WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.620 Imagine your city loses its beloved professional 00:00:02.620 --> 00:00:06.360 sports team. Oh man, that is rough. Right. We 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:08.279 are talking about the team you grew up watching, 00:00:08.560 --> 00:00:11.640 the colors you proudly wore to school. The players 00:00:11.640 --> 00:00:15.359 you completely idolized. Exactly. And then, one 00:00:15.359 --> 00:00:18.960 day, they're just gone. Packed into moving trucks 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:21.420 and shipped across the border. Leaving a massive 00:00:21.420 --> 00:00:24.920 void. And so you wait. You wait 15 long years 00:00:24.920 --> 00:00:28.199 enduring these harsh prairie winters, watching 00:00:28.199 --> 00:00:30.640 other cities celebrate championships. Wondering 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:32.240 if the highest level of the game is ever going 00:00:32.240 --> 00:00:34.020 to come back to your hometown. Yeah, I wonder 00:00:34.020 --> 00:00:36.479 if it's gone forever. And then finally, a group 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.399 of local business leaders quietly pulls off this 00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:42.799 absolute miracle. They purchase another city's 00:00:42.799 --> 00:00:45.359 struggling team just to bring the game back home 00:00:45.359 --> 00:00:47.770 to you. It's an incredible scenario. It really 00:00:47.770 --> 00:00:51.070 is. So today we are taking a deep dive into the 00:00:51.070 --> 00:00:54.030 comprehensive Wikipedia history of the Winnipeg 00:00:54.030 --> 00:00:56.890 Jets. And it is quite a history. It is. Our mission 00:00:56.890 --> 00:00:59.289 for this deep dive is to explore the complete 00:00:59.289 --> 00:01:01.990 kind of complicated resurrection and evolution 00:01:01.990 --> 00:01:05.230 of this NHL franchise. We're looking at everything 00:01:05.230 --> 00:01:08.430 from its notoriously dismal early days in Atlanta. 00:01:08.769 --> 00:01:10.549 Down in Georgia, yeah. Right, all the way through 00:01:10.549 --> 00:01:13.349 to becoming the absolute powerhouse that captured 00:01:13.349 --> 00:01:17.340 the 2024 -2025 President's Trophy. And perhaps 00:01:17.340 --> 00:01:20.459 most importantly, we want to see how a team navigates 00:01:20.459 --> 00:01:23.239 the complicated ghosts of its own past. Because 00:01:23.239 --> 00:01:25.260 there are a lot of ghosts here. So many. Okay, 00:01:25.340 --> 00:01:28.019 let's unpack this. Where does the story of the 00:01:28.019 --> 00:01:30.799 modern Winnipeg Jets actually begin? Because, 00:01:30.859 --> 00:01:33.019 I mean, they didn't start out playing in Manitoba. 00:01:33.180 --> 00:01:35.859 No, they didn't. To really understand the heights 00:01:35.859 --> 00:01:38.359 this team eventually reached, you have to look 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:41.200 far south of the Canadian border. Right. The 00:01:41.200 --> 00:01:43.459 franchise that plays in Winnipeg today actually 00:01:43.459 --> 00:01:47.049 began in 1999 as an expansion team. The Atlanta 00:01:47.049 --> 00:01:49.790 Thrashers. The Thrashers, yeah. And their time 00:01:49.790 --> 00:01:53.189 in Georgia was, well, by almost every metric 00:01:53.189 --> 00:01:55.230 available in our sources, a deeply difficult 00:01:55.230 --> 00:01:57.909 run. That is putting it mildly. Over their 12 00:01:57.909 --> 00:02:00.549 years operating in Atlanta, they managed to qualify 00:02:00.549 --> 00:02:03.370 for the Stanley Cup playoffs only one single 00:02:03.370 --> 00:02:05.969 time. Just once in over a decade. Yeah, just 00:02:05.969 --> 00:02:09.349 once, which happened during the 2006 -2007 season. 00:02:09.740 --> 00:02:11.879 I mean, I know expansion teams usually struggle 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:14.060 out of the gate. Building a roster from scratch 00:02:14.060 --> 00:02:17.060 is hard, but a decade without sustained success 00:02:17.060 --> 00:02:21.319 seems uniquely rough. It was. Did they at least 00:02:21.319 --> 00:02:22.900 make some noise when they finally got into the 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:25.360 postseason? They didn't. They were swept in the 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:27.960 first round. Oh, wow. Yeah, meaning they recorded 00:02:27.960 --> 00:02:32.199 zero playoff game wins in over a decade of existence 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:34.819 in Atlanta. That has to take a toll on the fan 00:02:34.819 --> 00:02:37.680 base. Absolutely. Yeah. And this prolonged lack 00:02:37.680 --> 00:02:41.080 of on -ice success. naturally bled into the business 00:02:41.080 --> 00:02:42.860 side of the franchise. Like ticket sales and 00:02:42.860 --> 00:02:45.099 everything. Right. They were dealing with mounting 00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:48.819 financial losses and these really complex ownership 00:02:48.819 --> 00:02:52.120 disputes within their own investment group. And 00:02:52.120 --> 00:02:54.520 attendance. Steadily dwindling in their final 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:57.439 seasons. It basically became an open secret in 00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:59.840 the NHL community that the Thrashers were in 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.580 deep trouble and potentially on the move. Which 00:03:02.580 --> 00:03:04.879 obviously opens the door for a rescue mission 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:08.039 or I guess a relocation bid. But what stands 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:10.060 out to me in the source material is the strategy 00:03:10.060 --> 00:03:12.360 used by the group that eventually brought the 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:14.939 team to Winnipeg. It was very unique. Because 00:03:14.939 --> 00:03:17.680 usually when a professional sports team is up 00:03:17.680 --> 00:03:21.259 for grabs, you see these billionaires making 00:03:21.259 --> 00:03:24.659 grand public declarations. Holding press conferences. 