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The Winnipeg Jets were a professional
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
team based in
Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
. They began play in the
World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...
(WHA) in
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
. The club joined the
National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
(NHL) in
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
after the NHL merged with the WHA. Due to mounting financial troubles, in 1996 the franchise moved to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, and became the Phoenix Coyotes (the former name of the now inactive
Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
). The team played their home games at Winnipeg Arena. The Jets' WHA years were successful, with the team making the playoffs every year except for the 1974–75 season. The team's success continued in the postseason, with the Jets winning the Avco Cup three times (in 1976, 1978, and 1979) and appeared in the Avco Cup Finals two additional times (in 1973 and 1977). The team struggled early on the NHL, in part due to the 1979 expansion draft, going a combined 29–106–25 through the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons. The Jets made the Stanley Cup playoffs every season from 1981–82 to 1987–88, though the team only finished with a winning record twice during that period, in 1984–85 and 1986–87, which were also the only times the Jets advanced past the first round while in Winnipeg. During the early 1990s, the Jets started to experience financial difficulties due to a combination of rule changes to free agency, a weakening Canadian dollar, and the team's home arena, the over 40 year old Winnipeg Arena, being seen as antiquated (no luxury suites) with numerous obstructed views. Additionally, Winnipeg became the NHL's smallest market following the relocation of the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
to
Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
as the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
in 1995–96. Following a failed plan to replace the aging Winnipeg Arena in 1996, Jets owner Barry Shenkarow sold the team to Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke for $65 million, who eventually reached an agreement with Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo to move the team to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
after a proposed move to Minneapolis–Saint Paul fell through. The Jets played their final home game (and final game overall) before moving on April 28, 1996, a 4–1 loss to the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL returned to Winnipeg fifteen years later prior to the 2011–12 season following the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers. The relocated Thrashers reused the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
name, with the current Jets team playing its first home game on October 9, 2011 at the MTS Centre.


History


The WHA years (1972–1979)

On December 27, 1971, Winnipeg was granted one of the founding franchises in the
World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association () was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972–73 WHA season, 1972 to 1978–79 WHA season, 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (N ...
(WHA). The original owner was Ben Hatskin, a local figure who made his wealth in cardboard shipping containers. The team took their name from the
Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The Jets compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The te ...
of the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL). The Jets' first signing was Norm Beaudin (earning the player the moniker of "the Original Jet"). Ab McDonald was the Jets' first captain, and scored the first goal of their WHA era. The first major signing was
Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
, with a record $1 million signing bonus. Hull became known as the "Golden Jet", playing with the team until 1979. Hull's acquisition, partially financed by the rest of the WHA's teams, gave the league instant credibility and paved the way for other NHL stars to bolt to the upstart league. The Jets were the first North American club to seriously explore Europe as a source of ice hockey talent. Winnipeg's fortunes were bolstered by acquisitions such as Swedish forwards Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, who starred with Hull on the WHA's most famous and successful forward line (nicknamed "the Hot Line"), and defenceman Lars-Erik Sjoberg, who would serve as the team's captain and win accolades as the WHA's best defenceman. Behind these players and other European stars such as Willy Lindstrom, Kent Nilsson, Veli-Pekka Ketola, leavened by players such as Peter Sullivan, Norm Beaudin and goaltender Joe Daley. The Jets were the most successful team in the short-lived WHA. Their European players had to adapt to a more violent style of play in Canada, in some cases speaking out against the style. Hull, who had over 303 goals over seven seasons with the Winnipeg Jets from 1972 to 1979, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he died in 2023, donating his brain for research on the disease. In the 1975-76 WHA playoffs, the Winnipeg Jets won the Avco Cup, led by
Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson. It was the first team in North America to win with a European Core, according to ''The Winnipeg Sun''. The team made the finals in five of the WHA's seven seasons, winning the Avco World Trophy three times, including in the league's final season against Wayne Gretzky and the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
. Another notable accomplishment was the Jets' 5–3 victory over the Soviet Union national team on January 5, 1978. In the WHA's last season, Kent Nilsson scored 107 points, while Morris Lukowich had 65 goals, and Peter Sullivan had 46 goals and 86 points. During the 1979 Avco Cup Finals, Gary Smith gave up the last goal in WHA history to Dave Semenko in a 7–3 win against the Oilers. The 1975–76, 1977–78 and 1978–79 Avco Cup-winning Winnipeg Jets teams were inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in the team category.


