Winnipeg Jets

Lore & Background

The original Winnipeg Jets were established in 1972 as a founding franchise in the World Hockey Association. They made the playoffs every season except 1974–75, won the Avco Cup three times (1976, 1978, 1979), and appeared in the finals two additional times (1973, 1977). After joining the NHL in 1979, the team struggled initially, going a combined 29–106–25 through the 1979–80 and 1980–81 seasons. The Jets made the Stanley Cup playoffs every season from 1981–82 to 1987–88, but advanced past the first round only twice during that period (1984–85 and 1986–87). Following the 1995–96 season, the team was deactivated and relocated to Phoenix, Arizona, becoming the Phoenix Coyotes. The modern Winnipeg Jets began when True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the Atlanta Thrashers in May 2011 and relocated the franchise to Winnipeg for the 2011–12 season. The team inherited the Jets branding, though the records and history of the original franchise initially remained with the Coyotes. On September 24, 2026, the NHL consolidated the records of the original Jets, the Thrashers, and the modern Jets, retroactively treating the franchise as deactivated from 1996 to 1999 and resuming operations as the Atlanta Thrashers.

Reader's Guide

The Winnipeg Jets represent a unique case in NHL history, being a franchise that has existed in two distinct eras separated by a relocation and a revival. The original Jets were a powerhouse in the WHA, winning three Avco Cups, but faced difficulties after joining the NHL, where they achieved only modest playoff success before moving to Phoenix in 1996. The modern Jets emerged from the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011, a move driven by financial struggles in Atlanta and the persistent efforts of True North Sports & Entertainment to bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg. The team's return was met with overwhelming fan support, as season tickets sold out rapidly and a waiting list grew quickly. The Jets' identity is tied to both their WHA heritage and their revival as a community-owned franchise, with the NHL's 2026 consolidation of records formally linking the two eras. The team's significance lies in its role as the first NHL franchise to relocate since 1997 and as a testament to the viability of smaller-market teams in the league.

Did You Know?

• The franchise was deactivated after the 1995–96 season and relocated to Phoenix, becoming the Phoenix Coyotes.
• The modern Jets began play in 2011 after True North Sports & Entertainment relocated the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg.