All-Time Teams: Jets

Our last NHL All-Time Team is the second franchise to originate in Atlanta and the second named the Winnipeg Jets. Here's the Winnipeg Jets all-time roster:

Winnipeg has made five trips to the postseason in their 20-year history. The Jets advanced beyond the first round once, losing to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the 2018 Western Conference final.

1st Line

Left Wing - Ilya Kovalchuk The first overall pick in the 2001 draft, Ilya Kovalchuk is the ThrasherJets' all-time leader in goals with 328, point shares with 74.5, and goals per game with 0.55. "Kovy" shared the NHL lead with 41 goals in 2003-04 and led the league with 27 power play markers in 2005-06. He's the franchise leader in power play goals, even-strength goals and game-winning goals, and only Blake Wheeler has produced more points for AtlantaPeg.

Center - Mark Scheifele The first draft pick of the franchise's Winnipeg era, Mark Scheifele boasts the best plus/minus rating in team history at +82. He enters the 2020-21 season with a streak of five consecutive 60-plus point seasons intact, and his 454 career points are the fourth-most in franchise history. Scheifele is also fourth among Jets in goals, even-strength goals, game-winning goals, shooting percentage, and offensive point shares.

Right Wing - Blake Wheeler One of eleven American-born players on the current Jets roster, Blake Wheeler has served as team captain since 2016. The fifth overall pick in 2004 led the NHL in assists with 68 in 2017-18, the first of back-to-back 91-point seasons for Winnipeg's all-time leading scorer. Wheeler's 442 career assists leads all Thrashers/Jets, and he trails only Kovalchuk in goals and point shares.

2nd Line

Left Wing - Vyacheslav Kozlov A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Red Wings, Slava Kozlov scored one more point for the Thrashers (in 70 fewer games) than he did in the Motor City. The Thrashers/Jets' fifth-leading scorer posted four of his six 70-point seasons in Atlanta including a career-high 80 in 2006-07, helping the franchise earn its first playoff berth. Only three players in franchise history have potted more power play goals than Kozlov's 51, and he ranks tenth among all players in team history with 40 point shares.

Center - Bryan Little Atlanta's first round pick in the 2006 draft, Bryan Little has played 843 games for the Thrashers/Jets franchise, more than any other player in team history. He ranks second to Ilya Kovalchuk in power play goals with 58 (roughly half of Kovy's total), second in assists with 304, and at the moment he's tied with Blake Wheeler for second in goals with 217. AtlantaPeg's third-leading point producer has been sidelined since November 2019 with a head injury sustained from friendly fire and is unlikely to play again.

Right Wing - Patrik Laine The youngest player on any All-Time Team roster, 22 year-old Patrik Laine was the second overall pick in the 2016 draft. In just 306 games with Winnipeg, the Finnish forward scored 140 goals - the sixth-highest total in franchise history - filling the net at the third-highest rate (0.46 goals per game) among Thrashers/Jets. The NHL leader in power play goals with 20 in 2017-18, Laine's 52 man-advantage markers also ranks third in franchise annals. A recent trade of disgruntled stars sent him to Columbus with Jack Roslovic in exchange for Pierre-Luc Dubois.

3rd Line

Left Wing - Andrew Ladd A two-time Stanley Cup winner, Andrew Ladd was the last captain in Atlanta Thrashers history and the first captain of Jets 2.0. He ranks seventh in franchise history with 139 goals and 26.3 offensive point shares, eighth in assists with 166, and eighth in points with 205. Only four Thrashers/Jets have scored more even-strength goals than Ladd's 99, and only five players have potted more game-winners.

Center - Mathieu Perreault One of seven current Jets on this all-time roster, Mathieu Perreault is 13th on the team's scoring list with 213 points - the third-highest total among centers. He ranks 12th in Winnipeg annals with 93 even-strength assists and tied for 12th in power play goals with Marc Savard, who didn't qualify for this roster. This is one franchise that is very thin down the middle - as you'll see on the next line.

Right Wing - Nikolaj Ehlers The ninth overall pick in the 2014 draft, Nikolaj Ehlers ranks ninth in Jets history in goals (120), assists (148), and points (268). A two-time 60-point scorer, Ehlers is fourth in Winnipeg annals with a plus/minus rating of +44. The Danish forward is sixth in franchise history with 97 even-strength goals and one game-winning goal away from tying Ladd for sixth on that list.

4th Line

Left Wing - Evander Kane The fourth overall pick in the 2009 draft, Evander Kane is tied for eighth in AtlantaPeg annals with 88 even strength goals and his 109 total goals are tied for tenth with Kyle Connor (who hasn't yet qualified for this roster.) The NHL's leader in penalty minutes in each of the last two seasons, Kane has developed into a valuable power forward for the Sabres and Sharks, posting four consecutive seasons of over 25 goals including his second 30-goal season in 2018-19.

Center - Patrik Stefan The first overall pick in the 1999 draft (ahead of the Sedin twins) Patrik Stefan's NHL career was a disappointment by any measure. However, as I mentioned, the Thrashers/Jets are very thin at the center position and Stefan - with his 177 points in 414 games for Atlanta - ranks fourth among qualifying centers in franchise history. He ranks 14th in franchise history with 118 assists and his 91 even-strength helpers are 13th in ThrasherJets annals.

