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Written by Jon Waldman
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 Winnipeg's Top 5 Hockey Moments
Get a group of journalists and historians together for a sports discussion and you will hear some interesting debates.
Whether it’s an informal gathering at a pre-game press dinner or a formal “hot stove” discussion group, you will always get a few opinions being thrown around. Forget about politicians and their rallying cries in a desperate attempt to secure your precious vote—the real passion comes when broadcasters and writers sit down to argue for or against a specific sports topic.
These debates become even more intense around this time of year, when “best of” lists become fodder for radio call-in shows and newspaper columns across the country.
Now Winnipeg hockey scribes certainly could easily fill a top five local hockey moments of 2007. Between the Women’s World Hockey Championships, inspired play by the Manitoba Moose in the ’06-’07 AHL playoffs, James Patrick being inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame, Jonathan Toews’s incredible transition to the NHL and our adopted sons, Randy Carlyle and Teemu Selanne, raising the Stanley Cup, such a list is not hard to assemble.
Instead, WM threw out a different challenge—to name the top five moments in the River City’s illustrious hockey history. Eight writers, broadcasters and historians bravely answered our call, and produced 21 different moments, dating back to the 1800s. Once the dust settled, we had our decisive list (or as close as we were going to get). Here now are the top five (with ties) Winnipeg hockey moments, courtesy of the WM hockey panel:
1) The Champs are Here!
Five of our eight panelists chose the Winnipeg Jets’ Avco Cup victories in the World Hockey Association as the best moment in local hockey —and who could argue?
As we’ve seen countless times in the NHL, superstar-laden teams aren’t exactly uncommon; taking a group of hot talents and making them not only work as a team, but able to carry that sense of camaraderie through to the top of your league is remarkable.
That’s exactly what the Jets did though. Bobby Hull, Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson were the centrepieces of a dynasty in the WHA, while Joe Daley and Lars-Erik Sjoberg anchored the back half of the rink.
2) Oh, Canada
It was one of those unforgettable years. Though Winnipeg had hosted international hockey games before, the 1999 world junior championships brought a new identity to the River City. Future NHLers like Alex Tanguay, Simon Gagne and the Sedin twins entertained tens of thousands of hockey fanatics at the Winnipeg Arena, putting on an ice show for the ages. The tournament came to a climax during the gold medal game. In arguably the most dramatic finish to a WJC tourney, Russian forward (and later Manitoba Moose) Artem Chubarov beat Roberto Luongo to give the former Soviet state a victory in the famous Canada-Russia rivalry. The record crowds that saw the tournament helped pave the way for Winnipeg to host other international championships, including the 2007 women’s worlds.
3) The Golden Jet Lands
There are iconic moments in Winnipeg hockey and then there are moments that transcend local history. Bobby Hull’s $1-million contract was one of those moments.
With a very public ceremony at Portage and Main, all eyes were on Winnipeg as Bobby Hull was officially signed to the new WHA Winnipeg Jets team. Hull, who had been a star for more than a decade in Chicago, brought instant credibility to the rebel league and gave Winnipeggers their first hockey superstar. He would go on to lead the Jets to three WHA championships.
4) The Flash is the Boss
North America got its first taste of Winnipeg’s first pick in the 1988 NHL entry draft during the 1991 Canada Cup. Still, Teemu Selanne was a virtual unknown when he arrived at Jets training camp in 1992. Though ‘92-’93 was supposed to be a celebration of Eric Lindros’s arrival in the NHL, Selanne showed that he was the true superstar of the rookie class, netting 76 goals to smash Mike Bossy’s old freshman standard by more than 20 tallies. Selanne would also set the rookie point standard, earn the Calder Trophy and be the first rookie to earn a berth on the NHL’s post-season all-star team.
5) (tie) – Surprising the Soviets
The Winnipeg Arena hosted many battles between Canada and Russia, but on Jan. 5, 1978, the Soviet National Team came to the old barn with a different opponent—the WHA’s Jets. Though the Nats had faced North American pro clubs in the past, this was the first time they would be defeated. On the strength of a hat trick by Bobby Hull, the Jets upended the mighty Russians 5-3. This was no small task when you consider that the team boasted many stars from the Summit Series, including goalie Vladislav Tretiak.
5) (tie) – Welcome to the “N”
In March, 1979, the fate of the World Hockey Association was sealed, as the rebel league merged with the NHL. The Jets, along with the Edmonton Oilers, the Hartford Whalers and the Quebec Nordiques, moved to the big league, playing their first game on October 10. Though the Jets would lose that game to the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-2), Winnipeggers celebrated as the city was finally the host of an NHL hockey team.
The Panel:
Winnipeg Men would like to thank the following individuals for participating in our survey:
• Tim Campbell, Winnipeg Free Press
• Chris Cariou, Winnipeg Free Press
• Paul Friesen, Winnipeg Sun
• Bob Irving, CJOB-68
• Ernie Nairn, former broadcaster
• Harvey Rosen, Canadian Press/Broadcast News
• Ed Sweeney, Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
• Scott Taylor, The National Post |
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