Your Winnipeg Jets

On April 28, 1996 I went to what was the last game ever for the Winnipeg Jets. They lost in Game 6 of the first round of the playoffs. Their opponents were the Detroit Red Wings.

It was a sad day for Winnipeg sports fans. It made it harder for me to stay interested in hockey. Without a team to cheer for I became disinterested.

Over the next fifteen years many things happened. I finished my degree, the NHL made some rule changes that make the game more entertaining. I moved away from Winnipeg.

Then the unexpected happened.

Mark Chipman, David Thompson, and True North Sports and Entertainment purchased the Atlanta Thrashers and moved the team to Winnipeg. They renamed them the Jets and sold all their season tickets. And yesterday, through some luck I was in Winnipeg during the first Winnipeg Jets game in 15 years. I couldn't get tickets so I went to The Forks and watched it with a bunch of other fans.

For me, it was a special moment in my life.

The City of Winnipeg has some serious issues. There is a lot of violent crime. A lot of the city is not very aesthetically pleasing. It has long cold winters. Personal income tax is the second highest in the country without an equivalent benefit. All of that being said, it was the place to be on October 9, 2011.

People often debate the value of professional sports and why public dollars should be spent on facilities for these organizations. If you saw the intangible benefit yesterday in Winnipeg you would see why these things matter.

Yesterday, Winnipeg was alive. Everyone was wearing Jets clothing. Some was new, some was old. I'm sure some has been in the back of the closet for 15 years. It didn't matter. It didn't even matter that they lost. For the residents of the very blue collar city of Winnipeg, yesterday was about being recognized. It was about feeling included. It was about knowable hockey fans, getting their moment to shine.

The Atlanta Thrashers were not a very good team last year. There is a lot of work to make the team a real contender but you can't get the girl if you don't go to the dance and this year is all about going to the dance.

Go Jets Go!