The NHL years (1979–1996)

By 1978–79, the vast majority of the WHA's teams had folded, but the Jets were still going strong. After the season, the Jets were absorbed into the NHL along with the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
, Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers. Pre-merger inter-league exhibitions had shown that the 1978–79 Jets were the competitive equal of most NHL teams, with the possible exceptions of the three-time defending Stanley Cup champion, the
Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...
, and the rising
New York Islanders The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (N ...
. However, the Jets had to pay a very high price for a berth in the more established league. They had to give up three of their top six scorers – the core of the last WHA champion – in the 1979 NHL expansion draft, and were also forced to draft 18th out of 21 teams. In the expansion draft, they opted to protect defenceman Scott Campbell, who had shown a good deal of promise in the last WHA season. However, Campbell suffered from chronic asthma that was only exacerbated by Winnipeg's frigid weather. The asthma drove him out of the league entirely by 1982. Upon entering the NHL, the Jets were put in the Smythe Division of the
Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television n ...
. However, with a decimated roster, the Jets finished at the bottom in overall league standings during their first two seasons in the NHL, including a horrendous nine-win season in 1980–81 that still ranks as the worst in the Jets/Coyotes history. This stands in marked contrast to the other 1979 Avco Cup finalist, the Oilers, who went on to dominate the league during the second half of the 1980s. The Jets' first two wretched NHL seasons did net them high draft picks; in the 1980 draft they picked Dave Babych second overall and in
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
they drafted future Hall of Fame member Dale Hawerchuk first overall. The team developed a solid core of players by the mid-1980s, with Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Paul MacLean, Randy Carlyle, Laurie Boschman, Doug Smail, and David Ellett providing a strong nucleus. Also in 1981, a league-wide realignment placed the Jets with the league's other
Central Time Zone The North American Central Time Zone (CT) is a time zone in parts of Canada, the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It ...
teams in the Norris Division, which over the course of the decade would become the weakest division in the league. Led by Hawerchuk, Steen, Babych and Carlyle, the Jets returned to respectability fairly quickly, and made the playoffs 11 times in the next 15 years. However, regular season success did not transfer over into the playoffs. This was because after just one season in the Norris Division, the relocation of the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
to
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
compelled Winnipeg to return to the more competitive Smythe Division along with the Oilers and
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
– by some accounts, the two best teams in the league during the second half of the 1980s. Due to the way the playoffs were structured at the time, whenever the Jets made the playoffs, they faced the near-certainty of having to beat either the Oilers or the Flames (or both) to get to the
Campbell Conference Campbell may refer to: People Surname * Campbell (surname), includes a list of people with surname Campbell Given name * Campbell Brown (footballer), an Australian rules footballer * Campbell Brown (journalist) (born 1968), American television n ...
finals. At the time, the top four teams in each division made the playoffs, with the regular season division winner playing against the fourth-placed team and the regular season runner-up playing the third-placed team in the division semifinals. The division semifinals winners advanced to the division finals, and the two division finals winners would meet in the conference finals. For example, in 1984–85, they finished with the fourth-best record in the entire league (behind only
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, Edmonton and Washington). They also notched 96 points, which would remain the franchise's best as an NHL team until the 2009–10 Coyotes racked up the franchise's second 100-point season (and first as an NHL team). However, they finished second in the division behind the Oilers. While they managed to dispatch the Flames (with the league's fifth-best record) in four games in the best-of-five division semifinals, they were swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Oilers in the division finals. In fact, Winnipeg and Edmonton played each other in the playoffs six times between
1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
and 1990. The Oilers not only won every series, but also held the Jets to only four total victories. Five times (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990), the Oilers went on to win the
Stanley Cup The Stanley Cup () is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, and the International Ic ...
. The Jets won only one more playoff series in
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
(defeating Calgary in the division semifinals before losing to Edmonton in the division finals). It was not until the 1993–94 season that further expansion and re-alignment placed the Jets in the Central Division of the Western Conference. By this time however, the Central was at least the competitive equal to the Pacific Division and the strict division-based playoff bracket had been abandoned.


