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==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.jetsowner.com/ JetsOwner.com] - One-man campaign to bring an NHL franchise back to Winnipeg
*[http://www.jetsowner.com/ JetsOwner.com] - One-man crusade to bring an NHL franchise back to Winnipeg
*[http://www.whahockey.com/jets.html WHAhockey.com - Winnipeg Jets]
*[http://www.whahockey.com/jets.html WHAhockey.com - Winnipeg Jets]
*[http://www.smackyeah.com/jets/ April of 96] - Article archive of the Jets' final month.
*[http://www.smackyeah.com/jets/ April of 96] - Article archive of the Jets' final month.

Revision as of 20:43, 23 January 2007

Winnipeg Jets
File:WPG-J 285.gif
Played 1972 – 1996
Home ice Winnipeg Arena
Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Colours Blue, white & red
Leagues World Hockey Association, National Hockey League

The Winnipeg Jets were an ice hockey franchise that existed in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League. In 1996, the franchise was moved to Phoenix, Arizona due to financial troubles and became the Phoenix Coyotes.

Founded: 1972
Arena: Winnipeg Arena
Uniform colors: Blue, white, red.
Avco Cup wins: 3 - 1976, 1978, 1979
Stanley Cup wins: none

Franchise history

WHA Winnipeg Jets (1972 - 1979)

File:Winjetslogo3.gif
The original Winnipeg Jets logo when the team joined the old WHA.

In 1972 Winnipeg was granted one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The National Hockey League had recently expanded to 16 teams, adding franchises in many hockey-hungry cities (only one in Canada), but also in Atlanta, Oakland and Los Angeles. The WHA brought major professional hockey to Ottawa, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and later Calgary.

The Jets' first signing was Norm Beaudin "the Original Jet" and its first major signing was Bobby Hull, also known as the Golden Jet. The move -- partially financed by the rest of the WHA's teams -- was widely seen as giving legitimacy to the WHA as a serious rival major league.

The Jets were further noteworthy in hockey history for being the first North American club to seriously explore Europe as a source of 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 Sjöberg, 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. The team won three Avco Cups championships, including in the league's final season against Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers. The Jets made the finals five of the WHA's seven seasons and were widely considered one of the best teams in hockey, NHL or WHA, of the era.

Another notable accomplishment was the Jet's 5-3 victory over the Soviet National team on January 5, 1978, making the Jets the first club team to ever defeat the Soviet elite squad.[1]

File:Jets Jersey 1972.gif
Logo used on the Jets' jerseys from 1972-74

Career Leaders (WHA)

NHL Winnipeg Jets (1979 - 1996)

File:Winnipegjetslogo80s.gif
Winnipeg's second logo, introduced in 1974 and used when it entered the NHL in 1979 until 1990

By 1979, the vast majority of the WHA's teams had folded, but the Jets were still going strong and they were absorbed into the NHL. In doing so, they had to give up three of their top six scorers and drafted 18th out of the NHL's 21 teams.

The Jets experienced mixed success in the NHL, with predictably poor results in their first few seasons. In 1981, they drafted future Hall of Fame member Dale Hawerchuk. The team developed into a solid core of players by the mid-1980s, with Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Paul MacLean, Randy Carlyle, Laurie Boschman, Doug Smail and David Ellett giving the Jets a solid nucleus and a chance to compete for a Stanley Cup championship. They played in the same division as the powerful Edmonton Oilers however, and were regularly beaten by them in the playoffs. They finished 4th in the league in 1984-85, their best showing. 1987 was the last time that the Jets won a playoff series, defeating Calgary in the opening round -- a drought that has continued to plague the franchise's current incarnation in Phoenix.

As the NHL expanded in the United States, operating costs and salaries grew rapidly and the Jets were unable to retain their best players. Various schemes were devised to save the team through a tremendous grassroots effort and government funds. Loyal fans raised over $13 million CAD through various fund raising events in their bid to keep the team.[citation needed] In the end, their efforts were not enough. The Winnipeg Jets played their last game on April 28, 1996 - a home playoff loss to the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-1. The last goal ever scored by a Jet was netted by Norm Maciver. The money that had been raised was later donated to several Winnipeg charities.[citation needed]

During their history, the Jets retired two numbers: #9, Bobby Hull, and #25, Thomas Steen. Both numbers hang in Glendale Arena with the new Phoenix Coyotes franchise. Bobby Hull's #9 jersey had been temporarily "un-retired" with the acquisition of his son Brett by the Phoenix franchise. Brett wore his father's famous jersey until his own retirement on October 152005, subsequent to which the number was re-retired.