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:27.319 Fighting in the press, promising the moon to 00:03:27.319 --> 00:03:30.020 local politicians. But the Winnipeg group took 00:03:30.020 --> 00:03:32.439 a completely different path, didn't they? They 00:03:32.439 --> 00:03:35.719 took a highly calculated, almost silent approach. 00:03:35.840 --> 00:03:38.939 Silent. Yeah. The ownership group in question 00:03:38.939 --> 00:03:42.219 here is True North Sports and Entertainment, 00:03:42.460 --> 00:03:46.129 led by their chairman, Mark Chipman. Okay. To 00:03:46.129 --> 00:03:48.349 appreciate their strategy, you have to contrast 00:03:48.349 --> 00:03:49.969 it with what was happening around the league 00:03:49.969 --> 00:03:51.889 at that specific time. Right. There was a lot 00:03:51.889 --> 00:03:54.349 of drama with other teams. Exactly. You had figures 00:03:54.349 --> 00:03:57.009 like Jim Balsillie making these highly aggressive, 00:03:57.250 --> 00:04:00.449 very public bids to buy teams. Oh, right. The 00:04:00.449 --> 00:04:03.150 Blackberry guy. Yes. He'd even attempted to use 00:04:03.150 --> 00:04:06.949 bankruptcy courts to basically skirt NHL relocation 00:04:06.949 --> 00:04:09.669 rules and force the Phoenix Coyotes to move to 00:04:09.669 --> 00:04:12.110 Hamilton, Ontario. That is wild. Just trying 00:04:12.110 --> 00:04:15.009 to force the league's hand legally. And the NHL 00:04:15.009 --> 00:04:17.050 exec. particularly Commissioner Gary Bettman, 00:04:17.209 --> 00:04:20.170 they did not appreciate that combative litigious 00:04:20.170 --> 00:04:22.550 style at all. Well, yeah, that makes total sense. 00:04:22.709 --> 00:04:24.870 Nobody likes being backed into a corner by a 00:04:24.870 --> 00:04:27.569 rogue billionaire. Precisely. So how did True 00:04:27.569 --> 00:04:29.889 North play their hand differently? True North 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:32.110 operated with strict professional discretion. 00:04:32.410 --> 00:04:35.689 No leaks, no grandstanding. They had already 00:04:35.689 --> 00:04:38.930 proven themselves as reliable partners by successfully 00:04:38.930 --> 00:04:41.470 running an American Hockey League franchise in 00:04:41.470 --> 00:04:44.670 Winnipeg. For years. A Manitoba moose. Right. 00:04:44.769 --> 00:04:47.529 So when they engaged the NHL about buying the 00:04:47.529 --> 00:04:50.209 Thrashers, they kept the negotiations entirely 00:04:50.209 --> 00:04:53.149 behind closed doors. They respected the league's 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:55.629 processes. Building trust instead of forcing 00:04:55.629 --> 00:04:58.569 a legal battle. Exactly. Because of that quiet 00:04:58.569 --> 00:05:01.170 professionalism, Bettman and the other owners 00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:03.810 developed a deep trust in Mark Chipman. And that 00:05:03.810 --> 00:05:06.629 trust pays off. It did. It ultimately allowed 00:05:06.629 --> 00:05:08.730 True North to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers 00:05:08.730 --> 00:05:11.810 in May of 2011. I'm curious about the financial 00:05:11.810 --> 00:05:13.750 reality of a deal like that, though, because 00:05:13.750 --> 00:05:16.209 moving an NHL team isn't just about buying the 00:05:16.209 --> 00:05:18.389 roster. There are usually heavy fees involved 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:20.750 when you cross state or, in this case, national 00:05:20.750 --> 00:05:23.370 lines. Oh, it was a massive financial commitment. 00:05:23.769 --> 00:05:26.149 The reported purchase price for the franchise 00:05:26.149 --> 00:05:31.579 was $170 million. Wow. And on top of that, True 00:05:31.579 --> 00:05:34.720 North had to pay a $60 million relocation fee 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:38.160 that went directly to the NHL. $60 million just 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.639 for the right to move them. Yep. And securing 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:42.819 the team is really only half the battle here. 00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:46.019 Winnipeg is famously one of the smallest markets 00:05:46.019 --> 00:05:48.560 in the league. Very true. So the NHL Board of 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.040 Governors needed proof that the city could actually 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:54.459 support a massive modern payroll. They required 00:05:54.459 --> 00:05:57.439 True North to launch a season ticket drive to 00:05:57.439 --> 00:05:59.600 prove