Demise and relocation

As the NHL expanded in the United States and free agency rules were liberalized, operating costs and salaries grew rapidly; players had the leverage to demand being paid in U.S. dollars league-wide. Until about the early 1990s, Canadian teams were able to pay their players in Canadian dollars, with the exceptions being contracts acquired in trades from U.S. teams. However, since the Canadian teams still collected most of their revenue in Canadian dollars, having to pay players in U.S. dollars proved to be a serious drain on finances given the declining value of the Canadian dollar. For most of their NHL tenure, Winnipeg was the league's second-smallest market, and was set to become the smallest market after the
Quebec Nordiques The Quebec Nordiques (, pronounced in Quebec French, in Canadian English; translated "Northmen" or "Northerners") were a professional ice hockey team based in Quebec City. The Nordiques played in the World Hockey Association (1972–1979) an ...
moved to
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
as the
Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...
in 1995–96. Despite a loyal fan following, serious doubts were raised about whether Winnipeg could continue to support an NHL team. Additionally, their home arena, Winnipeg Arena, was over 40 years old, had no luxury suites, and numerous obstructed-view seats. Under the ownership of Barry Shenkarow in 1996, the team was unable to find financing to replace its aging Winnipeg Arena, with government assistance at the time not achievable, according to the ''New York Times''. The Winnipeg Arena, constructed in 1955, failed to generate "ancillary revenues" to support the team enough to compete in the NHL. Faced with mounting losses, Jets owner Barry Shenkarow agreed to sell the team to American businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke for $65 million. They planned to move the team to the Minneapolis–Saint Paul region, which had lost the Minnesota North Stars to
Dallas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
before the 1993–94 season. In response, a local consortium called the Spirit of Manitoba was assembled. While they persuaded Shenkarow to delay the proposed sale to American interests long enough that the Jets ultimately remained in Winnipeg for the 1995–96 season, it eventually became apparent that the Spirit of Manitoba consortium was far too undercapitalized to purchase the franchise and underwrite expected losses while a proposed new arena was built. Meanwhile, Gluckstern and Burke failed to reach an agreement with the Minneapolis to share the Target Center with the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's Minnesota Timberwolves. They purchased the team nevertheless, but with no suitable alternate venues in the Twin Cities area, the Jets' new owners reached an agreement with Jerry Colangelo, owner of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, to move the team to Phoenix and rename them to
Phoenix Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
. In April 1996, they won a 4-1 victory over the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
, progressing towards the playoffs. The Jets managed to qualify for the 1996 Stanley Cup playoffs in their final season in Winnipeg, and played their last game on April 28, 1996, a home playoff loss to the
Detroit Red Wings The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
by a score of 4–1. Norm Maciver scored the last goal in Jets history. According to CBC, the Jets were reluctant to leave Winnipeg, where they had a strong fanbase. According to ''Sports Illustrated'', Tkachuk was the "American face of the franchise as it moved to Phoenix, racking up 98 points in the final Winnipeg season."