Right Wing - Chris Thorburn The franchise leader in penalty minutes with 832, Chris Thorburn is fourth in Thrashers/Jets annals with 709 games played. A physical forward, Thorburn scored just 49 goals in his ten seasons with the team. He ranks 13th among Jets forwards with 71 even-strength assists. 25 players produced more points for AtlantaPeg but only two of them - Wheeler and Laine - were right wings who qualified for this roster. He might be the Yuniesky Betancourt of this All-Time series, but "Thor" is hardly out of place on a checking line.

Spares - Jim Slater, Andrew Copp

Jim Slater was Atlanta's second first-round pick in 2002 and suited up for the Thrashers/Jets franchise 584 times - the seventh-most games played in team history. Slater's 67 goals are the 12th-highest total among eligible ThrasherJets players, and his 407 penalty minutes place him 13th among all players in team annals. Andrew Copp's offensive production compares favorably to Chris Thorburn's - and the Michigan man played in roughly half as many games. Copp's plus/minus rating of +55 ranks third in Jets history. Adam Lowry was the only other eligible forward worth considering.

 

Defense Pair 1

Dustin Byfuglien - Toby Enstrom

A powerful presence on the blueline (and occasionally on the forward lines) Dustin Byfuglien won a Stanley Cup with Chicago in 2010, days before being traded to Atlanta in a cap-clearing move. A five-time 50-point scorer, "Big Buff" became the Thrashers/Jets leading scorer among defensemen less than a decade later. His 294 assists are third in Jets history among all players, and his 27.7 defensive point shares rank second in team history behind only Tobias Enstrom. The Swedish rearguard is second to Bryan Little in games played for the franchise and ranks seventh among ThrasherJets in points and assists.

Defense Pair 2

Jacob Trouba - Tyler Myers

Currently a New York Ranger, Jacob Trouba set career highs with 42 assists and 50 points for Winnipeg in 2018-19, his last year with the Jets. The ninth overall pick in the 2012 draft ranks sixth in team annals with a +37 rating and his 179 points are third among Winnipeg defensemen. Myers sits one spot ahead of him on the team's plus/minus list and ranks fourth among Jets rearguards with 14 defensive point shares. The 2010 Calder trophy winner with Buffalo played just 270 games for this franchise - less than my unofficial minimum of 300 - but I'd rather bend the rules for him than add Mark Stuart or Garnet Exelby to this roster.

 

Defense Pair 3

Josh Morrissey - Zach Bogosian

After just four full seasons with Winnipeg Josh Morrissey already ranks in the team's top ten in plus/minus (seventh) and defensive point shares (eighth). The 13th overall pick in 2013 has tallied 111 points to date - sixth-most among Jets defensemen and four fewer than Tyler Myers (in 25 more games). Zach Bogosian ranks tenth in team annals (and seventh among blueliners) with 13 defensive point shares. The third overall pick in the 2008 draft is 15th in Thrashers/Jets history with 393 games played and 325 penalty minutes.

 

Spare - Ron Hainsey

A veteran of 17 NHL seasons and seven NHL teams, Ron Hainsey played 346 games for the Thrashers/Jets franchise, the sixth most among defensemen. His 93 assists are tied for 20th in team history and only three defensemen dished out more helpers. The Connecticut native was Montreal's first round pick in 2000. 

Goalies

Starter - Connor Hellebuyck

Backup - Ondrej Pavelec

The 2020 Vezina trophy winner, Connor Hellebuyck tops all Winnipeg netminders in goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. With his next win he'll break a tie with Ondrej Pavelec for the most in franchise history. Pavelec paces the franchise in minutes played and games in net. He's fourth among all Thrashers/Jets in point shares - and first among goalies - with 58.2. Kari Lehtonen's 2.87 save percentage for Atlanta is equal to Pavelec's, and the Finnish netminder ranks second to Hellebuyck in save percentage. However his 204 games for the franchise just weren't enough to earn a spot over Ondrej.

 

Head Coach: Paul Maurice  Captain: Andrew Ladd

The Jets' current head coach, Paul Maurice has earned twice as many victories for the franchise as second-place Bob Hartley. His .581 winning percentage is tops in Jets annals and he was behind the bench for all twelve of the team's postseason victories.

 

I hope you'll join us tomorrow for our final All-Time Team, the leftover Rovers.

 

Thanks for reading!

 

 

 

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Sports Card Tour 2018 - Winnipeg

After 53 posts covering over 120 pro sports teams in 51 North American cities over a five and half month span, The Collector's Sports Card Tour comes to a close with our last stop.


Today we're in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is home to two pro sports teams - the Jets and the Blue Bombers (there must be an air force history there that I'm not aware of.)

Thanks to Doug (Dollar Store Cards) for the CFL cards

Bobby Hull sent shockwaves through the hockey world when he signed with the WHA's Winnipeg Jets in 1972. (I don't have any WHA-era Jets cards.) The move paid off for both parties.

