The return of the NHL’s Jets to Winnipeg hasn’t just resonated in Manitoba, which lost its hockey team in 1996 to Phoenix only to see the sport return when local ownership bought the Atlanta Thrashers and moved them north in May. All of Canada has celebrated the return of the franchise. In a country where each spring brings questions and concerns about how many of the now seven Canadian teams will make it to the postseason, the fate of all of its teams matters. Even if, in most cases, they are bitter rivals on the ice.
There was no better example than at Toronto’s Air Canada Center on Wednesday night. With the Jets in town for their first game against the Maple Leafs this season, a presentation on the big HD scoreboard about 10 minutes into the first period welcomed Winnipeg back to the NHL. The fans — other than the native Manitobans who live in Toronto year-round and scored tickets to the game — could have responded with a shrug. Instead, they gave the road Jets a standing ovation.
– Brian McNally
