The NHL Jets played their first regular-season home game last night in Winnipeg, and as the clock ticked down on the 5-1 loss to the Canadians, a sold out crowd of more than 15,000 at MTS Centre “rose to its feet and gave the Jets a standing ovation that was 15 years in the making,” according to Chris Johnston of the CP. Jets C Mark Scheifele said, “That’s pretty incredible. … To get a standing ovation when we lose, it just shows that we’re going to have fans behind us regardless.” Johnston wrote it "appears the honeymoon will last a long time between the fans and the young team.” The crowd included NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and a number of former players from the original Jets. Team Owner Mark Chipman: “I’m glad that people feel so good about this, I really am. It is a great city and it has been for a long time” (CP, 10/9). Chipman: “We have overcome a lot” (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/9). When Chipman was shown on the video scoreboard Sunday, the sellout crowd “erupted” (ESPN.com, 10/10). In Winnipeg, Gary Lawless writes that even with the loss, the "celebration went on undaunted.” The Jets “stepped back onto the ice like a veteran making a comeback after years away from the game” (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/10). Prior to the game, a “video montage was shown on the scoreboard and included a fitting tribute” to the AHL Manitoba Moose, the team that “helped make it possible” for the NHL to return to Winnipeg. The video also included a “variety of highlights from the first incarnation of the Jets.” While many had “wondered what type of reaction” Bettman might receive, fans were “chanting his name when he entered the MTS Centre prior to the contest” (WINNIPEG SUN, 10/10).
A RARE POSITIVE REACTION: In Winnipeg, Tim Campbell noted Bettman “found himself in the unusual spot of having fans chant his name.” Asked about it, he said, “I thought the other radio guy, his name was Gary [Lawless], too, so I thought they were cheering for him.” Bettman: “It was very warm and enthusiastic” (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS, 10/10). Also in Winnipeg, Paul Friesen notes Bettman joined Chipman, co-Owner David Thomson and Shelly Rypien, mother of the late Rick Rypien, for the ceremonial pre-game face off. Bettman: “The reception by the fans and the overall community has been nothing short of sensational. We couldn’t be more pleased.” Looking long term, Bettman said, “We have no reason to believe anything other than that this team will be a huge success for the foreseeable future. The team's well supported and well run by a terrific organization” (WINNIPEG SUN, 10/10). Meanwhile, Harper "unveiled one of the two commemorative coins the Royal Canadian Mint is producing to mark the team’s return." The mint is "issuing a 50-cent piece and a pure silver $20 dollar coin" (all figures Canadian). The 50-cent coin is "produced at the mint in Winnipeg and will sell for $14.95, while the $20 limited edition silver coin goes for $94.95." There will be 15,000 produced (CP, 10/10).
MODEL FOR THE FUTURE: Thomson noted the size of the market and the way the community has embraced the team and stated, “I think it’s an opportunity to kind of rewrite the model for a sports franchise. … Small communities, with an intense belief, producing outstanding results.” Only about 500-600 tickets are available for each game to the approximately 70,000 that have signed up for drawings (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 10/8). In N.Y., Jeff Klein wrote on the Jets return yesterday under the header, “Giddy Winnipeg Reclaims Lost Prairie Companion.” In Winnipeg, “the interest in all things Jets is overwhelming,” as “practically every pizza parlor, tavern and gas station has ‘Welcome Back, Jets’ signs." The Jets’ return is a “sign not only in Winnipeg but across Canada that the country’s economy has grown strong enough to reclaim its national sport from the Sun Belt” (N.Y. TIMES, 10/9).