the market's viability before the... puck 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:02.319 ever dropped a drive to 13 000 is what they call 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:04.660 it right and the response from the fans seems 00:06:04.660 --> 00:06:07.100 like the ultimate validation for anyone who ever 00:06:07.100 --> 00:06:09.600 doubted canadian hockey markets what exactly 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:12.180 happened when those tickets went on sale so true 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:14.959 north set that target to sell 13 000 season tickets 00:06:14.959 --> 00:06:18.240 they gave a brief priority window to the existing 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.639 season ticket holders of their minor league team 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.060 the moose makes sense reward the loyal locals 00:06:23.060 --> 00:06:26.199 right But once the remaining ticket opened up 00:06:26.199 --> 00:06:29.100 to the general public on June 4th, the entire 00:06:29.100 --> 00:06:32.540 allotment sold out in exactly 17 minutes. 17 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:35.519 minutes? 17 minutes. You can barely order a pizza 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:37.959 in 17 minutes, and they sold out a professional 00:06:37.959 --> 00:06:40.920 arena for a multi -year commitment. It was unprecedented, 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:44.560 and the demand didn't even stop there. True North 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:46.680 quickly opened a season ticket waiting list. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.139 How fast did that fill up? Within two hours, 00:06:49.399 --> 00:06:52.899 8 ,000 people had signed up. They literally had 00:06:52.899 --> 00:06:55.819 to cap the list and shut it down. That is insane. 00:06:56.180 --> 00:06:57.839 And if you look at the secondary market data 00:06:57.839 --> 00:07:00.660 for their home opener that October, tickets were 00:07:00.660 --> 00:07:03.959 averaging $713. Just for a regular season opener. 00:07:04.139 --> 00:07:06.259 Yep, with some prime seats listed well over $1 00:07:06.259 --> 00:07:08.759 ,700. Just to get in the building, that is a 00:07:08.759 --> 00:07:12.139 profound level of pent -up demand. What's fascinating 00:07:12.139 --> 00:07:14.959 here is what this specific event says about sports 00:07:14.959 --> 00:07:17.699 markets and community identity. Yeah, tell me 00:07:17.699 --> 00:07:20.000 more about that. Well, relocations usually destroy 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:22.180 a fan base. They leave a trail of bitterness, 00:07:22.480 --> 00:07:25.300 empty arenas, and broken civic trust in the city 00:07:25.300 --> 00:07:27.259 losing the team. Like what happened in Atlanta. 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:30.399 Right. But in this case, the relocation of a 00:07:30.399 --> 00:07:33.699 failing asset from Atlanta instantly mobilized 00:07:33.699 --> 00:07:36.420 an entire Canadian province. Because it went 00:07:36.420 --> 00:07:39.279 so much more to them. Exactly. For the people 00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:41.300 of Manitoba, this wasn't just about buying an 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:43.519 entertainment product. It was about reclaiming 00:07:43.519 --> 00:07:46.480 a piece of their civic pride that they felt had 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:50.000 been unfairly stripped away back in 1996 when 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:53.079 the original team left. Which brings us to perhaps 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:55.800 the most suspenseful part of that entire summer, 00:07:56.040 --> 00:07:59.199 the branding. Oh, this is a great story. Because 00:07:59.199 --> 00:08:02.040 True North bought the franchise, but they didn't 00:08:02.040 --> 00:08:05.579 acquire the Thrasher's name or logo in the transaction. 00:08:05.879 --> 00:08:07.899 Right. The Atlanta ownership group retained those 00:08:07.899 --> 00:08:10.560 rights. And True North was remarkably secretive 00:08:10.560 --> 00:08:13.220 about what the new identity would be. Naturally, 00:08:13.300 --> 00:08:15.319 the public desperately wanted them to reuse the 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:18.259 name Winnipeg Jets, which was the city's original 00:08:18.259 --> 00:08:20.959 franchise from the World Hockey Association days. 00:08:21.220 --> 00:08:23.310 Everybody wanted the Jets back. But looking at 00:08:23.310 --> 00:08:25.209 the history, there was a massive legal hurdle 00:08:25.209 --> 00:08:27.269 standing in the way of using that name, wasn't 00:08:27.269 --> 00:08:29.750 there? There was a significant legal knot to 00:08:29.750 --> 00:08:32.889 untangle. When the original Winnipeg Jets left 00:08:32.889 --> 00:08:37.070 Canada in 1996, they relocated to Arizona and 00:08:37.070 --> 00:08:39.889 became the Phoenix Coyotes. Right. So legally 00:08:39.889 --> 00:08:42.970 speaking, the Coyotes organization owned all 00:08:42.970 --> 00:08:46.190 the trademarks, the history, and the naming rights 00:08:46.190 --> 00:08:48.350 associated with the old Jets. You can't just 00:08:48.350 --> 00:08:52.320 steal another team's IP. Exactly. A new ownership 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.720 group in Winnipeg couldn't just casually start 00:08:54.720 --> 00:08:57.080 using the intellectual property of a completely 00:08:57.080 --> 00:08:59.740 different franchise playing in the desert. But 00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:01.659 there is a wild twist in the source material 00:09:01.659 --> 00:09:04.320 regarding the coyotes at that specific moment 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:07.879 in time. Yes. The timing was remarkably serendipitous. 