Winnipeg Jets History

FerrisRox

"Wanna go, Prettyboy?"
Sep 17, 2003
20,909
14,224
Toronto, Ontario
Nothing against Winnipeg, but if you take away Hull and I guess you can add Nilsson and Hedberg, how many others would be considered "stars" within the NHL other than Hawerchuk? Selanne, for the brief time he was there I guess.

Phil Housley and Thomas Steen certainly qualify.
 

Michel Dion

Registered User
Nov 7, 2016
40
0
at least they are there still. which of the relocated franchises doesn't even acknowledge the former location? carolina i assume? now that i think about it, warren rychel wore goulet's 16 in colorado right?

I've always felt the most logical approach for relocated teams would be to acknowledge the old city, but not get carried away with pretending history was made in their city when it wasn't. The Coyotes were a different entity than the old Winnipeg Jets, just like the Calgary Flames were a different entity than the Atlanta Flames. Even if the nickname remains unchanged, going to a new city is a major difference. Few Winnipeg fans were cheering for the Coyotes after losing their Jets in the 90s.
 

Guardian17

Strong & Free
Aug 29, 2010
16,512
24,818
Winnipeg
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sp...bout-joining-jets-hall-of-fame-430468383.html

NEP2667503.jpg
 

Pominville Knows

Registered User
Sep 28, 2012
4,477
335
Down Under
This is wonderful. They side step one of proffessional sports biggest disgrace and bring legends home where they belong. I would love if Pittsburgh brought Shrimp Worters home in a similar way, although to be sure much more time has passed so there are really no living fans left from the Pirates days. But in 1967 there probably were.
 
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Hobnobs

Pinko
Nov 29, 2011
9,362
2,719
Its a mistake to call something a HoF and bring it up here. Elitism is strong with this crowd... :naughty:

As for the HoF itself. Looks great. Winnipeg gets to celebrate old heroes and old memories while Jets 2.0 creates new ones. Couldnt be more happy for the city of Winnipeg. Wonder how long time itll take for them to get to the early stars of the franchise. Like Sjöberg, Lukowich, Christian, Lindström and Daley.
 

DowntownBooster

Registered User
Jun 21, 2011
3,202
2,415
Winnipeg
^^^The team photo brings back a lot of good memories from the Jets final season in the WHA. They had great looking uniforms (although I did prefer the red pants from the previous seasons) and was disappointed that they didn't carry them forward into the NHL the following year of 1979-80 but instead changed to the cloned look of the New York Rangers uniforms used from 1976-78. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised when TNSE brought back the WHA style of uniforms for the Heritage Classic game on October 23, 2016 and that they have also used them a few times since.

:jets
 

tony d

New poll series coming from me in June
Jun 23, 2007
76,697
4,607
Behind A Tree
Good idea for sure, the team had quite the history, in the WHA they won the most Avco Cups I believe.
 

Guardian17

Strong & Free
Aug 29, 2010
16,512
24,818
Winnipeg
One of Lindstrom’s most vivid NHL memories was lining up across from Bulls’ notorious goon Gilles Bilodeau.

“He’s standing there just yapping at me: ‘If you touch the puck, I’ll cut your head off.’ He was ugly to watch too. Big curly hair, no helmet and he was a big guy.

Lindstrom survived the game, but after the Bulls won, the players from both teams went to a bar near the rink.

“There, I went to the toilet and I’m standing there and one guy hit me in the back,” Lindstrom said. “I looked up and there’s Bilodeau.

“He said ‘Willy, come on, I’ll buy you a beer.’


WHA JETS REUNION: Encounter with goon Bilodeau in bar had Lindstrom running scared
 

Guardian17

Strong & Free
Aug 29, 2010
16,512
24,818
Winnipeg
Some of the players haven’t seen each other in 40 years.

Lindstrom’s Swedish countryman Roland Eriksson is in Winnipeg for the first time since the day the team held that 1979 Avco Cup parade down Portage Ave.

Lindstrom still thinks of Winnipeg as a second home.

He once scored five goals in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers, joining Alexei Zhamnov and Patrik Laine as the only players to do that for the Jets in the NHL.


“I remember when the Suitcase came into the rink and I thought “Who is this guy? He must be some friend of the coach,’” former Jets winger Willy Lindstrom said. “He was big and overweight.

“They said ‘That’s our new goalie.’

“I was shocked. If you looked at his body you wouldn’t think he could play hockey.”


From Hall of Fame linemates to winning five championships in 10 years, Jets great Willy Lindstrom reflects on a charmed hockey career
 

Guardian17

Strong & Free
Aug 29, 2010
16,512
24,818
Winnipeg
Classic Jets descend on Winnipeg to revisit 1979 Avco Cup win

Watching the players walk around the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame museum looking at old pictures, programs, and of course, the Avco Cup trophy, was a sight to see.

Everybody was smiling ear to ear, guys were calling each other by nicknames they likely haven’t heard in years, and they shared stories and memories with such great detail that you would’ve thought their championship run was yesterday.

"There’s just no feeling like winning a championship," the 64-year-old Ruskowski said. "It’s always in you, and it’ll always be with you. And that’s a great feeling. I sit at home and I’ll have a glass of wine with the breeze hitting my face and think about the good times here and it puts a smile on my face."
 

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