3 Fun Facts About the Winnipeg Jets

The original Winnipeg Jets were founded in 1971 in the World Hockey Association. The World Hockey Association only played from 1972 until 1979 before merging with the NHL. A hockey expert explained: “The WHA was like the little engine that could…if it would have had some coal to fire the engine, and if the engine would have been bigger than the size of the motor in a Hyundai Sonata.”

Despite a strong core fan base, the Jets struggled financially and moved to Phoenix as the Coyotes in 1996. But never count Winnipeg Jets fans out! The Jets rose from the ashes! The new Jets, the current Jets, started as the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. They moved to Winnipeg in 2011 as the Jets, but the original Jets history stayed with the Coyotes. One fan said, “It’s confusing as hell. There are more criss-crossed marriages and divorces in this league than an episode of the Real Housewives of Moose Jaw.”

The Thrashers were founded in 1999. That was a crazy year. That year President Bill Clinton was embroiled in a famous sexual harassment lawsuit, at one point he was cited for contempt of court. They cited him for “intentionally false statements.” My cousin Hemple told me, “Joe, a similar thing happened to me. I told my wife I was getting the car fixed, but she found me with these ladies from work at the bowling alley. She broke my bowling thumb right in front of everyone. Didn’t stop me. I just don’t use the holes, sort of cradle it and then roll the ball off the end of my good fingers.”