Aftermath

Winnipeg was not left without a professional ice hockey team for the 1996–97 season as the International Hockey League's Minnesota Moose moved to Winnipeg to become the
Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre. The fran ...
a few months after the Jets left. The NHL ultimately returned to Winnipeg 15 years later, with the Atlanta Thrashers relocating to become the second incarnation of the Jets franchise which is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment. Prior to this, True North submitted a series of bids for the financially-troubled Coyotes in October 2009, 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. As True North's low-key approach was praised by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, this placed True North in a favorable position once question of the Thrashers' relocation came up. The new Jets, despite reclaiming the name and subsequently the original franchise's logos, retained the Thrashers franchise records rather than the records of the original Jets. In 2015, Winnipeg saw its first NHL playoff game in town since 1996, with a new team named the Jets playing in town. During their history, the Jets retired two numbers: Bobby Hull's no. 9 and Thomas Steen's no. 25. The Coyotes have continued to honour those numbers, and hang their banners in the Jets' old blue-red-white colour scheme. Dale Hawerchuk's no. 10 was added in 2006, in the Coyotes' sand-red-black scheme. Another tradition that was retained when the franchise moved to Phoenix was the "whiteout", in which fans wore all white to home playoff games. Shane Doan, drafted seventh overall by the Jets in the 1995 NHL entry draft prior to their last season in Winnipeg, and who played his rookie season in Winnipeg, was the last original Jets player to still be active in the NHL (and to still be with the franchise) upon his retirement in 2017. The only other former original Jets player playing professionally by that time was Deron Quint, who played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany until 2017. The current Winnipeg Jets have acknowledged the original Jets' history on a number of occasions. The original franchise's division and Avco Cup championships hang atop the rafters of Canada Life Centre, as are the honoured numbers of the original Jets who were inducted into the current Jets' Hall of Fame. They have also worn throwback uniforms of the original Jets on a few occasions, and brought back the whiteout tradition in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The new franchise acquired the trademarks to the name and logo of the original Jets from the NHL when it moved to Winnipeg – at the time, the league directly owned the Coyotes and thus controlled the Jets' trademarks. However, the franchise's records still belong to the Coyotes. In April 2024, after years of instability, the Coyotes suspended operations, with their assets (including players and hockey operations staff) being transferred to the new Utah Mammoth. Unlike the Thrashers' relocation to Winnipeg (which saw all records transferred), the Coyotes entered inactivity, with their intellectual property remaining in Phoenix. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo was granted a five-year window to construct a new arena in the Phoenix area, upon which automatic expansion would have been triggered to "re-activate" the Coyotes. However, in late June, Meruelo opted to discontinue his efforts to build an arena and re-activate the team, ceding the Coyotes intellectual property back to the NHL, and leaving the fate of the Jets/Coyotes records uncertain.


Uniforms

The Jets debuted in the WHA wearing blue and white uniforms with red trim. White uniforms featured a blue shoulder yoke, blue numbers and blue-white-red-white-blue waist, sock and sleeve stripes. The blue uniforms were the inverse of their white counterparts minus the contrasting yoke and used red numbers. In the franchise's first season, the uniforms featured the futuristic "Jets" wordmark in front along with red or white player nameplates. Starting in 1974, the Jets donned their "classic" look, ditching the contrast-colour nameplates and unveiling their famous roundel logo. In 1977, the Jets added a white shoulder yoke on the blue uniform, and the following season, switched from red to blue pants. Upon moving to the NHL in 1979, the Jets unveiled new uniforms. Then-general manager John Ferguson Sr. had been derided for changing the classic
New York Rangers The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in New York City. The Rangers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The team plays ...
uniforms during the late 1970s, so he brought most elements of that design to the Jets. Both uniforms featured a thick shoulder stripe that extended through the sleeves, along with another thick stripe on the waist. In addition, the blue uniforms now featured white numbers with red trim and a white inverse of the team's logo in front. In 1987, the Jets added a "Goals for Kids" patch which remained a prominent figure on the uniforms until the relocation. In 1990, the Jets unveiled their final uniform design, featuring the updated crest in front and contrasting sleeve and waist stripes. They also switched back to red pants. The current incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets employs a different uniform design and logo, although they occasionally use the "old" Jets uniform as an alternate jersey. For the 2020–21 season, a "Reverse Retro" jersey was introduced in collaboration with
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
. The jersey was designed to emulate the original Jets' 1979–1990 look, but used colours of the current Jets. Before the 2021–22 season, the blue WHA-era uniform the modern-day Jets wore in the 2019 Heritage Classic became the team's third jersey. A second "Reverse Retro" jersey, this time a recoloured version of the 1990–1996 Jets white uniform, was released in the 2022–23 season.