00:09:08.179 --> 00:09:10.759 At the exact time True North was finalizing the 00:09:10.759 --> 00:09:13.220 purchase of the Thrashers, the Phoenix Coyotes 00:09:13.220 --> 00:09:15.399 franchise was going through bankruptcy proceedings. 00:09:15.620 --> 00:09:17.820 They were bankrupt. Yeah. And as a result, the 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:19.980 Coyotes were literally being owned and operated 00:09:19.980 --> 00:09:22.440 by the NHL itself. Oh, wow. So the league had 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:24.639 taken over. Right. Because the league temporarily 00:09:24.639 --> 00:09:27.159 controlled the Coyotes, they also controlled 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.620 the old Jets' trademarks. That is such a lucky 00:09:29.620 --> 00:09:33.149 break. It really was. This allowed the NHL to 00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:35.610 easily grant True North permission to revive 00:09:35.610 --> 00:09:38.330 the Winnipeg Jets name. The stars completely 00:09:38.330 --> 00:09:41.210 aligned and True North kept this a total secret 00:09:41.210 --> 00:09:44.389 right up until the 2011 NHL draft, which was 00:09:44.389 --> 00:09:46.490 being held in Minnesota. Everyone was waiting. 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:49.179 Mark Chipman steps up to the podium, introduces 00:09:49.179 --> 00:09:52.179 his newly hired general manager Kevin Sheveldayoff, 00:09:52.320 --> 00:09:54.759 and Sheveldayoff steps to the microphone to announce 00:09:54.759 --> 00:09:57.279 they are making their first pick on behalf of 00:09:57.279 --> 00:09:59.639 the Winnipeg Jets. The hockey world just erupted. 00:09:59.720 --> 00:10:01.980 I can imagine. But once the excitement settled, 00:10:02.139 --> 00:10:04.419 they still had a major design problem to solve. 00:10:04.539 --> 00:10:07.029 They did. You can't just copy and paste the old 00:10:07.029 --> 00:10:09.970 1990s logo onto the new jerseys. Because technically 00:10:09.970 --> 00:10:12.509 this is a different legal franchise. Right. And 00:10:12.509 --> 00:10:14.809 you want to signal the dawn of a new era rather 00:10:14.809 --> 00:10:17.009 than just acting as a tribute band to the past. 00:10:17.210 --> 00:10:20.149 They needed to execute a complex branding pivot. 00:10:20.309 --> 00:10:22.250 I think this is a great case study for anyone 00:10:22.250 --> 00:10:25.049 trying to build a brand that balances deep nostalgia 00:10:25.049 --> 00:10:28.320 with a distinct modern aesthetic. How did they 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:30.480 bridge that gap visually? Well, instead of leaning 00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:33.740 purely on the old hockey designs, they drew inspiration 00:10:33.740 --> 00:10:36.639 from a completely different pillar of local history. 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:41.019 Okay. They designed a new primary logo and a 00:10:41.019 --> 00:10:43.620 color scheme centered around specific shades 00:10:43.620 --> 00:10:47.700 called Polar Night Blue and Aviator Blue. Sounds 00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:51.059 very military. It is. This entire design package 00:10:51.059 --> 00:10:54.139 was a direct authorized homage to the Royal Canadian 00:10:54.139 --> 00:10:57.980 Air Force, or the RCAF. Specifically, it honors 00:10:57.980 --> 00:11:02.399 Winnipeg's 17 -wing base, right? I love the details 00:11:02.399 --> 00:11:04.659 in this. The details are incredible. The primary 00:11:04.659 --> 00:11:07.019 logo is patterned directly after the roundels 00:11:07.019 --> 00:11:09.620 used by the RCAF. And if you look closely, the 00:11:09.620 --> 00:11:11.799 center incorporates the precise silhouette of 00:11:11.799 --> 00:11:14.759 a McDonnell Douglas CF -18 Hornet. Yeah, an actual 00:11:14.759 --> 00:11:16.659 fighter jet. And they even negotiated permission 00:11:16.659 --> 00:11:18.779 from the Toronto Maple Leafs to use a specific 00:11:18.779 --> 00:11:21.320 style of red maple leaf in the design to ensure 00:11:21.320 --> 00:11:23.360 it looked authentic to the military roundel. 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:25.779 And their partnership with the RCAF has only 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:28.460 deepened over the years. It elevates the visual 00:11:28.460 --> 00:11:31.279 identity from a standard sports logo. into a 00:11:31.279 --> 00:11:33.320 piece of national heritage. Do you have an example 00:11:33.320 --> 00:11:36.320 of that? A perfect example from our sources occurred 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.500 recently during the 2023 -2024 season when the 00:11:40.500 --> 00:11:43.580 team unveiled their 48 heritage uniforms. Oh, 00:11:43.620 --> 00:11:45.919 those powder blue uniforms are stunning. What 00:11:45.919 --> 00:11:47.919 was the specific historical tie -in for those? 