The Comic Asylum

The announcement the Jets are returning to Winnipeg after a 15-year hiatus was made while the Canucks were entrenched in the Stanley Cup Final, so it came and went without so much as a peep from me, a proud Manitoban.

It's time we officially welcomed the Jets back to the NHL.

I'll be honest, I never, not in a million years, thought the day would come. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was the one who took them away back in 1996, moving them to Arizona, and I assumed that Bettman would never see the error of his ways and bring them back. I was, thankfully, wrong on that, Bettman stepped up and did the right thing and hockey is back in the prairies.

Growing up in Manitoba, the Jets were the team. I remember my first game at Winnipeg Arena, my dad and uncle took my brother and I, and as soon as overtime started in the 1-1 game, we both had to pee and we missed Chicago's game-winner while in the washroom.

I cheered for the Jets, but make no mistake about it, I was always a Canucks fan. When Vancouver came to Winnipeg on March 11, 1994, my dad and uncle took my brother and I again and this time we were cutoff from liquids and it was a good thing because Pavel Bure recorded a hat trick in a 8-4 win over the Jets and we saw it all. I still have the game program.

Vancouver and Winnipeg never had much of a rivalry back in the day when it seemed like half the NHL was Canadian teams, hopefully that changes this time around as I imagine the teams and fans will get excited for a good ol' Canadian matchup, especially one with Tanner Glass and Rick Rypien facing their former mates.

If the Jets are new to you, check out this new video from WinnipegJets.com, it's a bit of the history of the team from departing to reemerging stronger than ever.



What's your reaction to the Jets coming back to the NHL? Dream come true or do you loathe them? Any Jets memories dear to you? Do you agree Winnipeg should sign unrestricted free agent and former Jets superstar Teemu Selanne so he can Finnish his career where it started?