50 Fun Facts About Winnipeg Jets

The Jets franchise that moved to Winnipeg in 2011 was founded in 1997 under what name?

True North bought and moved the club in 2011, the first NHL relocation since the Whalers became the Hurricanes.

Which league granted Winnipeg a founding franchise in December 1971?

The Jets joined the NHL in the 1979 merger with Quebec, Edmonton and Hartford.

Original Jets owner Ben Hatskin made his fortune in what business?

He borrowed the Jets name from his own WCHL junior club.

Which NHL star jumped to the Jets in June 1972 with a record $1 million signing bonus?

The rest of the WHA helped finance the deal, which gave the league instant credibility.

Which two Swedes joined the Golden Jet on the WHA's famous 'Hot Line'?

The Jets were the first North American club to seriously mine Europe for talent.

How many Avco Cups did the original Jets win?

1976, 1978 and 1979, the last against Gretzky's Oilers in the WHA's final season.

Whom did the Jets beat 5-3 in a celebrated January 1978 exhibition?

It came in the middle of their run of three titles in four years.

Which promising defenceman did the Jets protect in the 1979 expansion draft, only for asthma to end his career?

Winnipeg's frigid weather made it worse; the club had to expose three of its top six scorers.

Whom did the Jets draft first overall in 1981?

Dave Babych had gone second overall a year earlier.

Which team eliminated the Jets in all six of their playoff meetings between 1983 and 1990?

Winnipeg won just four games across those series; Edmonton won the Cup five of those years.

Which fan tradition was born in 1987 as an answer to Calgary's 'C of Red'?

Fans wore white and the Jets beat the Flames in six.

How many goals did rookie Teemu Selanne score for the Jets in 1992-93, still an NHL rookie record?

His 132 points that season is also a rookie record.

Which local consortium tried and failed to raise enough money to keep the Jets in 1995-96?

It bought one more season but was far too undercapitalised.

Where did buyers Gluckstern and Burke originally plan to move the Jets before Phoenix?

They could not agree a lease at the Target Center, so Jerry Colangelo landed them for Arizona.

Who scored the last goal in original Jets history, on April 28, 1996?

It came in a 4-1 home playoff loss to Detroit.

From which state did the IHL club that became the Manitoba Moose relocate in 1996?

True North later moved the Moose to St. John's to make room for the returning NHL.

Which 1995 first-round pick was the last original Jet still active in the NHL when he retired in 2017?

He spent his whole career with the Jets/Coyotes franchise.

Which two numbers did the original Jets retire?

Bobby Hull and Thomas Steen; the Coyotes added Hawerchuk's 10 in 2006.

How close did True North come to buying the Coyotes in 2009-10 before the NHL shelved the bid?

The league had even drawn up a schedule with Winnipeg in Phoenix's place.

Which True North chairman's low-key approach won praise from Gary Bettman?

It contrasted with Jim Balsillie's aggressive attempts to move the Coyotes to Hamilton.

How long did it take the general public to sell out Jets season tickets on June 4, 2011?

The waiting list then closed after 8,000 people signed up in two hours.

What was the target of True North's season-ticket drive to prove the team's viability?

Moose season-ticket holders got first priority.

Which name was rejected in deference to Atlanta's NFL team?

'Whiteout' was also considered; the Thrashers name stayed with the Atlanta owners.

Where was the 'Winnipeg Jets' name finally revealed in June 2011?

Mark Chipman invited GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to 'make our first pick, on behalf of the Winnipeg Jets'.

Which Winnipeg band performed at the 2011 home opener, singing 'we just got back the Jets'?

Nik Antropov scored the first goal in a 5-1 loss to Montreal.

Who scored the first goal for the relocated Jets, in October 2011?

Andrew Ladd was the first captain of the new franchise.

Which Manitoba Moose coach became the new Jets' first head coach?

Paul Maurice replaced him in January 2014.

Which team swept the Jets in 2015 in Winnipeg's first NHL playoff series since 1996?

Fans revived the Whiteout for the occasion.

Whom did the Jets select second overall in 2016 after winning the lottery with the sixth-worst record?

Blake Wheeler was named captain that summer after Andrew Ladd's trade to Chicago.

Whom did the Jets beat in April 2018 for the Atlanta/Winnipeg franchise's first series win?

It was the city's first series victory in 31 years.

Which Presidents' Trophy winner did the Jets beat in seven games to reach the 2018 conference finals?

Vegas then took the conference finals in five after losing Game 1.

Which team swept the Jets in the 2021 second round after Winnipeg swept Edmonton?

Montreal went all the way to the Cup Final that summer.

Which captain was stripped of the 'C' before the 2022-23 season?

Adam Lowry took the captaincy before 2023-24.

How many points did the Jets record in 2024-25 en route to their first Presidents' Trophy?

They won 56 games, then beat St. Louis in seven before Dallas ended the run.

The Jets logo unveiled in 2011 is patterned after the roundels of which organisation?

It includes a CF-18 Hornet silhouette and a maple leaf used with the Maple Leafs' permission.

Whose permission did the Jets need to put Canada's national leaf emblem in their logo?

Red is only a secondary colour in the scheme because of that leaf.

The Jets' 2023-24 'Forty-Eight' heritage uniforms honoured which gold-medal team?

They featured a powder 'RCAF blue' base.

Which mascot did the new owners 'recall' from their AHL club to serve the Jets?

He got a vintage leather aviator helmet; Benny is the secondary mascot.

Which national anthem line do Jets fans shout to salute the team's ownership company?

Fans yell 'True North!' every home game since 2011.

Canada Life Centre was built on the site of which landmark department store?

Red bricks in the facade evoke the old store, and a display window houses Eaton's memorabilia.

In which year did the arena that replaced Winnipeg Arena open?

It opened as MTS Centre, became Bell MTS Place and is now Canada Life Centre.

What is the hockey capacity of Canada Life Centre?

It replaced the 1955-built Winnipeg Arena, which had no luxury suites.

In which round of the 2012 draft did the Jets select Connor Hellebuyck?

He went 130th overall after a year with the Odessa Jackalopes.

Which college honour did Hellebuyck receive in its inaugural year at UMass Lowell?

It goes to the top goaltender in college hockey.

Besides the Vezina, which MVP award did Connor Hellebuyck win in 2025?

He took the Hart in 2025 alongside his third Vezina; by then he had also won two Jennings Trophies for fewest goals against.

Under what banner did the 1979 Jets play the last WHA game, conceding the league's final goal to Dave Semenko?

Winnipeg won 7-3 with Gary Smith in goal to claim its third title.

Which Jets forward was appointed team captain before the 2023-24 season?

He followed Andrew Ladd (2011-16) and Blake Wheeler (2016-22) as the relocated franchise's third captain.

Which player switched from number 10 to 18 at the 2011 relocation out of respect for Dale Hawerchuk?

The current franchise has never officially retired a number, but honours original Jets through its Hall of Fame.

Which general manager did True North hire in June 2011, four days after buying out Rick Dudley?

He came from the Chicago Wolves and Blackhawks, and made the first pick 'on behalf of the Winnipeg Jets' at the draft.

Which team beat the Jets in the 2025 second round after Winnipeg outlasted St. Louis in seven games?

It ended a season in which the Jets won their first Presidents' Trophy with 56 wins and 116 points.