00:11:48.100 --> 00:11:50.580 Those were designed to coincide with the RCAF's 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:53.970 centennial anniversary. The team wore a powder 00:11:53.970 --> 00:11:57.289 blue base, affectionately nicknamed RCAF Blue, 00:11:57.529 --> 00:12:00.809 which served as a tribute to the Ottawa RCAF 00:12:00.809 --> 00:12:03.149 Flyers. And who were they? That was a military 00:12:03.149 --> 00:12:05.169 hockey team that won the gold medal for Team 00:12:05.169 --> 00:12:09.350 Canada in the 1948 Winter Olympics. Wow. Yeah, 00:12:09.389 --> 00:12:11.870 by weaving this military history into their aesthetic. 00:12:12.460 --> 00:12:14.620 the Jets anchored themselves to something much 00:12:14.620 --> 00:12:17.019 larger than just professional sports. It's brilliant 00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:19.039 marketing, honestly, but they didn't completely 00:12:19.039 --> 00:12:21.460 abandon their more recent kind of quirky history 00:12:21.460 --> 00:12:23.679 either. I want to talk about their mascot because 00:12:23.679 --> 00:12:25.860 it's such a fun detail. Oh, I love the mascot 00:12:25.860 --> 00:12:27.980 story. When the new Jets arrived, they needed 00:12:27.980 --> 00:12:30.580 someone to entertain the crowds. Instead of paying 00:12:30.580 --> 00:12:33.139 a design firm millions to invent a completely 00:12:33.139 --> 00:12:35.379 new character, what did they do? They went with 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:38.419 a very pragmatic and endearing solution. They 00:12:38.419 --> 00:12:41.220 simply promoted their existing minor league mascot. 00:12:41.639 --> 00:12:45.480 Nice. Mickey Moose had spent 15 seasons entertaining 00:12:45.480 --> 00:12:47.779 crowds for the American Hockey League's Manitoba 00:12:47.779 --> 00:12:50.899 Moose. A veteran. A true veteran. True North 00:12:50.899 --> 00:12:53.559 brought him up to the NHL level, outfitted him 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:55.759 with a vintage leather aviator helmet to match 00:12:55.759 --> 00:12:58.240 the new branding, and introduced him to the Jets 00:12:58.240 --> 00:13:01.440 crowd. It's the ultimate minor league to major 00:13:01.440 --> 00:13:05.000 league success story. The mascot got called up 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:07.039 to the big leagues. He really did. But beyond 00:13:07.039 --> 00:13:09.879 the branding and the mascots, the actual in -arena 00:13:09.879 --> 00:13:12.700 experience in Winnipeg is famous for being incredibly 00:13:12.700 --> 00:13:16.240 intense. The traditions this fan base has cultivated 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:18.919 are visceral. You can feel it through the television 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:20.840 screen starting right at the national anthem. 00:13:21.059 --> 00:13:23.059 The anthem tradition is a perfect reflection 00:13:23.059 --> 00:13:25.860 of the city's gratitude. How so? During the singing 00:13:25.860 --> 00:13:28.840 of O Canada. When the performer reaches the lyric, 00:13:28.960 --> 00:13:32.460 the true north strong and free, the entire arena 00:13:32.460 --> 00:13:36.919 of 15 ,000 fans shouts the words true north in 00:13:36.919 --> 00:13:39.980 unison. That must be deafening. It is a massive 00:13:39.980 --> 00:13:43.799 unified vocal tribute to true north sports and 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:46.259 entertainment for rescuing the game and bringing 00:13:46.259 --> 00:13:48.200 it back to their city. And when the postseason 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:50.799 rolls around, they turn the dial up even further 00:13:50.799 --> 00:13:53.519 with the Winnipeg Whiteout. Where did that specific 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:56.440 visual tradition originate? The whiteout is a 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.179 fascinating piece of sports sociology that actually 00:13:59.179 --> 00:14:02.179 dates back to 1987. Back with the original Jets. 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:05.259 Right. Fans of the original Jets franchise were 00:14:05.259 --> 00:14:08.159 encouraged to wear entirely white clothing to 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:11.259 home playoff games. This was organized as a direct 00:14:11.259 --> 00:14:14.539 visual counterattack to the sea of red created 00:14:14.539 --> 00:14:16.960 by fans of their fierce division rivals, the 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:19.720 Calgary Flames. Ah, I see. A color war. Exactly. 