Over in Phoenix, they're celebrating a "Decade In The Desert" after ten uneventful years of Coyotes hockey. Meanwhile, back in Winnipeg, it's been a decade in the professional hockey wilderness since the Jets left town.
I don't want to paper over the real economic reasons that the Jets fled the Canadian Prairie for the American Southwest, but that doesn't mean I can't feel for fans who lost a team they loved, even if they couldn't afford to keep it. For those of you not familiar with the story of the Jets, this CBC report from 1996 is a good place to start.
But what's really heartbreaking is that the city of Winnipeg was convinced that it was time to say goodbye at the end of the 1995 season, only to have the team linger on for one more year. Here's a video report from May 6, 1995, where the locals filled the arena for what was ostensibly the last goodbye.
I feel terrible for Tomas Steen.
