Winnipeg Jets " " The Winnipeg Jets are a Canadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg , Manitoba . They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ( NHL ) . The team is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment , which relocated and renamed the former Atlanta Thrashers franchise prior to the 2011 – 12 NHL season ( the first NHL franchise relocated since the Hartford Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes in 1997 ) . The team plays its home games at the MTS Centre and take their name after Winnipeg ' s original WHA / NHL team ( now known as the Arizona Coyotes ) . History . Original Winnipeg Jets ( 1972 - 96 ) . On December 27 , 1971 , Winnipeg was granted one of the founding franchises in the World Hockey Association ( WHA ) . By 1979 , the vast majority of the WHA ' s teams had folded , but the Jets were still going strong and they were absorbed into the NHL along with the Quebec Nordiques , Edmonton Oilers and Hartford Whalers . Team owner Barry Shenkarow sold the team to American businessmen Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke . Burke and Gluckstern originally planned to move the team to Minnesota ( which had lost the North Stars to Dallas in 1993 ) , but eventually reached an agreement with Phoenix businessman Jerry Colangelo that would see the team move to Arizona and become the Phoenix Coyotes . The Winnipeg Jets played their last game on April 28 , 1996 . Atlanta Thrashers ( 1999 – 2011 ) . The City of Atlanta was awarded an NHL expansion franchise , named the Atlanta Thrashers , on June 25 , 1997 . It was the second NHL franchise for Atlanta ( their first being the Atlanta Flames , established in 1972 , who departed for Calgary in 1980 to become the Calgary Flames ) . The Thrashers began play in the 1999 – 2000 season . In their 12 years , the Thrashers qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs only once , during the 2006 – 07 season , and never won a playoff game . Partially due to their lack of playoff success , the team had difficulty drawing fans to attend their games over their final seasons . Winnipeg Jets ( 2011 – present ) . As early as in October 2009 , there were rumours that True North Sports & Entertainment , the company which owns both Winnipeg ' s MTS Centre and the American Hockey League ( AHL ) ' s Manitoba Moose and chaired by Mark Chipman , were focused on relocating an NHL franchise to Winnipeg . Although they were unsuccessful in a series of bids for the Phoenix Coyotes , their low - key approach was praised by Bettman and other owners , raising their profile when the question of the Thrashers ' relocation came up . On May 20 , 2011 , the " Winnipeg Sun " confirmed that an agreement in principle has been reached for True North to purchase the Thrashers , while Winnipeg ' s mayor Sam Katz announced that he was confident that the Thrashers ' relocation to Winnipeg would soon be officially announced . On May 31 , 2011 , at a press conference at the MTS Centre , NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed that the Atlanta Thrashers had been sold to True North , and would relocate to Winnipeg for the 2011 – 12 season pending the approval of the sale and relocation by the NHL Board of Governors , which came at their June 21 , 2011 meeting . The reported purchase price was $ 170 million , with $ 60 million going to the NHL as a relocation fee . After the sale announcement , True North made preparations to move the Moose franchise to St . John ' s , Newfoundland and Labrador . Season ticket sales began June 1 , 2011 , with Manitoba Moose season ticket holders having priority . The team sought to sell 13 , 000 season tickets in an effort to prove its viability . Within the first three and a half hours the new franchise sold 1 , 870 packages to Moose season ticket holders . Season tickets opened to the general public on June 4 and sold out in just 17 minutes . Once the ' Drive to 13 , 000 ' was completed , TNSE started a season ticket waiting list , which was shut down after 8 , 000 people had signed up in two hours . In July 2011 , tickets for the Oct 9 home opener versus the Montreal Canadiens were listed for an average price of $ 1 , 711 on Stubhub , with an average selling price of $ 713 True North stated that the announcement of the team ' s name would not be made until after the successful completion of the season ticket drive at the absolute earliest . The team was not to be named the Thrashers , since True North did not acquire the name in the transaction , and the rights to that name and the Thrashers logo were retained by the ownership group in Atlanta . There was considerable support in Winnipeg to re - use the " Winnipeg Jets " name , which was the moniker for the city ' s original WHA and NHL franchise , though rumours spread that True North preferred to use the " Manitoba Moose " brand . True North kept their nickname selection a secret until the 2011 NHL Entry Draft in St . Paul on June 24 , when Chipman introduced general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff to " make our first pick , on behalf of the Winnipeg Jets . " The Jets made their formal regular season debut on October 9 , 2011 , when a sellout crowd at MTS Centre saw the visiting Montreal Canadiens defeat the Jets , 5 - 1 , with Nik Antropov scoring the first - ever Jets goal . Other highlights on the first Jets ' schedule have included a home - and - home set with the Phoenix Coyotes , Winnipeg ' s previous NHL franchise ( including a December 1 game in Winnipeg , the Coyotes ' first regular season appearance in Winnipeg since vacating the city ) , as well as a December 17 home game against the Anaheim Ducks , which was former Jet Teemu Selanne ' s first playing appearance in Winnipeg since being traded from the Jets in February 1996 . The Jets inherited the Thrashers ' position in the Southeast Division for the 2011 – 12 season , prompting the NHL and NHLPA to consider realignment of teams . Beginning in 2013 – 14 , the Jets moved to the Western Conference and play in the new - look seven - team Central Division . Personnel changes . Before the franchise relocation was officially completed , True North bought out the remaining years of General Manager Rick Dudley ' s contract on June 4 , 2011 . Thrashers president Don Waddell , who had been with the franchise since its inception , had earlier announced