7th Heaven!
By Editorial Staff
There will be many cold crisp nights this winter in Winnipeg; but those nights will also be filled with hope, anticipation, and cheering in a way that hasn’t been for 15 years. The Jets will once again roar into Winnipeg and be in the hearts of hockey fans both in Winnipeg and across Canada. Canada now has a seventh NHL team and for Jets fans its 7th Heaven! Today marked the unveiling of the new jerseys for the reborn Jets and it marks another step in a journey 15 years in the making.
It is hard to believe but 15 years ago the original Jets played their final game in Winnipeg at the Winnipeg Arena. Their final game would also be their final loss delivered by Steve Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings. It had the tone of a state funeral and in the end the Jets roared off to the Arizona Desert.
Harsh economic realities of the mid 1990’s, an obsolete arena, and a lack of suitable ownership with sufficient capital all contributed to the loss of the Jets. In 1996 many in Winnipeg believed that they would never see the return of the National Hockey League to Winnipeg. In fact through the late ‘90’s and early 2000’s many thought there was a possibility that there would be an exodus of Canadian teams to the United States; the prospect of NHL and Winnipeg being said again in the same sentence was a far off pipe dream and not a tangible reality.
Part of the reason for the failure of the original Jets was lack of an arena that would meet modern NHL standards. In 1996 the hope for a new arena in Winnipeg was dismal and it seemed like there would never be a venue constructed. In 2003 that changed with a ground breaking ceremony for the MTS Center. On the site of the former Eaton Center at 300 Portage Avenue a 15,000 seat arena was started and on November 16th 2004 the city of Winnipeg once again had a major arena maybe even on that could support an NHL team.
Speculation was hurled around since the opening of the MTS Center that the NHL may one day consider a return. Many people said the MTS Center was too small and that Winnipeg still wouldn`t be economically viable. Most people in Winnipeg seemed to take the `Believe it when I see it attitude. “
Well signal Phoenix Coyotes and the multiple year soap opera in the desert. After a failed court bid to repatriate the team to Canada the NHL assumed operational control of the franchise. Multiple characters came onto the scene claiming they could buy the Coyotes and keep them in Glendale and eventually multiple characters left the scene but not with the Coyotes. NHL and Winnipeg finally seemed to become a tangible possibility again. In fact reports and speculation indicate the city of Winnipeg was mere minutes away from reclaiming their lost team before the City of Glendale anteed up 25 million to keep the Coyotes another year.
Cue the 2011 offseason and once again it seemed the Coyotes would be on the move after failed attempts by prospective ownership to secure a new lease. Once again 25 million was promised by the Glendale taxpayers to the NHL and once again the idea of Winnipeg and NHL seemed like it would not materialize. But weeks later NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman stood in a room in the MTS Center with David Thompson and Mark Chipman announcing a conditional sale and relocation pact to move the Atlanta Thrashers nearly 1300 miles north to Winnipeg. Winnipeg finally had all the ingredients: a suitable arena, a solid and committed ownership group with capital, and an up and coming economic environment that should guarantee economic viability for years to come. The only catch sell 13,000 season tickets preferably for multiple years to prove to the NHL Board of Governors that Winnipeg really could do it.
The sKeptics said the people wouldn`t do it and not many people believed that the `New Winnipeg NHL franchise` would receive the support it did. Well the people of Winnipeg showed up at the Forks to celebrate the return and days later they showed up with their wallets. After a preliminary sales period to Moose season ticket holders the season ticket drive went public. It was public for a whopping 17 minutes because the people of Winnipeg demonstrated incredible and material economic support for the team.
Since the relocation was formally approved in June there has been a multi step process in place to launch a rebirth. The team sided with the fans that supported them so well by keeping the famous Jets moniker and on draft day the Winnipeg Jets selected their first draft choice. Logos saluting the Canadian Forces and Winnipeg`s military and aviation history were unveiled in the summer and today the Jerseys the players and fans will sport for years to come were delivered and unveiled. On October 9th 2011 the rebirth will be complete and the Jets will place host to the blanc, bleu, and rouge in front of a sold out MTS Center. For the people of Winnipeg and even across Canada and the National Hockey League 7 Heaven has been realized.