Photo Credit: Colby Spence
There is a lot of disappointment with how the 2018-19 season concluded for the Jets. Today Jets Governor and Chairman Mark Chipman penned a letter to fans and the community:
On behalf of everyone at True North Sports + Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets, I wish to extend my sincere gratitude for the incredible support we received throughout the 2018-19 NHL season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While we are proud of our achievements this season, including a second consecutive playoff berth, we are deeply disappointed that we did not meet the expectations of a long playoff run that we know you all held for us, and which we established for our team as well last September.
When we re-joined the NHL eight years ago, we set out to build a team that could consistently reach the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup – every year. We believe we have done so, and that mission will continue to drive us every day and in everything we do. We also established that our underlying purpose was to become and remain a source of pride for our entire community. We understand that success on the ice plays an important role in fostering that pride, and we recognize and accept the responsibility for not getting as far as we did during last year’s playoff run.
Nonetheless, the 2018-19 season has been an important learning experience in our evolution as an organization, and I can assure the hard work to prepare for the next stage began immediately on Monday morning. I have every confidence that our growth will continue, and that we will deepen your sense of pride in the Winnipeg Jets next season and beyond.
I am frequently reminded by my colleagues around the league that the way our city embraces the NHL playoffs is unlike any other. I could not agree more and would genuinely like to thank all of those who helped plan and execute the #WPGWhiteout Street Parties. We simply could not pull off such a world-class event without the steadfast support of Economic Development Winnipeg and the many dedicated employees at the City of Winnipeg and Winnipeg Police Service. Every year, we learn how to make the street parties better, and we look forward to working with you in the years ahead to make them truly exceptional.
While we would have liked to have hosted more street parties this year, we are still enormously grateful to have been able to partner with United Way Winnipeg. Thanks to ticket sales from three street parties this spring, United Way will invest $162,555 into nine agencies that work to address addiction, homelessness, and mental health in our community.
On a personal note, I cannot tell you how appreciative I am for all the gestures and words of encouragement we received leading up to, during, and immediately following our first round series. From the “Go Jets Go” signs in the windows, to the Jets flags on vehicles, to the simple smiles and nods from people on the street, please know how much your support means to all of us. And to those of you who purchased tickets to Jets games all year long, watched them outside during the street parties or attended the viewing parties at Bell MTS Place for our playoff road games, you continue to show the hockey world that you are without question the most passionate, caring and knowledgeable fans our game has ever known.
As always stay tuned for the latest Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose news by keeping it locked to our web site illegalcurve.com and on social media including Twitter | Facebook | Instagram. You can also follow me on twitter as well (@icdave).