he would not be moving with the team . Kevin Cheveldayoff , a former GM of the Chicago Wolves and former assistant GM of the Chicago Blackhawks , was hired to replace Dudley four days later . On June 12 , 2011 , Cheveldayoff had Thrashers coach Craig Ramsay reinterview for his position , then formally dismissed him as head coach eight days later . Claude Noel , who had been the head coach of the Manitoba Moose , was named head coach four days later ; the other finalist for the job had been Blackhawks assistant coach Mike Haviland . Charlie Huddy , Pascal Vincent and Wade Flaherty , formerly of the Dallas Stars and Blackhawks , were named the assistant coaches . During the summer of 2012 , the Jets added Perry Pearn to their coaching staff . They also named former Thrasher assistant general manager Larry Simmons as assistant general manager . On January 12 , 2014 , the Winnipeg Jets fired coach Claude Noel and replaced him with Paul Maurice . Assistant coach Perry Pearn was also let go . Season by season record . " Note : GP = Games played , W = Wins , L = Losses , OT = Overtime Losses , Pts = Points , GF = Goals for , GA = Goals against " Team information . Jerseys . No new logo and colours for the Jets accompanied the team ' s nickname announcement at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft ( draft pick Mark Scheifele was presented with a generic black and silver NHL jersey and cap ) , but True North confirmed that they were in the process of conceiving a logo and colour scheme for the Jets , with True North ' s chairman , Mark Chipman , stating that the previous Jets ' blue and red colours would be incorporated . The Jets unveiled their new logos and colours on July 22 , 2011 , three days before the team had scheduled to release them ( this after team merchandise containers were broken into and a crude picture of a Jets ' T - shirt made the rounds on the internet ) . While blue and silver are the main colour palette , the insignias are a dramatic departure from the previous Jets ' logos and pay homage to the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) , particularly Winnipeg ' s 17 Wing ; the primary logo is patterned after the roundels used by the RCAF and includes a silhouette of a McDonnell Douglas CF - 18 Hornet . ( Red is a secondary part of the colour scheme due to a maple leaf , the incorporation of which came with the permission of the Toronto Maple Leafs . ) Game uniforms for the new Jets were unveiled in September at 17 Wing ; the team did not introduce a third jersey for its inaugural season due to a limited timetable . The team has , thus far , opted not to introduce a third jersey . The logo was designed by Reebok , the NHL and designer Linda Lynch . Reebok ' s lead uniform and team identity designers , Dominique Fillion and Linda Lynch , have been associated with the identity design , although True North has not revealed specific design credits . Mascot . On October 7 , 2011 , True North announced they had recalled their former mascot Mick E . Moose from the AHL . Mick E . had spent the past 15 seasons with the Manitoba Moose of the International and American Hockey Leagues , entertaining kids and adults alike at Moose games and community events . Mick E . Moose , a fan favourite , had averaged over 100 community appearances per season for the past 15 years in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba . Slight modifications to the costume were made , including a new vintage leather aviator helmet . Players . Retired numbers . While not officially retired , Evander Kane sought ( and received ) permission from Bobby Hull to wear # 9 ; the number had been retired by the previous Jets franchise . Kane had worn the number 9 during his time with the Thrashers , and the Jets organization encouraged him to keep the number . Also unknown is the status of number 37 , unissued by the franchise since the death of Atlanta Thrashers player Dan Snyder in an automobile crash in 2003 . Jersey # 99 is retired league - wide in honour of Wayne Gretzky , although he never played for the franchise . Team captains . " Note : This list does not include captains from the Atlanta Thrashers . " Head coaches . " Note : This list does not include head coaches from the Atlanta Thrashers . " Franchise records . Scoring leaders . These are the top - ten point , goal , and assist scorers in franchise history . Figures are updated after each completed NHL regular season . " These records include those accrued during the team ' s time as the Atlanta Thrashers . " " Note : Pos = Position ; GP = Games Played ; G = Goals ; A = Assists ; Pts = Points ; P / G = Points per game ; G / G = Goals per game ; A / G = Assists per game " " = current Jets player " Broadcasters . On July 21 , 2014 , the Jets announced that Bell Media had reached a 10 - year deal for both television and radio rights to the Jets . Winnipeg Jets games not televised nationally by the league ' s national broadcast partners are broadcast by TSN3 , and are available in Manitoba , Saskatchewan , Nunavut , the Northwest Territories , and parts of Northwestern Ontario . Regional Jets games were previously carried by TSN Jets , a part - time multiplex channel of TSN exclusive to the Jets ' market . While available at no charge for the beginning of the inaugural season , it soon became a premium add - on channel priced at $ 9 . 95 CDN per month during the NHL season . Despite the fee , representatives from both MTS and Shaw Cable stated that " thousands " of their customers had subscribed to the Jets channel . In August 2014 , TSN announced that it would split its singular national feed into 4 regional channels on August 25 , 2014 ; on August 18 , 2014 , TSN officially confirmed that the TSN Jets channel would be discontinued , and that regional Jets games will be moved to TSN3 for the 2014 - 15 season . Radio broadcasts are carried by local sports talk station CFRW , " TSN Radio 1290 " . Dennis Beyak serves as the primary play - by - play voice of the Jets , calling all games televised on TSN Jets . Brian Munz calls most games on radio ; however , is replaced by Beyak when the latter is not calling games on television . Television colour commentary duties are split between Brian Engblom and Mike Johnson . They are joined by rinkside reporter Sara Orlesky . Former NHL player Shane Hnidy provides commentary for both radio and television .