The original Winnipeg Jets were founded in 1972 as one of the inaugural franchises of the World Hockey Association (WHA) to compete with the NHL. ¹⁾

In 1972, the Jets signed NHL superstar Bobby Hull to a historic $1 million contract, giving the fledgling WHA immediate international credibility. ²⁾

Owner Ben Hatskin named the team the “Jets” because of his personal admiration for the NFL's New York Jets and their star Joe Namath. ³⁾

The original Jets were the most successful team in WHA history, winning the AVCO World Trophy three times (1976, 1978, 1979). ⁴⁾

The “Hot Line,” featuring Bobby Hull and Swedish stars Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, is considered one of the greatest scoring lines in hockey history. ⁵⁾

The Jets were one of four WHA teams absorbed into the NHL in 1979, joining alongside the Oilers, Whalers, and Nordiques. ⁶⁾

Selected first overall in 1981, Dale Hawerchuk won the Calder Trophy after becoming the youngest player in NHL history to reach 100 points. ⁷⁾

Teemu Selanne was drafted 10th overall by the Jets in 1988, though he did not make his NHL debut until four years later. ⁸⁾

In 1992-93, Teemu Selanne set a seemingly unbreakable NHL rookie record by scoring 76 goals and 132 points. ⁹⁾

Randy Carlyle won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 1981, the only such award in the history of the Jets 1.0 era. ¹⁰⁾

Due to financial struggles and a lack of a modern arena, the original Jets moved to Arizona in 1996 to become the Phoenix Coyotes. ¹¹⁾

The current Jets franchise actually began as the Atlanta Thrashers, joining the NHL as an expansion team in 1999. ¹²⁾

The Thrashers drafted Russian sniper Ilya Kovalchuk first overall in 2001, making him the cornerstone of the franchise for nearly a decade. ¹³⁾

Ilya Kovalchuk shared the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2004 after scoring 41 goals, becoming the first Thrasher to win a major NHL trophy. ¹⁴⁾

Marian Hossa remains the only player in the combined Thrashers/Jets 2.0 history to record 100 points in a single season (2006-07). ¹⁵⁾

True North Sports & Entertainment purchased the Thrashers in May 2011 and relocated them to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season. ¹⁶⁾

While the owners considered names like “Falcons,” overwhelming fan pressure forced the team to bring back the “Jets” identity. ¹⁷⁾

The Jets 2.0 played their first game in Winnipeg on October 9, 2011, at the MTS Centre against the Montreal Canadiens. ¹⁸⁾

Nik Antropov scored the first goal for the modern Jets franchise at 2:27 of the third period in their home opener. ¹⁹⁾

The Jets selected Mark Scheifele 7th overall in 2011, making him the first amateur drafted by the team after its move to Winnipeg. ²⁰⁾

Mick E. Moose, the team mascot, was brought over from the Manitoba Moose (AHL) to serve the NHL club upon their return. ²¹⁾

Winnipeg fans famously scream “TRUE NORTH!” during the Canadian national anthem to honor the ownership group that saved hockey in the city. ²²⁾

The tradition of fans wearing all white during home playoff games was revived in 2015 for the Jets' first postseason appearance in Winnipeg since 1996. ²³⁾

Canada Life Centre (formerly MTS Centre) was the smallest arena in the NHL upon the Jets' return, with a capacity under 16,000. ²⁴⁾

The Jets unveiled a statue of legend Dale Hawerchuk in True North Square in 2022 to honor his contributions to the franchise and city. ²⁵⁾

Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy in 2020, becoming the first goaltender in modern Jets history to be named the league's best. ²⁶⁾

Connor Hellebuyck holds the franchise record for career wins, surpassing the marks set during the Atlanta era. ²⁷⁾

Blake Wheeler holds the franchise record for career assists, amassing over 500 during his time as the team's top playmaker. ²⁸⁾

Mark Scheifele is the franchise's all-time leading goal scorer, having surpassed Ilya Kovalchuk's Atlanta-era total. ²⁹⁾

During the 2025-26 season, Mark Scheifele set a new Jets 2.0 record with 103 points, the first player in Winnipeg to cross the century mark. ³⁰⁾

The Jets finished the 2017-18 season with a record 114 points and 52 wins, the best regular season in franchise history. ³¹⁾

In 2018, the Jets won their first-ever playoff series by defeating the Minnesota Wild in five games. ³²⁾

The Jets eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Nashville Predators in 2018 with a 5-1 victory in a decisive Game 7 on the road. ³³⁾

The 2018 postseason marked the first time the Jets/Thrashers franchise reached the third round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. ³⁴⁾

Mark Scheifele set an NHL record in 2018 by scoring 11 goals on the road in a single playoff season. ³⁵⁾

The Jets selected Finnish winger Patrik Laine 2nd overall in 2016; he went on to score 36 goals in his rookie season. ³⁶⁾

Selected 13th overall in 2013, Josh Morrissey has become the team’s most reliable top-pairing defenseman and a Norris contender. ³⁷⁾

Kyle Connor, drafted 17th overall in 2015, has recorded multiple 40-goal seasons and won the Lady Byng Trophy in 2022. ³⁸⁾

In a 2021 blockbuster, the Jets traded Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to Columbus for center Pierre-Luc Dubois. ³⁹⁾

In a rare move in 2022, head coach Rick Bowness decided to remove the captaincy from Blake Wheeler to change the team's leadership dynamic. ⁴⁰⁾

Adam Lowry was named the team's third captain in 2023, following in the footsteps of Andrew Ladd and Blake Wheeler. ⁴¹⁾

“Big Buff” was the heart of the Jets for years, famously carrying the team to the 2018 Conference Finals with his unique mix of skill and size. ⁴²⁾

The Jets share their home arena with the Manitoba Moose, their AHL affiliate, which is also owned by True North. ⁴³⁾

Winnipeg hosted the Edmonton Oilers for an outdoor game in 2016, celebrating the shared WHA history of both franchises. ⁴⁴⁾

Following the tragic death of Rick Rypien, the Jets launched Project 11, a major mental health curriculum for students across Manitoba. ⁴⁵⁾