ST. PAUL – Old is new again in Winnipeg
Co-owner Mark Chipman made it official Friday night, just before GM Kevin Cheveldayoff made the team's first pick, No. 7, at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft: The franchise nickname will be the Jets. The crowd at a team-sponsored Draft party at MTS Centre erupted when Chipman made the choice public by calling his team "the Winnipeg Jets" while introducing Cheveldayoff.
It's the same nickname the city's previous NHL team used during its time in the city. That team left in 1996 to become the Phoenix Coyotes.
Evander Kane, one of the team's young stars, checked in on the choice on his Twitter page: "It's as official as a referee with a whistle. Officially a JET. #jetsflytogether"
"We are thrilled to be using a name that has so much history in our city and means so much to our fans," said Chipman. "Our fans clearly indicated to us the passion they hold for the name since we acquired the franchise."
Several other media outlets, including the The Winnipeg Free Press and TSN, reported True North Sports & Entertainment, the owner of the Winnipeg franchise, has settled on the Jets, in large part due to demand from the region's fans.
Logos and jerseys are still in the process of being developed and will be unveiled at a later date.
True North also announced that, effective immediately, fans can use their new website url www.winnipegjets.com for a direct link to their already-launched NHL website.