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Winnipeg Jets (Coyotes) Team History

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Winnipeg Jets




  • 1972
  • 1979
  • 1996
  • Winnipeg Jets 1972

    Winnipeg Jets Team Formation

    The NHL had recently expanded to 16 teams, adding franchises in many hockey-hungry cities (only one in Canada), but also in Atlanta, Oakland, and Los Angeles. The WHA brought major professional hockey to Ottawa, Quebec City, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and later Calgary. On December 27, 1971, Winnipeg was granted one of the founding franchises in the WHA, to Ben Haskins, a ...
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  • Winnipeg Jets 1978

    Enter the NHL

    By 1979, the vast majority of the WHA’s teams had folded, but the Jets were still going strong and they were absorbed into the NHL along with the Nordiques, Oilers, and Hartford Whalers. They had to pay a high price for a berth in the more established league, however. They had to give up three of their top six scorers ...
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  • Winnipeg Jets Memories

    Move to Phoenix – Coyotes

    Various schemes were devised to save the team. Attempts to find a local buyer were unsuccessful, with league commissioner Gary Bettman saying, “there doesn’t seem to be anybody, in a serious fashion, who wants to own the franchise.” After a final last effort by a team of local businessmen, dubbed the Spirit of Manitoba, fell through, team owner Barry Shenkarow ...
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History of the Jets

The Winnipeg Jets (1972-1996) were a professional ice hockey team that played in the National Hockey League (NHL). The team was originally founded as one of the World Hockey Association's original teams, and they joined the NHL in 1979. During their time as an NHL franchise, they made it to two conference finals and won three division titles.

The Jets' first season saw them finish with a record of 33 wins, 37 losses, and 10 ties. Despite this mediocre performance on paper, they managed to make it all the way to game seven of their conference final against Edmonton Oilers before eventually losing out 4-1 on aggregate scoreline over both games. This set up what would be an exciting rivalry between these two teams for years to come! Over subsequent seasons during their tenure in Winnipeg, The Jets had some great players such as Dale Hawerchuk who led them into another Conference Final appearance against Calgary Flames which ended with similar results – unfortunately for fans though - no Stanley Cup victory ever came from those efforts despite making multiple playoff appearances throughout their history there.

After 15 years playing out of Manitoba’s capital city; however, due primarily to financial issues within the ownership group at a time, the franchise relocated becoming Phoenix Coyotes shortly thereafter. Even after relocation but still today, Winnipeg Jet fans remain passionate about the club & its legacy; furthermore, numerous former players have been inducted into the Hall Of Fame including Teemu Selanne & Thomas Steen. In 2011 return hockey was brought back when True North Sports & Entertainment purchased Atlanta Thrashers relocating them back home to where we now know them again simply by the name “Jets!”





Established
1972

City
Winnipeg – Phoenix

League History
1979 – Present / National Hockey League
1972 – 1979 / World Hockey Association

Team History
2014 – Present / Arizona Coyotes
1996 – 2013 / Phoenix Coyotes
1972 – 1996 / Winnipeg Jets

Nickname
Jets – The Winnipeg Jets, formed in late 1971, got their moniker from a team of the same name that played in Canada’s Western Hockey League. Owner Ben Hatskin, reportedly was a fan of the NFL’s New York Jets.

Championship
Stanley Cups 0
Avco Cup 3
1979, 1978, 1976

Arena
2014 – Present / Gila River Arena
2006 – 2014 / Jobing.com Arena
2003 – 2005 / Glendale Arena
1996 – 2003 / America West Arena

*Winnipeg*
1972 – 1996 / Winnipeg Arena

Owner
2019 - Present / Alex Meruelo
2013 – 2019/ IceArizona
2009 – 2013 / National Hockey League
2006 – 2009 / Wayne Gretzky and Jerry Moyes
2001 – 2006 / Steve Ellman, Wayne Gretzky, and Jerry Moyes
1998 – 2001 / Richard Burke
1996 – 1998 / Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke
1979 – 1996 / Barry Shenkarow
1972 – 1979 / Ben Hatskin

Who is the greatest Winnipeg Jets (1972)?
  • Add your greatest player

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

Retired Number
19 / Shane Doan
99 / Wayne Gretzky

*Blue is this team’s history

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