Winnipeg Jets NHL Fan Guide, History, Traditions, and Must Visit Fan Resources
Winnipeg is not the NHL’s biggest market, but few hockey cities carry their team with more feeling. A Jets game is loud, local, and full of shared memory. The name alone brings together two eras, one from the World Hockey Association and the original NHL club, the other from the modern franchise that returned top-level hockey to Manitoba in 2011.
This Winnipeg Jets NHL Fan Guide covers the team’s history, the moments that shaped its identity, the in-game traditions that make home nights special, and the best official and fan-run resources for following the club year-round.
The Jets story begins with the WHA and a bold hockey gamble
The Winnipeg Jets name dates back to 1972, when the original club joined the World Hockey Association. The WHA was a rival league to the NHL, and Winnipeg quickly became one of its signature teams.
The move that changed everything was the signing of Bobby Hull. Hull had been a superstar with the Chicago Blackhawks, and his move to Winnipeg gave the WHA instant credibility. It also gave the Jets a true headliner, someone who could sell tickets, draw media attention, and make the league feel serious.
Those early Jets teams were not just a novelty. They won the Avco World Trophy three times, in 1976, 1978, and 1979. The club featured elite international talent, including Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, and helped prove that European players could thrive in North American pro hockey.
When the WHA folded, the Jets joined the NHL for the 1979-80 season. The transition was tough. The NHL entry rules stripped much of the WHA roster strength, and Winnipeg had to rebuild in a deeper league. Still, the city had its team at the highest level, and that mattered.
A major turning point came in 1981, when the Jets selected Dale Hawerchuk first overall in the NHL Draft. Hawerchuk became the face of the franchise, won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, and gave Winnipeg a true franchise center. Through the 1980s, the Jets often had exciting teams, but they shared the Smythe Division with the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames during one of the toughest eras in Western Conference hockey.
The original NHL Jets also produced one of the league’s most unforgettable rookie seasons. In 1992-93, Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals, setting an NHL rookie record that still stands. His glove-shooting celebration became one of hockey’s great images, and his season remains a point of pride for Jets fans, even for many who were not old enough to see it live.
Financial pressure, a small building, and the economics of the NHL in the 1990s eventually caught up with the club. After the 1995-96 season, the original Jets moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes, now remembered as a painful chapter in Winnipeg sports history.
The NHL returns to Winnipeg in 2011
For 15 years, Winnipeg lived without an NHL team, but it never stopped acting like a hockey city. Manitoba Moose games kept pro hockey alive, local fans followed the league closely, and the idea of an NHL return stayed in the background.
That return came in 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg. True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the franchise, and the city got the name it wanted back: the Winnipeg Jets.
The modern Jets played their first regular-season game on October 9, 2011, against the Montreal Canadiens. The result was a loss, but the score mattered less than the scene. The NHL was back in Winnipeg, the building was full, and the noise confirmed what many fans had spent years saying: this market still belonged in the league.
The new era started with building blocks. Mark Scheifele became the first draft pick of the relocated Jets in 2011. Blake Wheeler, Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien, Tobias Enstrom, and later Nikolaj Ehlers, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, and Connor Hellebuyck helped shape the franchise’s modern identity.
The Jets reached the playoffs in 2015, their first postseason appearance since the return, though the Anaheim Ducks swept them in the opening round. The breakthrough came in 2017-18. Winnipeg finished among the NHL’s best teams, beat the Minnesota Wild in the first round, then won a dramatic seven-game series against the Nashville Predators. The playoff run ended in the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, but it gave the modern Jets their defining spring.
Connor Hellebuyck has become one of the franchise’s biggest modern stars. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2020 and again in 2024, joining the short list of goalies in any era who can tilt a season by themselves. His rise gave the Jets a foundation few teams enjoy: elite, dependable goaltending.
Traditions that make Jets games feel different
Jets fans are not quiet observers. The best-known traditions are simple, loud, and easy for new fans to join.
The Winnipeg Whiteout turns the arena into one voice
The Winnipeg Whiteout began during the original Jets era in the 1980s. It started as a fan response during playoff hockey and became the team’s most famous tradition. Everyone wears white, creating a clean visual wall in the stands.
The Whiteout returned with force when the modern Jets made the playoffs. White shirts, towels, jerseys, and jackets fill the arena and spill into outdoor watch parties. It is not complicated, which is why it works. Wear white, make noise, and become part of the scene.
The True North shout connects team and city
During the Canadian national anthem, fans shout “True North” during the line “the True North strong and free.” It nods to True North Sports & Entertainment, the ownership group that helped bring the NHL back to Winnipeg.
The shout is quick, but it has become one of the clearest signs that a person is watching a game in Winnipeg. It also marks the bond between the franchise and the group of people who fought for its return.
Playoff street parties bring the city outside
When the Jets are in the playoffs, downtown Winnipeg can feel like an extension of the arena. Whiteout street parties have drawn large crowds over the years, giving fans without tickets a place to watch, chant, and celebrate together.