A number of former Jets remain active in the NHL; as of the 2006-7 preseason, these included Dallas Drake, Nikolai Khabibulin, Teppo Numminen, Teemu Selänne, Keith Tkachuk, Kris Draper, Chad Kilger and Oleg Tverdovsky. Shane Doan is the last Jet to remain with the Winnipeg-Phoenix franchise.

Possible return to Winnipeg

File:Winsuncoverlarge.jpg
Sidney Crosby in a doctored photograph of what he would look like in a Winnipeg Jets uniform. From The Winnipeg Sun on January 202006.

There is some support within the city to bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg in order to restore the pride the city had in having an NHL team. The labour dispute of the 2004-05 between the NHL and NHLPA resurrected the hopes of a small faction of Winnipeggers that the city may get another franchise if a team based in the southern United States or another non-traditional hockey region was unable to attract spectators following its resolution[2].

Another possibility for the NHL to return to Winnipeg is that of an expansion team, though this possibility can at best be described as remote.

Season-by-season record

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, Pts = Points, GF = Goals scored for, GA = Goals scored against, PIM = Penalty minutes

WHA Era

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoff Record
1972-73 78 43 31 4 90 285 249 757 1st in Western Lost Avco World Trophy Final (NE)
1973-74 78 34 39 5 73 264 296 673 3rd in Western Lost Quarterfinal (HOU)
1974-75 78 38 35 5 81 322 293 869 3rd in Canadian Out of Playoffs
1975-76 81 52 27 2 106 345 254 940 1st in Canadian Won Avco World Trophy (HOU)
1976-77 80 46 32 2 94 366 291 991 2nd in Western Lost Avco World Trophy Final (QBC)
1977-78 80 50 28 2 102 381 270 988 1st in League Won Avco World Trophy (NE)
1978-79 80 39 35 6 84 307 306 1342 3rd in League Won Avco World Trophy (EDM)
Grand Total 555 302 227 26 630 2270 959 6560

NHL Era

Season GP W L T Pts GF GA PIM Finish Playoff Record
1979-80 80 20 49 11 51 214 314 1251 5th in Smythe lost the Playoffs
1980-81 80 9 57 14 32 246 400 1191 5th in Smythe lost the Playoffs
1981-82 80 33 33 14 80 319 332 1314 2nd in Norris lost the playoffs
1982-83 80 33 39 8 74 311 333 1089 4th in Smythe lost the playoffs
1983-84 80 31 38 11 73 340 374 1579 4th in Smythe lost the playoffs
1984-85 80 43 27 10 96 358 332 1540 2nd in Smythe lost Division Final (EDM)
1985-86 80 26 47 7 59 295 372 1774 3rd in Smythe lost Division Semifinal (CGY)
1986-87 80 40 32 8 88 279 271 1537 3rd in Smythe lost Division Final (EDM)
1987-88 80 33 36 11 77 292 310 2278 3rd in Smythe Lost Division Semifinal (EDM)
1988-89 80 26 42 12 64 300 355 1843 5th in Smythe Out of Playoffs
1989-90 80 37 32 11 85 298 290 1639 3rd in Smythe Lost Division Semifinal (EDM)
1990-91 80 26 43 11 63 260 288 1675 5th in Smythe Out of Playoffs
1991-92 80 33 32 15 81 251 244 1907 4th in Smythe Lost Division Semifinal (VAN)
1992-93 84 40 37 7 87 322 320 1851 4th in Smythe Lost Division Semifinal (VAN)
1993-94 84 24 51 9 57 245 344 2143 6th in Central Out of Playoffs
1994-951 48 16 25 7 39 157 177 1141 6th in Central Out of Playoffs
1995-96 82 36 40 6 78 275 291 1622 5th in Central Lost Conference Quarterfinal (DET)
Grand Total 1338 506 660 172 1184 4762 5347 27374
1 Season was shortened due to the 1994-95 NHL lockout.

Team Captains (NHL Era)


First round draft picks (NHL Era)

Hall of Famers

Retired numbers

Winnipeg Jets Individual Records

  • Most Goals in a season: Teemu Selänne, 76 (1992-93)
  • Most Assists in a season: Phil Housley, 79 (1992-93)
  • Most Points in a season: Teemu Selänne, 132 (1992-93)
  • 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 Selänne, 132 (1992-93)(NHL record)
  • Most Wins in a season: Brian Hayward & Bob Essensa (1984-85 & 1992-93)

See also

References

  1. ^ Cole, Stephen: "The Canadian Hockey Atlas" Page 232. Doubleday Canada, 2006
  2. ^ "Would new NHL include Winnipeg?", TSN.ca, February 16, 2005, retrieved December 4, 2006, WebCited December 4, 2006


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