Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler made an interesting observation during a recent appearance on Jets @ Noon when he noted that some of his former teammates returning to Winnipeg for the Heritage Classic alumni game in October will be stepping onto the ice at Canada Life Centre for the first time since their departures.
Wheeler signed with the Rangers for what turned out to be his final season in the NHL, returning to Winnipeg as a visiting player for the first time on October 30, 2023. He received a huge ovation from the fans when the Jets played a video tribute honouring his time with the organization.
But the Minnesota product pointed out that not all of his former teammates were as fortunate as he was to receive that type of sendoff from the fans in Winnipeg.
“I was lucky. I got to have this a little bit when I played the Jets as a Ranger but a lot of my teammates they didn’t have that. And I think what’s going to be really cool for them is just sort of the reception that they’re going to get. The appreciation the fan base has for what our generation, that second version of the Jets means and meant to that town. So they’re going to really feel that in a way that they probably haven’t which I’m really excited for them to experience.”
It’s an interesting point when you consider how often fans have watched former players receive video tributes during a commercial break, but when you look at the alumni roster, many of those players never had the chance to experience that moment.
While Wheeler didn’t mention the names of the players who were in that situation, the one that immediately jumped to mind was Tobias Enstrom, who spent his entire NHL career in the Atlanta/Winnipeg organization. Enstrom left after the 2017-18 season and continued his career in Sweden, and he has not been back on the ice in Winnipeg since his final season with the Jets seven years ago.
Of course, fan favourite Dustin Byfuglien also falls into that category. The defenceman, who gets a roar anytime he is featured in a video tribute, hasn’t been on the ice in Winnipeg for a game since the 2018-19 season.
Photo Credit: Colby Spence
Other players on the alumni roster who never played a game as a visitor in Winnipeg after they left the Jets include Nik Antropov, Anthony Peluso, Jim Slater, Tim Stapleton, Derek Meech and Grant Clitsome.
Both Bryan Little and Mark Stuart are also on this list, although Little was honoured by the Jets in 2024 including a pre-game skate around the ice as well as a standing ovation during the game while Stuart received a welcome back in March of 2023 when he returned to Winnipeg as a member of the Oilers coaching staff.
The Heritage Classic alumni game will provide fans with an opportunity to welcome these players back to the city and give them the reception they never had when their time with the Jets came to an end.
And if there is one thing Winnipeg fans are known for, it’s showing their appreciation for the players who helped shape the second era of Jets hockey.
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