Well, after 15 years out of the biggest, most prestigious professional hockey league on the planet, the Winnipeg Jets returned to the most rabid, intelligent, hockey-sense fans that were so glad to have their team back. The fans of Winnipeg showed their love of their team by committing to them by selling out the MTS Centre for at least the next two years (after selling out their inaugural season this year) and possibly for three after that. They also now have the reputation as being the loudest, most rabid fans in the NHL. So much so in fact that they now have the reputation that make the MTS Centre an intimidating place for opposition teams to play. Add to that, the fans may now be the reason why free agents may want to come here in their search for a championship. I don't know how many times I've heard play-by-play men or commentators mention how Jets fans are talked about "everywhere we go." Winnipeg hockey fans really have been the seventh player on the ice each and every home game for the Jets.The culture of winning may be a few years off from cementing itself here in the Peg, but players throughout the league know how rabid and knowledgeable the Winnipeg hockey fans are. They know how the passion of fans can influence the outcome of an important game by getting their team pumped up. It's that extra jump rabid fans give their team to overcome a lead by the opposition, to give them that extra oomph to maybe light a fire under them to give them a jump after the opposition gets an early lead, or a power-play goal. Jets fans, you have to remember showed up in the hundreds (if not the low thousands) just to watch the Jets rookies at the MTS IcePlex practice facility back in August.
Whatever the reason teams play better in front of their home crowd, the Jets fans especially, have it. If only the Jets played most or all of their games at home and they would in the playoffs right now...as would most teams I suspect. But as for the Jets not making the playoffs, I'm not going to use the excuse of them "still being the same team as Atlanta." They were good enough to win games they didn't win. They let games go they should have had. Games against the Islanders, Carolina, Edmonton and even Philadelphia should have gotten away from them. A lead in a home game against the Flyers with 10 seconds left that the Jets let get away on Feb. 21 still stings me to this day.
But even though the Jets failed to make the playoffs, I can't view this season as anything other than a success. Sell-out crowds at home, coast-to-coast well-wishing for our team being back, a rabid home crowd at every single game and a general feel-good atmosphere within the city for a prodigal long-lost son's return and not to mention a cool new tradition of the True North "shout out" in the national anthem. I can't wait for next year.
Read on for Eric Postma's take on the Jets first season past.
