Manitoba Moose

Lore & Background

The franchise was founded in 1994 as the Minnesota Moose in the IHL. Following the departure of the original Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix in 1996, a group of local businessmen, including Mark Chipman, purchased the Minnesota Moose and relocated the team to Winnipeg to keep professional hockey in the city. The Moose played fifteen seasons in Winnipeg—five in the IHL (1996–2001) and ten in the AHL (2001–2011)—before moving to St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, for four seasons (2011–2015) as the St. John's IceCaps. The team returned to Winnipeg prior to the 2015–16 season. During their first AHL tenure, the Moose were one of the league's most successful franchises, with home game attendance consistently among the best in the league. The organization was popular with players, having the reputation of being run like an NHL club. The team advanced to the Calder Cup finals for the first time in 2009, losing to the Hershey Bears in six games. As the IceCaps, they reached the Calder Cup finals again in 2014, losing to the Texas Stars in five games.

Reader's Guide

The Manitoba Moose franchise is notable for its resilience and success across multiple cities and leagues. Originally founded as the Minnesota Moose in the IHL, the team was moved to Winnipeg in 1996 to fill the void left by the departure of the original NHL Jets. The Moose were an independent club in the IHL, electing not to affiliate with an NHL team. Upon the IHL's demise in 2001, the Moose joined the AHL and became the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks, a partnership that lasted until the NHL's return to Winnipeg in 2011. During this period, the Moose were a flagship franchise for the AHL, known for strong attendance and a reputation for being run like an NHL club. The team produced several head coaches who moved on to NHL positions, including Randy Carlyle, Alain Vigneault, and Scott Arniel. After the Winnipeg Jets' return, the franchise moved to St. John's as the IceCaps, where it continued its success with a long home sellout streak and another Calder Cup finals appearance. The franchise returned to Winnipeg in 2015, resuming the Manitoba Moose identity with a new colour scheme similar to that of the Jets.

Did You Know?

• The Moose remained an independent club while playing in the IHL, electing not to affiliate with an NHL team.
• The team advanced to the Calder Cup finals twice: in 2009 (as the Moose) and in 2014 (as the St. John's IceCaps).
• The Moose played their final game at the old Winnipeg Arena before moving into the MTS Centre (now Canada Life Centre) for the 2004–05 season.