The setup has changed over time based on safety, city planning, and team arrangements, so fans should always check official event details before heading downtown. The spirit is consistent: playoff hockey becomes a citywide gathering.
“Go Jets Go” still does the heavy lifting
Some traditions do not need much explanation. “Go Jets Go” is the basic chant, and it hits hardest when the building senses a shift. A strong penalty kill, a late push, a big save from Hellebuyck, or a heavy forecheck can start it.
The chant also travels. Jets fans are known to show up in noticeable numbers in nearby and warm-weather road cities, often making themselves heard on broadcasts.
Key milestones every Jets fan should know
The Jets timeline has two connected stories: the original club and the modern franchise. Both matter.
Year | Milestone |
1972 | The original Winnipeg Jets begin play in the WHA. |
1976 | Winnipeg wins its first Avco World Trophy. |
1978 | The Jets win another WHA championship. |
1979 | Winnipeg wins its third WHA title and joins the NHL. |
1981 | The Jets draft Dale Hawerchuk first overall. |
1992-93 | Teemu Selanne scores an NHL rookie-record 76 goals. |
1996 | The original Jets relocate to Arizona. |
2011 | The Atlanta Thrashers relocate, and the Winnipeg Jets return. |
2015 | The modern Jets make the playoffs for the first time. |
2018 | Winnipeg reaches the Western Conference Final. |
2020 | Connor Hellebuyck wins his first Vezina Trophy. |
2024 | Hellebuyck wins the Vezina Trophy again. |
These moments explain why Jets fandom can feel both joyful and guarded. The fan base knows what it is like to lose a team. That history makes the return era feel bigger than wins and losses.
Must-visit resources for Jets fans
Following the Jets is easier when the best sources are close at hand. These links cover official news, tickets, community events, fan discussion, and historical research.
Official team and arena resources
Start with the sources closest to the team.
Winnipeg Jets official website The main place for team news, roster updates, schedules, videos, and official announcements.
Winnipeg Jets tickets Use this for ticket information, theme nights, season ticket details, and official availability.
Canada Life Centre Helpful for arena policies, entry information, seating, concessions, accessibility, and event details.
NHL Jets page A useful hub for standings, stats, game recaps, and league coverage tied to the team.
Fan forums and community discussion
Fan spaces are best for mood, debate, lineup talk, and the kind of details that do not always make official stories.
Reddit’s Winnipeg Jets community A busy place for game threads, memes, roster debate, and quick reactions.
HFBoards Winnipeg Jets forum Strong for prospect discussion, trade ideas, salary-cap talk, and longer back-and-forth conversations.
As with any fan forum, expect emotion after wins and losses. The best discussions usually happen when posters bring context, not just heat.
Historical archives and stat pages
For the older eras, stat databases and hockey history sites are especially useful.
Hockey-Reference Winnipeg Jets team index Good for season-by-season NHL records, player stats, playoff results, and franchise comparisons.
HockeyDB Winnipeg Jets history Useful for roster history, league context, and older team records.
HockeyDB Atlanta Thrashers history Helpful for understanding the franchise lineage before the 2011 relocation.
Hockey Hall of Fame A strong starting point for researching major players, awards, and broader hockey history.
Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame Best for the local roots of the game in Manitoba, including players, builders, and teams tied to the province.
How to enjoy a Jets game like a regular
A first Jets game is easy to enjoy, but a few details make it better.
Wear white if it is a playoff game or Whiteout event. For a regular-season game, navy, white, aviator blue, or heritage-style gear all fit. Arrive early enough to hear the anthem and catch the “True North” shout. If the game is close in the third period, expect the building to get tense in the best way.
Good moments to watch for:
A Hellebuyck sequence
A calm save under pressure can change the whole feel of a game.
A Morrissey breakout
Josh Morrissey at his best moves the puck with control and pace.
A Kyle Connor release
Connor’s shot can turn a half-chance into a goal before the goalie fully reacts.
A heavy forecheck shift
Winnipeg crowds respond when the Jets pin a team in and start winning battles below the goal line.
The city’s hockey culture rewards attention. Fans notice effort, smart defensive plays, and blocked shots, not only goals.
Why the Jets matter beyond the standings
The Jets are more than a relocated franchise or a small-market success story. They are proof that hockey memory can last. Winnipeg lost the NHL once, kept caring, and got another chance. That history gives the team’s biggest nights a different charge.
For new fans, the Jets offer a clear path in: learn the Whiteout, know the two eras, follow the current core, and use the resources above to keep up. For long-time fans, the story keeps adding chapters, from Hawerchuk and Selanne to Scheifele, Morrissey, Connor, and Hellebuyck.
The best way to understand the Winnipeg Jets is still the simplest one. Watch a close game, listen for “True North,” and wait for the first full-building “Go Jets Go.” The history is in that sound.
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