author) (born 1948), Swedish writer * Ulf Nilsson (ice hockey) (born 1950), Swedish ice hockey player *Ulf Nilsson (politician) (born 1945), Swedish politician and Member of Parliament *Ulf Nilsson (sailor) ...
, who were inducted on October 19, 2016. Dale Hawerchuk was honoured on November 14, 2017. Lars-Erik Sjoberg and Ab McDonald were posthumously inducted on February 26, 2019. Both were captains of the team at key points of the original team's history, with the latter being the first-ever captain for the team and the former being the first captain for the team upon joining the NHL. Randy Carlyle and
Thomas Steen Anders Thomas Steen (born June 8, 1960) is a Swedish former professional ice hockey player and coach. Steen is the former city councillor for the Winnipeg ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan. Steen played professional ice hockey in the Elitserien, Nati ...
were inducted on February 11, 2020, both serving as some of the longest tenured players in original Jets' history.
Teemu Selanne Teemu is a Finnish male given name. Notable people with the name include: *Teemu Aalto (born 1978), Finnish professional ice hockey player * Teemu Eronen (born 1990), professional ice hockey defenceman *Teemu Hartikainen (born 1990), Finnish profe ...
and Teppo Numminen were inducted on November 17, 2022.


Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten point, goal, and assist scorers in franchise history. Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season. * – current Jets player ''Note: Pos = Position; GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; P/G = Points per game''


Single-season leaders

*Most goals in a season: Ilya Kovalchuk, 52 (2005–06, 2007–08) *Most assists in a season:
Blake Wheeler Blake James Wheeler (born August 31, 1986) is an American professional ice hockey player for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Dra ...
, 71 (2018–19) *Most points in a season:
Marian Hossa Marian may refer to: People * Mari people, a Finno-Ugric ethnic group in Russia * Marian (given name), a list of people with the given name * Marian (surname), a list of people so named Places *Marian, Iran (disambiguation) * Marian, Queensland ...
, 100 (2006–07) *Most penalty minutes in a season: Jeff Odgers, 226 (2000–01) *Most goals in a season, defenceman: Dustin Byfuglien, 20 (2010–11, 2013–14) *Most points in a season, defenceman: Dustin Byfuglien, 56 (2013–14) *Most goals in a season, rookie:
Patrik Laine Patrik Laine (; born 19 April 1998) is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. Laine formerly played in his native Finland with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga befor ...
, 36 (2016–17) *Most assists in a season, rookie: Dany Heatley, 41 (2001–02) *Most points in a season, rookie: Dany Heatley, 67 (2001–02) *Most wins in a season: Connor Hellebuyck, 44 (2017–18) *Most shutouts in a season: Connor Hellebuyck, 6 (2017–18)


Broadcasters

Bell Media served as the initial media rightsholder for the Jets, under a 10-year deal covering both radio and television.
TSN TSN may refer to: Science and technology * Translin, DNA binding protein involved in microRNA function * Taxonomic serial number, a stable and unique taxonomic serial number issued by the Integrated Taxonomic Information System * The Science Netwo ...
is the regional television broadcaster of the Jets for games not broadcast by
Sportsnet Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then ...
; games are televised on TSN3 in Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Nunavut Nunavut ( , ; iu, ᓄᓇᕗᑦ , ; ) is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' ...
, the
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
(shared with the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers outside of Manitoba), and parts of
Northwestern Ontario Northwestern Ontario is a secondary region of Northern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and west of Lake Superior and west of Hudson Bay and James Bay. It includes most of subarctic Ontario. Its western boundary is the ...
(shared with the Toronto Maple Leafs). Initially, Jets games were carried on a dedicated feed of TSN in the team's market, "TSN Jets", which was sold as a subscription-based pay television service separate from the national TSN network. In 2014, with the realignment of TSN into regional feeds, Jets telecasts moved to TSN3 and the separate TSN Jets channel was discontinued. The team renewed its television rights with TSN3 on October 5, 2020. Dan Robertson and Kevin Sawyer serve as the respective play-by-play announcer and colour commentator for Jets broadcasts on TSN3, with
John Lu John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
reporting at rinkside. Previously,
Dennis Beyak Dennis Beyak is a former Canadian hockey play-by-play broadcaster from Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was TSN's play-by-play announcer for Winnipeg Jets games through to the end of the 2021-22 NHL season. Broadcasting career Beyak began his broadcast ...
served as the primary play-by-play voice for the Jets until his retirement at the end of the
2021–22 NHL season The 2021–22 NHL season was the 105th season of operation (104th season of play) of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Seattle Kraken. The league had an October-to-April regular season sche ...
. Beyak's previous partners include Kevin Sawyer, Ray Ferraro, and
Shane Hnidy Shane Hnidy ( ; born November 8, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Between 2000 and 2011, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators, Nashville Predators, Atlanta Thrashers, Anaheim Ducks, B ...
. Hnidy was the team's lead colour commentator from the 2011–12 to 2016–17 seasons and has since moved to AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain to cover the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. Corus Entertainment has held the Jets radio rights since the 2020–21 season, as part of a seven-year agreement signed in 2020. CJOB and CJKR-FM ''Power 97'' serve as co-flagships, simulcasting all games on AM and FM radio.
Paul Edmonds Paul Richard Edmonds (b.1968) is a British jazz trumpeter and piano player, composer and teacher. Described as the best jazz trumpet player of his generation by the great Canadian trumpeter, Kenny Wheeler, he was a member of the National Youth Ja ...
and Mitch Thomas serve as on-air play-by-play team. CJOB historically served as the radio home for several periods of their original incarnation. (CJKR-FM solely airs Jets games in the event of scheduling conflicts with Winnipeg Blue Bombers football on CJOB.) CFRW, ''TSN Radio 1290'', served as the flagship radio station of the team from 2011 to 2020, with Edmonds on play-by-play alongside Brian Munz. They were occasionally joined by Beyak, who took over radio play-by-play when TSN was not involved in the television broadcast. Munz also occasionally substituted for Beyak on TSN.


See also

* List of Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets general managers *
List of Winnipeg Jets draft picks This is a complete list of ice hockey players who have been drafted in the National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets. It includes every player who was drafted, regardless of whether they played for the team. Key Played at least ...
*
List of Winnipeg Jets players This is a list of players who have played at least one game for the Winnipeg Jets ( 2011–12 to present) of the National Hockey League (NHL). This list does not include players from the Atlanta Thrashers of the NHL. Key * Appeared in a Jets gam ...


References


External links

* * {{Portal bar, Ice hockey, Canada National Hockey League teams 2011 establishments in Manitoba Central Division (NHL) Ice hockey clubs established in 2011 National Hockey League in Manitoba National Hockey League teams based in Canada