Well kids it’s official, Winnipeg has our heart back and that heart beats to the chant of GO JETS GO! Last night from Minneapolis Mark Chipman and Keven Cheveldayoff stood at the NHL Draft podium and proudly declared. “The Winnipeg Jets are proud to select from the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League, Mark Scheifele.”
With that one simple announcement a franchise was reborn. The paddles came down and kick started the quivering heart of hockey fans in the Manitoba heartland. It’s not as if we weren’t already going crazy but until the events of June 21 and the Board of Governors meeting our hockey club wasn’t official. Now we have a team, a chant and our first player.
It may just be coincidence but Mark Scheifele is being coached by Winnipeg Jets legend Dale Hawerchuk. According to the Winnipeg Free Press, Ducky says we picked well indeed. Scheifele scored 22 goals and had 53 assists in 66 games last year for the Barrie Colts. Not too shabby, a young kid with talent, good size and great hands who loves to play the game.
Well hold on to your hat Mark, you’ve died and gone to hockey heaven, I doubt anything in your young career has prepared you for the onslaught of love and support that you are going to encounter when you lace up those skates at the MTS Centre.
Now it may be pure wishful thinking on my part, but the fact is that Teemu Selanne is set to become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1st. All indications are that IF the Finnish Flash chooses to play another year he will probably do it in Anaheim for the Ducks. But let’s just allow ourselves to dream for a minute. Wouldn’t it be fitting for one of the classiest and most talented players to ever wear the Jets logo to once again pull on a blue and white sweater to end his storied career where it began in 1992? His record 76 goal rookie season is still the benchmark and one that appears almost unbreakable in today’s tighter game.
It would take a true miracle for Teemu to uproot his young family from sunny California and move them to the winter wastelands of Winnipeg. But if any player could truly walk on water in the minds of Manitoba hockey fans Teemu Selanne is that man. Whatever your decision Teemu you know that Winnipeg fans will welcome you whenever you come to visit.
So now that the team has a marquee player and a name how about a new logo to spruce up the joint. Well for that hockey fans apparently we are going to have to wait just a little longer. Knowing the rampant desire for hockey gear and the very real threat of counterfeit merchandise flooding the market Chipman and the gang are keeping any potential designs under wraps for the time being.
Winnipeg Jets WHA Logo 1972
Being the resourceful person I am though, I thought it might be fun to see what people are imagining as potential sweater ideas. Let’s have a look and see what they’ve come up with.
Winnipeg Jets Logo from the 1990's
This first design comes courtesy of Puckdrawn.com and artist Johnny Griswold, featuring a blue jet soaring over the Winnipeg skyline. Predominant is the Esplanade Louis Riel Bridge, with its iconic centre support.
Jets logo protype from Griswold Creative
Next up we have an incredibly well thought out proposal from London duo Fraser Davidson and Brian Gundell, featuring 3 next generation jet fighters flying from a stylized maple leaf in the shape of the letter W.
Fraser Davidson brand proposal design
This brand presentation is more than just a potential logo but a whole brand philosophy. Do yourself a favour and check out their website.
A final tease to cap off the morning comes from this fanciful 2005 idea, SyPhi Creations gives us an updated stick and jet logo. The red, white and blue design features a jet with afterburners lit streaking past the familiar Jets name with the stick forming the letter J.
SyPhi Creations Jets Logo
Well hockey fans I guess we are all sitting on pins and needles in anticipation of the coming season. Who else will Cheveldayoff and new head coach Claude Noel pick to lead the team into battle? Will the new uniform be blue, red and white? Will Teemu Selanne abandon the California sun for a final Stanley Cup run with his old team? Only time will tell, only time will tell.
Related articles
- The Winnipeg Jets Are Officially Back (sbnation.com)
- 2011 NHL Draft Results: Winnipeg Jets Select Mark Scheifele With 7th Overall Pick (sbnation.com)
- The Jets return to Winnipeg (macleans.ca)
- Report: Jets name returning with NHL to Winnipeg (windsorstar.com)
- Winnipeg Jets name returns (cbc.ca)
Bob
Exploring Winnipeg and Beyond. 
I am so glad that Winnipeg got their team back.
And it looks like Jet pride is alive and well!
As it should be dammit, it’s hockey back in Canada, where it should be.
Not sure why anyone thought it was a good idea for them to leave in the first place.
I hope they have a fantastic first season back in Winnipeg!
Yes Red, so are we. The vibe in this town right now is electric! Every second person is wearing a Jets shirt or has a Jets car flag and on and on.
I think that those melon heads in the upper suites of the NHL (looking at you Gary Bettman) are learning that there is indeed a reason why a full third of all revenues from the teams are from 6 Canadian teams. 6 teams in a 30 team league, do the math.
Well that’s exciting, Bob! Wahoo Winnipeg Jets!
PS I actually like the old-school 1970s logo… or the Davidson-Gundell one…
Thanks for stopping by Nikki! As I was saying earlier this city is crazy for hockey and we will definitely be showing the players and their families a great time as they live and work here in the city.
As for sweater logos I am kind of partial to the Griswold creation. I think it captures the essence of the city perfectly.
I’m old enough to remember why the original Jets moved from Winnipeg. Because in spite of all the fans, no Canadians BOUGHT THE TEAM. And soooo sorry “Nordique Nation”, but the same thing happened in Quebec. Funny how years later, everyone who was 5 or younger at the time shakes their head in disbelief, invades other hockey venues cheering for no reason at the 17th minute, talking about how “hockey belongs in Canada” and not where the financiers choose to put it.
I have reasons to despise Bettman beyond anyone in Quebec or Winnipeg, but let’s not pin anything on him that’s really a shortcoming of local financiers.
Good for Winnipeg and well done True North entertainment. Are you following this example Nordique Nation? If not, then Tais-toi!
Thanks for your comments it’s nice to hear from hockey fans in different parts of the country. I feel that Quebec will get it’s team back sooner rather than later.