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:23.000 And it resulted in this blinding, intimidating 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:25.320 sea of white clothing in the stands. And they 00:14:25.320 --> 00:14:27.440 brought it back. When this new iteration of the 00:14:27.440 --> 00:14:29.559 franchise finally qualified for their first Stanley 00:14:29.559 --> 00:14:33.039 Cup playoffs in 2015, the fans instantly resurrected 00:14:33.039 --> 00:14:35.580 the tradition without missing a beat. That seamless 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:38.360 blend of old and new traditions brings up a really 00:14:38.360 --> 00:14:41.679 thorny issue, though. When you resurrect a beloved 00:14:41.679 --> 00:14:45.179 brand like the Jets, but legally, your franchise 00:14:45.179 --> 00:14:49.549 history belongs to the Atlanta Thrashers. How 00:14:49.549 --> 00:14:52.389 do you handle things like retired numbers? It 00:14:52.389 --> 00:14:55.070 is a delicate balance. Because the history of 00:14:55.070 --> 00:14:58.490 those iconic original Jets jerseys technically 00:14:58.490 --> 00:15:00.950 belongs to a completely different organization 00:15:00.950 --> 00:15:03.529 playing in a different city. It requires an immense 00:15:03.529 --> 00:15:06.179 amount of grace from the management. The current 00:15:06.179 --> 00:15:08.299 Jets organization does not officially retire 00:15:08.299 --> 00:15:10.940 the jersey numbers of the original Jets. Because 00:15:10.940 --> 00:15:13.159 those official records belong to the Coyotes 00:15:13.159 --> 00:15:16.200 lineage. Strictly speaking, yes. But they still 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.500 find ways to honor those original legends respectfully. 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:21.259 Like how? A great example from the source material 00:15:21.259 --> 00:15:23.960 involves Bobby Hall. His number nine was retired 00:15:23.960 --> 00:15:26.399 by the original franchise. When the new team 00:15:26.399 --> 00:15:29.480 arrived in 2011, their young star Evander Kane 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:31.899 wanted to wear that number. That could have been 00:15:31.899 --> 00:15:34.460 controversial. It could have been, but he actually 00:15:34.460 --> 00:15:36.700 sought out and received Bobby Hull's personal 00:15:36.700 --> 00:15:39.259 blessing to wear number nine, bridging the gap 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:41.590 between the two eras nicely. It shows a lot of 00:15:41.590 --> 00:15:43.590 respect, but the current franchise doesn't just 00:15:43.590 --> 00:15:45.990 honor the hockey legends of the 70s and 80s. 00:15:46.090 --> 00:15:48.789 They also have to carry the history of the Thrashers 00:15:48.789 --> 00:15:52.049 with them. They do. And that includes some very 00:15:52.049 --> 00:15:55.110 heavy emotional weight. There have been deep 00:15:55.110 --> 00:15:58.389 tragedies within both the Atlanta and True North 00:15:58.389 --> 00:16:00.909 families that the team continues to honor today. 00:16:01.450 --> 00:16:04.110 Yes, and these tributes are incredibly poignant. 00:16:04.429 --> 00:16:07.029 Let's look at goaltender Connor Hellebike, who 00:16:07.029 --> 00:16:10.370 has been the absolute backbone of this current 00:16:10.370 --> 00:16:14.509 team. Right. He wears the number 37. That number 00:16:14.509 --> 00:16:17.029 holds deep significance because it was worn by 00:16:17.029 --> 00:16:19.549 Dan Snyder. And who was Dan Snyder? He was an 00:16:19.549 --> 00:16:21.669 Atlanta Thrashers player who tragically died 00:16:21.669 --> 00:16:24.590 as a result of a car crash in 2003. Oh, that's 00:16:24.590 --> 00:16:26.730 awful. The franchise had not issued that number 00:16:26.730 --> 00:16:29.450 to any player since his death. But when Hellebike 00:16:29.450 --> 00:16:32.080 arrived, he requested to wear it. and does so 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:34.179 with the explicit blessing of the Snyder family. 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:36.759 Wow, carrying that memory forward. There is also 00:16:36.759 --> 00:16:39.139 the heartbreaking story of Rick Ripien, which 00:16:39.139 --> 00:16:41.480 the organization has handled with so much care. 00:16:41.700 --> 00:16:43.779 That one hit very close to home for Winnipeg. 00:16:43.820 --> 00:16:47.059 Right. Ripien was a former Manitoba Moose player 00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:49.360 who had just signed a contract to play for the 00:16:49.360 --> 00:16:51.779 newly relocated Jets right before their inaugural 00:16:51.779 --> 00:16:55.149 2011 season. Tragically, He passed away before 00:16:55.149 --> 00:16:57.029 ever getting the chance to play a single game 00:16:57.029 --> 00:16:59.690 for the Jets. And the team stepped up. The organization 00:16:59.690 --> 00:17:02.750 responded to that loss by turning their grief 00:17:02.750 --> 00:17:05.869 into meaningful action. They established Project 00:17:05.869 --> 00:17:08.849 11, which is a comprehensive mental health awareness 00:17:08.849 --> 00:17:11.869 initiative designed for students. That is a beautiful 00:17:11.869 --> 00:17:15.430 legacy. It is. Furthermore, to this day, you 00:17:15.430 --> 00:17:18.130 will see Jets players wearing small number 11 00:17:18.130 --> 00:17:20.289 stickers on the backs of their helmets to honor 00:17:20.289 --> 00:17:23.390 him. Every single game. Every game. If we connect 00:17:23.390 --> 00:17:26.190 this to the bigger picture, a sports team is 00:17:26.190 --> 00:17:28.809 so much more than a business or a localized entertainment 00:17:28.809 --> 00:17:32.150 product. It functions as a living memorial. It 00:17:32.150 --> 00:17:34.829 holds the collective memory of the city, honoring 00:17:34.829 --> 00:17:37.549 both its highest triumphs and its deepest tragedies. 