1972-73 O-Pee-Chee - Dan Bouchard
2010-11 Upper Deck - Bryan Little
Tonight, in Calgary, the Atlanta Flames are playing the Atlanta Thrashers. Well, ok, it’s the Calgary Flames against the Winnipeg Jets, but both franchises originated in Atlanta. Apparently this is the first time in NHL history that this has happened. Go Atlanta Go.
Point to ponder: which city will get an NHL team first? Atlanta, for a third time, or Hamilton? Think about it.
2010-11 Score - Nik Antropov
I learned today why the Atlanta Thrashers really left town and set up shop as the Winnipeg Jets.
It was this awful monstrosity of a uniform. Really. What is going on there? The socks only make it worse…
I’d say the City of Winnipeg owes some designer a thank you.
The New York Islanders, while not quite as bad, will be the next team to leave town due to a uniform.
Winnipeg Jets Logo - 1974-1990
I am aware that this story is old news by the time I finally write a post about it. But if you’re coming here for news, you’re fucked. Bring yourself up to speed at The Globe and Mail. They broke the story in the first place, and they’ve covered it well. It’s too bad Atlanta lost their team, but if you aren’t at least a little bit happy for Winnipeg, with all the shit they take all the time, then you don’t have a soul.
This team needs to be called the Winnipeg Jets. I would accept Manitoba Jets as an alternative, but they need to be called the Jets. Moose is a bush league name, and anything else would just be ridiculous. I’m going to show you some reasons why they need to be called the Jets, the only way I know how – through hockey cards.
1989-90 O-Pee-Chee - Randy Carlyle
They need to be called the Jets because Randy Carlyle has looked the same since 1989.
1992-93 Score - Phil Housley
Because Phil Housley was way cooler before he started wearing number 96, even though he wanted out of Canada.
1992-93 Pro Set - Ed Olczyk
Because Ed Olczyk was American, and he still gave a fuck about Winnipeg and the Jets.
1990-91 Score - Stephane Beauregard
Because they also had home jerseys, like the one Stephane Beauregard is wearing here, but you’d never know from looking at hockey cards. Winnipeg is too cold for photographers in the winter.
1990-91 O-Pee-Chee - Doug Smail
Because Doug Smail’s mustache and jersey tuck gave him sick style.
1990-91 Pro Set - Dale Hawerchuk
Because Dale Hawerchuk’s last Winnipeg card was one of the best.
1993-94 Upper Deck - Thomas Steen
Because Thomas Steen is a fucking Winnipeg City Councillor now.
1992-93 Upper Deck - Teemu Selanne - Young Gun
1992-93 Upper Deck - Keith Tkachuk - Star Rookie
And, because there was once the makings of a pretty good team in Jets jerseys.
I rest my case. Save us all the hassle. Call them the Jets.
1981-82 Topps - Lucien DeBlois
Well, in honour of all the rumours of the Jets returning to Winnipeg, here is a great airbrushing job of Lucien DeBlois from 1981-82 Topps. This is one of the best hockey card sets Topps ever made… in terms of amazing airbrushing, anyway. I’m not even going to point out any subtleties here. This is just a spectacular hot mess from the blurry photo to the skewed logo. These things should be in a fucking museum.
Let’s also talk about this Jets thing. They were never very good. It’s hard to win in the coldest place in the universe. DeBlois did, however, in his three years with the Jets, help them to three of their best seasons ever from 1981-82 to 1983-84 – they made the playoffs every year, playing a total of 10 playoff games in three seasons! So close! To think what might have been…
Winnipeg, do you really want them back?
1989-90 O-Pee-Chee - Marc Habscheid
1989-90 O-Pee-Chee - Randy Cunneyworth
We’ve already looked at a couple of cards from this set – which is one of my all-time favourites, by the way – but you can’t talk about airbrushing without looking at these two cards. Marc Habscheid and Rany Cunneyworth’s cards from the set are essentially everything that horrible airbrushing represents:
-A weak, blurry photo
-Butchered lines and logos
-Attempts at realism (see sticks, helmets and gloves)
-Attempts at shadowing and motion (see jerseys)
1990-91 Pro Set - Ed Olczyk (I)
1990-91 Pro Set - Ed Olczyk (II)
Ed Olczyk started the 1990-91 season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, coming off seasons of 90 and 88 points for some pretty bad hockey teams. 18 games in, he was sent to Winnipeg along with Mark Osborne for Dave Ellett and Paul Fenton.
Initially, the trade looked like another Courtnall for Kordic-esque gaffe by questionable Leaf management of the era, especially after Olczyk scored in his first game for his new team, against the Leafs, no less. But, Ellett did end up being a key component in the Leafs’ run to the Conference Finals in 1993 and 1994, as did Osborne after he was dealt back to Toronto midway through 1991-92.
Interestingly enough, the next time Olczyk was traded, it was from the Jets to the New York Rangers for Kris King and Tie Domi, both future Leafs, both of whom were contributors to another strong Toronto playoff run in 1999.
The way the Leafs have been lately, maybe they should try trading him again and see what happens.
Send me an electronic mail at sortingbyteams at gmail dot com.
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