Winnipeg whiteout

The Winnipeg whiteout is a tradition that dates back to 1987 when fans were asked to wear white clothing to home playoff games, creating a very intimidating effect and atmosphere. It was created as a response to the "C of Red" created by fans of the
Calgary Flames The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary. The Flames compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. The ...
, whom the hometown Jets were facing in the first round of the 1987 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Jets eliminated the Flames in six games, and fans wore white for every home playoff game thereafter. Fans dubbed it the "White Out" which is a prairie term for a winter snow storm. Marketing for the team during the playoff referred to the "charge of the white brigade". In later years, marketing referred to the whiteout as "White Noise". Fans of the
American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...
's
Manitoba Moose The Manitoba Moose are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League (NHL). The team plays its home games at Canada Life Centre. The fran ...
also continued this tradition when the team briefly relocated to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, as the St. John's IceCaps, as did fans of the "IceCap's White Out" respectively. and "Coyotes White Out", When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg as the second incarnation of the Jets, they brought back the whiteout tradition for all playoff appearances of the Jets.


Season-by-season record


WHA era


NHL era


Notable players


Team captains

''Note: This list includes Jets captains from both the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
and WHA.'' * Ab McDonald, 1972–1974 * Dan Johnson, 1974–1975 * Lars-Erik Sjoberg, 1975–1978 * Barry Long, 1978–1979 * Lars-Erik Sjoberg, 1979–1980 * Morris Lukowich, 1980–1981 * Dave Christian, 1981–1982 * Lucien DeBlois, 1982–1984 * Dale Hawerchuk, 1984–1989 * Dale Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen and Randy Carlyle, 1989–1990 (tri-captains) * Thomas Steen and Randy Carlyle, 1990–1991 (co-captains) * Troy Murray, 1991–1993 * Dean Kennedy, 1993 * Keith Tkachuk, 1993–1995 * Kris King, 1995–1996


First-round draft picks

''Note: This list includes draft picks from both the
NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
and WHA.'' *
1973 Events January * January 1 – The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union. * January 14 - The 16-0 19 ...
: Ron Andruff (11th overall) * 1974: Randy Andreachuk (7th overall) *
1975 It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe. Events January * January 1 – Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
: Brad Gassoff (8th overall) *
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
: Thomas Gradin (9th overall) *
1977 Events January * January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group. * January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
: Ron Duguay (3rd overall) * 1978: no WHA draft *
1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
: Jimmy Mann (19th overall) *
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
: Dave Babych (2nd overall) *
1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
: Dale Hawerchuk (1st overall) * 1982: Jim Kyte (12th overall) *
1983 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
: Andrew McBain (8th overall) and Bobby Dollas (14th overall) *
1985 The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** The Internet's Domain Name System is created. ** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a n ...
: Ryan Stewart (18th overall) * 1986: Pat Elynuik (8th overall) *
1987 Events January * January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency. * January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade. * January 3 – Afghan leader ...
:
Bryan Marchment Bryan William Marchment (May 1, 1969 – July 6, 2022) was a Canadian ice hockey defenceman. He played in the National Hockey League for the Winnipeg Jets (1972–96), Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, Hartford Whalers, Edmonton Oilers, Tampa ...
(16th overall) * 1988: Teemu Selanne (10th overall) *
1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
: Stu Barnes (4th overall) * 1990: Keith Tkachuk (19th overall) *
1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
: Aaron Ward (5th overall) *
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
: Sergei Bautin (17th overall) *
1993 The United Nations General Assembly, General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its ...
: Mats Lindgren (15th overall) * 1995: Shane Doan (7th overall)


