Coyotes draw on Jets’ rich lore

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This article was published 11/11/2016 (3555 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Ask diehard Arizona Coyotes fans and they’ll tell you they cling to memories of Hull, Hedberg and Nilsson dazzling the daylights out of opponents during the 1970s.

They wince at the thought of Dale Hawerchuk squirming on the ice in agony after taking a cross-check from that red-cloaked butcher, Jamie Macoun, in 1985.

They dissolve in tears recalling those final moments in April 1996 when Teppo Numminen reluctantly stepped off the ice at the Winnipeg Arena for the final time.

For devout NHL fans in Arizona, those cherished recollections — like an Ed Olczyk autograph in black Sharpie on a “Wear white for the final fight” T-shirt — can never be erased.

That’s sheer silliness, of course, but make no mistake the history of the Winnipeg Jets 1.0 belongs to Coyotes Nation as well. The names and numbers of former Jets greats, emblazoned on banners at Gila River Arena on the Ring of Honor, are proof.

Bobby Hull (9), Hawerchuk (10) and Thomas Steen (25) all wore what the Coyotes organization deems honoured numbers, though they never skated a shift for the desert dwellers.

Keith Tkachuk (7) and Numminen (27) played for the Jets and then went south with the team in 1996 and had stellar stays. Their banners are up there, too, along with NHL Hall of Famers, Jeremy Roenick (97), who had two stints with the Coyotes, and Wayne Gretzky (99), who coached the team from 2005-09.

One day in the not-too-distant future, Shane Doan’s No.19 will be hoisted to the ceiling as well.

The 1995 first-round pick of the Jets, now in his 21st NHL season, says the bond with the Manitoba capital still exists, and he sees no reason for it to be broken.

“The connection to the Jets is still so special,” Doan said earlier this week. “I still get people coming up to me that are fans of the Coyotes because they were fans of the Jets and they won’t let it go.

“That’s a special group of people who remember those days, and that’s why I’m still so honoured to have been a part of (the Jets).”

Yet, Winnipeg hockey fans who experienced the joys of the 1970s, the disappointments of the ’80s and the team’s ultimate demise in the ’90s might consider it somewhat absurd the Arizona franchise still recognizes on-ice records and achievements of Jets, including statistics such as most regular-season assists (by Steen, 553 — although Doan is now just one helper behind), most short-handed goals (Doug Smail, 25), career shooting percentage (Pat Elynuik, 22.1) and most saves (Bob Essensa, 8,062).

Jets co-owner Mark Chipman has seen the banners and believes they’re entirely appropriate.

“I wouldn’t say it’s weird or I felt it was awkward,” said Chipman this week. “When that team moved to Phoenix, it was trying to establish an identity, and that wasn’t easily done. (Retaining the history) was a way for them to do that, to help anchor the team with their fans, and acknowledge the great players that had played for it in the past.

“It’s just kind of the way it is. You get this history, it’s part of the deal and you can acknowledge it the way you choose. They’ve chosen to acknowledge it very openly, and I think that’s fine.”

The NHL rules say those records are the property of the Arizona franchise.

The same holds true for the Jets 2.0. Chipman said when True North purchased the Atlanta franchise in 2011, along with Little, Ladd, Wheeler et al it also came with the Thrashers’ history. In fact, most of the Jets 2.0 records belong to former Thrashers all-star Ilya Kovalchuk, including most goals (328), assists (287) and points (615).

There are no banners hanging at the MTS Centre with the Russian left-winger’s name and No. 17.

The team does, however, continue to present annually the Dan Snyder Memorial Award — named after a Thrashers player who died in a motor vehicle collision in 2003 — to a Jets player who displays perseverance, dedication and hard work.

“We bought a team that had played in another city for several years and had its own history, but beyond the Dan Snyder acknowledgement, there’s never really been any discussion in our group of promoting that history,” said Chipman.

“It’s something that we inherited. We can’t wipe it out. We’re mindful of it but it’s not something we are highly focused on. We are far more focused on creating our own history than we would be focused on the history of the Atlanta Thrashers.”

He said the aim now, after five-plus seasons, is to begin to celebrate history being made now, while paying homage to and connecting with Jets players of the past.

The recent induction of Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson into the club’s newly formed Hall of Fame and events surrounding the Heritage Classic last month are just the start, Chipman said.

“Nothing precludes us from celebrating that same history, for those players that played in Winnipeg,” he said. “When we developed our own Hall of Fame, we started with the WHA because we thought that was the appropriate place to start, but it doesn’t end there.

“We’ve got a Hall of Fame and now we’ll be able to acknowledge a number of players, former Jets that played for the team, whether it was in the NHL or the WHA and, ideally someday, will have played for us.”

jason.bell@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @WFPJasonBell