00:17:37.730 --> 00:17:39.809 Carrying all that emotional weight, playing in 00:17:39.809 --> 00:17:41.750 front of a fan base that sold out an arena in 00:17:41.750 --> 00:17:44.789 17 minutes, that is an immense amount of pressure 00:17:44.789 --> 00:17:47.269 on the athletes. Tremendous pressure. The fans 00:17:47.269 --> 00:17:50.549 desperately needed an on -ice triumph to validate 00:17:50.549 --> 00:17:53.480 all that loyalty. How long did it take for the 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:55.640 product on the ice to actually reward the people 00:17:55.640 --> 00:17:57.720 in the stands? It certainly wasn't an overnight 00:17:57.720 --> 00:18:00.500 success. The management team had to patiently 00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:02.759 rebuild the roster they inherited from Atlanta. 00:18:03.099 --> 00:18:05.960 Which means lots of draft picks. Exactly, which 00:18:05.960 --> 00:18:08.039 required years of drafting and developing young 00:18:08.039 --> 00:18:11.259 talent. But the watershed moment finally arrived 00:18:11.259 --> 00:18:14.599 during the 2017 -2018 season. Six or seven years 00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:17.720 later. Right. The ghosts of those old Thrashers' 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:21.500 playoff failures were conclusively busted. On 00:18:21.500 --> 00:18:24.579 April 11, 2018, they defeated the Minnesota Wilds 00:18:24.579 --> 00:18:27.339 3 -2. And why was that game so important? That 00:18:27.339 --> 00:18:29.660 was the first playoff game victory in the entire 00:18:29.660 --> 00:18:32.299 combined history of the Atlanta and Winnipeg 00:18:32.299 --> 00:18:34.599 franchise. I can only imagine the relief in that 00:18:34.599 --> 00:18:36.819 building. To finally get that monkey off their 00:18:36.819 --> 00:18:39.039 back. The roof almost blew off the arena. And 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:41.059 they didn't stop at just one game, did they? 00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:43.559 Not at all. Nine days later, they thoroughly 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:46.039 defeated the Wilds 5 -0 to win the series, four 00:18:46.039 --> 00:18:48.279 games to one. A shout out to Quinchit. Yeah. 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:50.930 That marked the city of Winnipeg's first playoff 00:18:50.930 --> 00:18:54.990 series victory in 31 years. 31 years. The source 00:18:54.990 --> 00:18:57.230 material describes total elation in the streets, 00:18:57.349 --> 00:18:59.750 with fans flooding the downtown intersections 00:18:59.750 --> 00:19:02.190 to celebrate. They pushed all the way to the 00:19:02.190 --> 00:19:04.170 Western Conference Finals that year. So they 00:19:04.170 --> 00:19:06.329 broke the curse and established themselves as 00:19:06.329 --> 00:19:09.490 contenders. But that 2018 run wasn't actually 00:19:09.490 --> 00:19:11.950 the peak of their regular season dominance? No. 00:19:12.029 --> 00:19:14.690 The best was yet to come. Let's pivot to the 00:19:14.690 --> 00:19:17.049 absolute pinnacle of this franchise's history, 00:19:17.250 --> 00:19:21.049 the 2024 -2025 season. This is where the long 00:19:21.049 --> 00:19:24.029 -term vision of True North fully materialized. 00:19:24.089 --> 00:19:28.250 The 2024 -2025 season is an undisputed masterpiece 00:19:28.250 --> 00:19:30.890 in Jets lore. Tell me about it. Well, under the 00:19:30.890 --> 00:19:32.930 strategic guidance of head coach Scott Arneal 00:19:32.930 --> 00:19:35.269 and the steady leadership of team captain Adam 00:19:35.269 --> 00:19:37.910 Lowry, the Winnipeg Jets accomplished something 00:19:37.910 --> 00:19:39.910 the franchise had never done before. The president's 00:19:39.910 --> 00:19:41.349 trophy. They won the president's trophy. They 00:19:41.349 --> 00:19:43.970 dominated the regular season, notching an astounding 00:19:43.970 --> 00:19:47.630 56 wins and finishing with 116 points. Winning 00:19:47.630 --> 00:19:51.069 56 games in the modern, charity -driven NHL is 00:19:51.069 --> 00:19:53.750 incredibly difficult. It requires consistency 00:19:53.750 --> 00:19:56.460 every single night. And the individual statistics 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:59.579 from that season are just jaw -dropping. We talked 00:19:59.579 --> 00:20:01.940 earlier about Connor Hellebyke honoring Dan Snyder 00:20:01.940 --> 00:20:04.539 by wearing number 37. Well, Hellebyke honored 00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:07.920 that jersey by putting up 47 wins and eight shutouts 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:09.980 that season. It was a monumental performance 00:20:09.980 --> 00:20:12.960 for a goaltender. But while the team was dominating 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.559 the league standings, there was also a fascinating 00:20:15.559 --> 00:20:18.039 internal battle happening for the franchise's 00:20:18.039 --> 00:20:20.099 all -time points record. Right, because by the 00:20:20.099 --> 00:20:24.130 time the 2024 -2025 season rolled around... The 00:20:24.130 --> 00:20:26.329 team had been in Winnipeg long enough for its 00:20:26.329 --> 00:20:29.549 own modern legends to completely rewrite the 00:20:29.549 --> 00:20:31.829 record books. No more comparing to the Atlanta 00:20:31.829 --> 00:20:34.789 days. Exactly. You had Blake Wheeler and Mark 00:20:34.789 --> 00:20:37.390 Scheifel, two players who had been foundational 00:20:37.390 --> 00:20:39.950 