Hall of Famers

* Dale Hawerchuk, C, 1981–1990, inducted 2001 * Phil Housley, D, 1990–1993, inducted 2015 *
Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
, LW, 1972–1980, inducted 1983 * Serge Savard, D, 1981–1983, inducted 1986 * Teemu Selanne, RW, 1992–1996, inducted 2017


Retired numbers

The original Winnipeg Jets retired two numbers in their history. When the Jets relocated to Arizona, the banners of these players also made the move, and these numbers originally remain retired with the
Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
, in Jets' colors. Beginning with the 2014–15 season, those numbers were unretired and brought back to circulation; they were still inducted as part of the Arizona Coyotes Ring of Honor. After the move to Arizona, number 10 was inducted in honor of Dale Hawerchuk, number 7 was inducted for Keith Tkachuk, and number 27 was inducted for Teppo Numminen. Shane Doan's number 19 was the only number officially retired by the Coyotes. The current Winnipeg Jets (formerly Atlanta Thrashers) also honoured both numbers in the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame. Notes: * 1 Bobby Hull's number was temporarily unretired by the successor Coyotes franchise for Bobby's son Brett in the 2005–06 season before his son Brett retired five games into that season.


Franchise records


Franchise scoring leaders

These are the top-ten-point-scorers in Winnipeg Jets history, combining NHL and WHA totals. ''Legend: Pos = position; GP = gpmes played; G = goals; A = assists; Pts = points; P/G = points per game


Individual records


WHA records

* Games (career) –
Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
, 411 * Goals (career) – Bobby Hull, 303 * Assists (career) – Ulf Nilsson, 344 * Points (career) – Bobby Hull, 638 * Penalty minutes (career) – Kim Clackson, 413 * Most wins (career) – Joe Daley, 167 * Shutouts (career) – Joe Daley, 12


NHL records

* Most goals in a season –
Bobby Hull Robert Marvin Hull (January 3, 1939 – January 30, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blond hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot t ...
,77 (1974–75) ** Most goals in an NHL season – Teemu Selanne, 76 (1992–93; NHL rookie record) * Most assists in a season – Phil Housley, 79 (1992–93) * Most points in a season – Bobby Hull, 142 (1974–75) ** Most points in an NHL season – Teemu Selanne, 132 (1992–93; NHL rookie record) * Most penalty minutes in a season – Tie Domi, 347 (1993–94) * Most points in a season, defenceman – Phil Housley, 97 (1992–93) * Most points in a season, rookie – Teemu Selanne, 132 (1992–93; NHL record) * Most wins in a season – Joe Daley, 41 (1975–76) * Most wins in an NHL season – Brian Hayward (1984–85) and Bob Essensa (1992–93), 33


See also

* List of Winnipeg Jets (1972–1996) head coaches * Avco World Trophy *
List of defunct and relocated National Hockey League teams The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional men's ice hockey league, founded in 1917. The National Hockey League#Organizational structure, NHL Board of Governors review and approve the relocation of any member club. Each team appoints an ...
* List of ice hockey teams in Manitoba *
Arizona Coyotes The Arizona Coyotes are an inactive professional ice hockey team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. They competed in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division (1996–1998, 2021–2024) and ...
* Utah Mammoth


Notes


References


Further reading

*


External links


Winnipeg Jets Online.com
– dedicated to the history and memory of the Winnipeg Jets



a



at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame

at Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame {{DEFAULTSORT:Winnipeg Jets (1972-96) Arizona Coyotes National Hockey League teams based in Canada Ice hockey clubs established in 1972 Ice hockey clubs disestablished in 1996 1972 establishments in Manitoba 1996 disestablishments in Manitoba
1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, ...
Defunct ice hockey teams in Canada Defunct National Hockey League teams