What’s In A Name?

The city of Winnipeg welcomes an NHL team back after a 15 year absence.

After fifteen long years, chants by desperate fans to “bring back the Jets” have finally been answered.

Well sort of.

As True North Sports and Entertainment Group announced last week that hockey will return to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season, the team taking the ice might look a little different than the team that left in 1996.

Winnipegger’s are still feeling a bit of an identity crisis as Canada’s newest NHL team is currently without a name.

For nostalgic purposes, the easy answer for Winnipeg’s new team would be the Jets.

The Jets are as essential to those in the ‘Peg as a winter coat in January. Jets merchandise has always sold well and with the latest announcement, sales have only increased. However, as anticipation grows of what the new team’s name will be, it appears as if Jets memorabilia will remain in the vintage section of the catalogue.

True North has said that they prefer Manitoba to Winnipeg, as it includes all people in the province and not just those in the capital.

So now you’re guessing Manitoba Jets? Nah not likely.

When the Jets moved to Phoenix in 1996, they packed up all of the team records, achievements and retired numbers with them.

At the heart of it, the Jets still exist in the NHL, they just landed in Phoenix.  It would only be truly appropriate to name Winnipeg’s new team the Jets if the Coyotes were the one to
return.

Only a handful of franchises in professional sports have moved away only to return under the same moniker, here a few examples.

The Cleveland Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1996 amidst controversy, only to be presented with an expansion team in 1999. The Browns name, history and archives remained in Cleveland while the players left for Maryland. When the team returned, so did the name.

The Ottawa Senators won 11 Stanley Cups from 1917-1934 until financial losses resulted in the team relocating to St. Louis. In 1992, the city was awarded an expansion franchise with hope to use the Senators name. This provoked the threat of legal action. Eventually, permission was obtained from the descendants of former Senators club owner Tommy Gorman to use the Senators name.

Some cities still hold on to their team’s identity with hopes that one day they will return.

When the Seattle Supersonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, the owners agreed to leave the Supersonics name, logo, and colours in Seattle for a possible future NBA franchise, however championship banners and trophies remain property of the Thunder. The Thunder and any future Seattle NBA team will share the Supersonics history but I don’t think we will see many Seattle residents cheering for the Thunder.

The Atlanta Spirit group which sold the Thrashers to True North retain the rights to the Thrashers name. It might be sometime before we see hockey in Atlanta, as the Thrashers are the second team to leave town after the Flames fizzled out in 1980.

Currently the NHL owns the Jets name which reduces complications if True North ownership decides to rebrand the Jets.

It’s kind of hard to argue with True North if they want to use the Manitoba Moose name. It is the brand they created and they are the ones responsible for bringing the NHL back to Winnipeg. If that wasn’t enough reason for disgruntled Jets fans, they also own the venue where the team will play.

As True North brings a new era of the NHL to Winnipeg, Manitobans should be happy no matter what nickname, logo or colours their new team dons, as the NHL returning to their city should be enough reason to celebrate.

Below are some of the rumoured names that have been floating around for Winnipeg’s new team.

Manitoba Moose

- True North built the brand in 1996 and may want to keep this name which represents the groundwork they laid in order to bring the NHL back to Winnipeg. Currently the AHL team for the Vancouver Canucks and rumoured to be moving to St. John’s Newfoundland for the 2011-12 season.

Winnipeg Falcons

- For all you vintage fans then the Falcons should be your top pick. Way before the Jets existence in Winnipeg the amateur Falcons became the first Canadian team to win an Olympic gold medal when they finished first at the 1920 tournament in Belgium. You may remember their (hideous) jerseys when Hockey Canada commemorated the Falcons in 2004 creating a third jersey that was a replica of the antique.

- Falcons probably won’t end up being selected
however. Atlanta Falcons, Thrashers move from Atlanta to Winnipeg, little
weird, no?

Winnipeg Victoria’s

If the Falcons weren’t vintage enough, how about
the Victoria’s. They Won Stanley Cups between 1896 and 1902.

What do you think Winnipeg’s newest NHL Team should be named?