pieces for the franchise, battling for the top 00:20:39.950 --> 00:20:42.569 spot. A friendly rivalry. Wheeler ended his tenure 00:20:42.569 --> 00:20:45.710 with the team having recorded 812 points, firmly 00:20:45.710 --> 00:20:48.650 cementing his legacy. But Scheifel was right 00:20:48.650 --> 00:20:50.950 on his heels, crossing the 800 -point threshold 00:20:50.950 --> 00:20:54.220 with 804 points. And there is something so poetic 00:20:54.220 --> 00:20:57.380 about Mark Scheifel chasing that record. He was 00:20:57.380 --> 00:21:00.400 literally the very first draft pick Kevin Shovel 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.059 Dayoff made back in 2011, right after announcing 00:21:03.059 --> 00:21:05.440 the Jets name to the world. From draft day to 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.460 franchise legend. To watch that kid grow up to 00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:11.279 be the engine of a 116 point president's trophy 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:13.900 winning team is incredible storytelling. It really 00:21:13.900 --> 00:21:15.700 is. OK, let's untack this. So what does this 00:21:15.700 --> 00:21:18.819 all mean? It means that the product on the ice. 00:21:20.009 --> 00:21:22.950 finally, undeniably matched the ferocious loyalty 00:21:22.950 --> 00:21:26.130 of the fans. The faith of the people who bought 00:21:26.130 --> 00:21:28.569 out that season ticket drive over a decade earlier 00:21:28.569 --> 00:21:31.849 was entirely justified. Absolutely. When you 00:21:31.849 --> 00:21:33.470 look at the entire scope of the source material, 00:21:33.849 --> 00:21:36.549 the Winnipeg Jets serve as a master class in 00:21:36.549 --> 00:21:38.950 how to correct a historical wrong. That's a great 00:21:38.950 --> 00:21:40.750 way to phrase it. They took an exceptionally 00:21:40.750 --> 00:21:44.089 messy legal lineage, an expansion team from Atlanta, 00:21:44.410 --> 00:21:48.019 burdened with a losing culture. and they successfully 00:21:48.019 --> 00:21:50.880 merged it with the fierce frozen heritage of 00:21:50.880 --> 00:21:52.900 a Canadian prairie city. It shouldn't have worked, 00:21:52.920 --> 00:21:55.740 but it did. They proved. that passionate markets 00:21:55.740 --> 00:21:58.880 can overcome decades of disappointment, provided 00:21:58.880 --> 00:22:01.460 that the ownership genuinely respects the community 00:22:01.460 --> 00:22:04.380 they operate in. And I think there is a profound 00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:08.019 takeaway here for you listening right now. Whether 00:22:08.019 --> 00:22:10.259 you are running a business, trying to build a 00:22:10.259 --> 00:22:12.480 brand, or you are just a passionate fan of the 00:22:12.480 --> 00:22:15.619 game, the story of the Jets proves that understanding 00:22:15.619 --> 00:22:18.539 and respecting your audience's history is the 00:22:18.539 --> 00:22:21.579 ultimate key to success. Drew North didn't come 00:22:21.579 --> 00:22:23.420 in and dictate to Winnipeg how things were going 00:22:23.420 --> 00:22:26.160 to be. No, I didn't. They listened. They brought 00:22:26.160 --> 00:22:28.779 back the beloved name. They honored the Air Force. 00:22:29.039 --> 00:22:32.079 They paid quiet, respectful tribute to the fallen. 00:22:32.200 --> 00:22:34.619 They built trust in the community long before 00:22:34.619 --> 00:22:37.539 they ever built a 116 -point roster. They didn't 00:22:37.539 --> 00:22:39.839 try to erase the difficult parts of their past. 00:22:40.039 --> 00:22:43.000 They integrated them. And that thoughtful integration 00:22:43.000 --> 00:22:46.180 created a bond with the city that is practically 00:22:46.180 --> 00:22:49.440 unbreakable today. Which leaves us with one final 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:52.390 lingering question to mull over. It's something 00:22:52.390 --> 00:22:54.450 that isn't explicitly resolved in the Wikipedia 00:22:54.450 --> 00:22:56.829 pages, the legal documents or the record books, 00:22:56.950 --> 00:22:59.170 but it builds on everything we've just discussed 00:22:59.170 --> 00:23:02.430 today. When a franchise packs up and moves, where 00:23:02.430 --> 00:23:05.990 does its soul truly reside? That's a tough one. 00:23:06.460 --> 00:23:09.220 If the original Jets legally became the Coyotes, 00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:12.000 who, as of our sources, are currently an inactive 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:14.140 franchise, and the Atlanta Thrashers legally 00:23:14.140 --> 00:23:16.960 became the new Jets, do a team's true records 00:23:16.960 --> 00:23:19.259 and history belong to the legal paperwork stored 00:23:19.259 --> 00:23:21.539 in a filing cabinet at the NHL League office? 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:24.480 Or do they belong exclusively to the fans who 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:26.980 originally sat in those freezing arenas, painted 00:23:26.980 --> 00:23:29.079 their faces blue and white, and cheered them 00:23:29.079 --> 00:23:31.259 on through the bitter winters? It's something 00:23:31.259 --> 00:23:32.900 to think about the next time you see a beloved 00:23:32.900 --> 00:23:35.099 team pack up a moving van in the middle of the 00:23:35.099 --> 00:23:38.079 night. Until next time, keep diving deep.