Winnipeg was the strongest team in the rival league, reaching the Final in five of the WHA's seven seasons. The Jets won the Avco Trophy in 1976, 1978, and 1979. As a result, they were one of four franchises admitted into the NHL during the merger.

I don't have this card, either

In the NHL, Winnipeg made the playoffs in seven straight seasons but never advanced past the second round, losing to powerhouse teams in Edmonton and Calgary each year from 1983 to 1988.

 

Dale Hawerchuk was the first overall pick in the 1981 draft and the NHL's rookie of the year in 1982. Unfortunately his Hall of Fame career was overshadowed by playing at the same time as Wayne Gretzky. I only have one Hawerchuk card from the '80s (not counting my 1984-85 OPC set build) ...if I was still listing "Cards I'd Like To Own" at the end of these posts I'd consider adding his rookie card.

 

Thomas Steen continued the Jets' tradition of Swedish stars, following WHA greats Ulf Nilsson and Anders Hedberg. The two-way centre played his entire career with the Jets; his number #25 was retired by the team. His son Alex plays for the St. Louis Blues.

I had to check the Trading Card Database to see if the '83-84 O-Pee-Che Steen single was his rookie card. It's not. Also, I only had five Steen cards so I added Laurie Boschman to fill the space. Winnipeg was strong up the middle with Hawerchuk, Steen, and Boschman in the mid '80s.

Hall of Fame sniper Teemu Selanne was the Jets' first-round pick in 1988. Selanne stayed in his native Finland for four years, representing his country in the 1992 Olympics. No one could have predicted the impact he'd have upon joining the Jets for the 1992-93 season. The "Finnish Flash" scored an astounding 76 goals as a rookie.

I wonder what Don Cherry had to say about Selanne's 'machine gun' goal celebration. He probably loved it, only because Teemu was playing for a Canadian team at the time. (Do that as a Duck and Grapes will rip ya a new one.)

Selanne's 1992-93 season was the best of his Hall of Fame career, and the best rookie season ever. I'd put it right up there with Aaron Judge across all sports. I think Teemu's Upper Deck RC was listed in Beckett for at least $15 at one point.

Selanne only played about three seasons' worth of games in Winnipeg before being traded to Anaheim in 1996. As I recall, it was because he wanted superstar money and the Jets couldn't afford to pay him. He's still a fan favorite in the 'Peg

Winnipeg Arena was an aging old barn in a small market, and the Jets were no longer viable due in large part to a weak Canadian dollar. (I think the CAD was valued as low as 65 cents USD.) No amount of fan support could hide the fact that Canadian teams were bleeding cash in the '90s because they were taking in Canadian dollars and paying out US dollars. 

Their last game at Winnipeg Arena was a first-round loss to the Detroit Red Wings. I watched that game and really hoped the Jets could keep it going just a little longer.

It's always sad for me to see a franchise leave its home - something I experienced a year later with the Whalers. The classic NHL we grew up with was gone for good after three of the four WHA franchises relocated (the Oilers, who were also suffering financially, barely held on.) 

Coyotes fans adopted the Winnipeg "whiteout" their first few years in Phoenix - back when they sold out games and made the playoffs. (The team should have never moved.. to Glendale.)

Keith Tkachuk was the Jets' first-round pick in 1990. He registered his first 50-goal season in the Jets' final season and was team captain for their final game. The US Hockey Hall of Famer and his Arizona-born sons Matthew and Brady were all drafted by Canadian clubs.

When I first started Sports Card Tour I had the idea of selecting nine of my favorite base commons and adding a "cross-section" binder page of each team. I soon discovered that would eat up a lot of space, so I cut it down to these 4x2 scans and only used them for certain teams - usually when I didn't have a lot of other items to share. 

I try to abide by the rule about scanning the back of 1993-94 Leaf cards.. but I scanned the front because half the foil is missing, creating a 'crescent moon' effect.

As the NHL headed for a lockout in 2004 the old Winnipeg Arena was replaced with MTS Centre. The capacity was built to accommodate their AHL team, the Manitoba Moose. (Thought I had some Moose cards but I can't find any in my binder.) The new arena was thought to be too small for an NHL team - and few believed a team would return to Winnipeg.

In 2011 the Atlanta Thrashers flew north to Winnipeg and were re-christened the Jets. Upper Deck's 2011-12 Series 1 set pictured veteran players in Atlanta uniforms; rookie Mark Scheifele was the first draft pick of the new Jets - and the first player pictured in the new uniform.

Winnipeggers had been trolling fans of the Coyotes, Panthers, Thrashers, and other US-based teams for years. Many Jets fans blamed NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for the loss of the original Jets but I've never seen anyone give him credit for facilitating-if not expediting-the return of the Jets or making no attempt to keep the Thrashers in Atlanta.

The whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth and I haven't been able to root for the new Jets as a result. I don't like franchise free agency in general...that said, there's no denying how popular the Jets are in Winnipeg and across Canada. I'd say they're second only to the Leafs at the moment.

 

Andrew Ladd was the Thrashers' last captain and the Jets' first captain. As a rookie with the Hurricanes, Ladd injured Oilers goalie Dwayne Roloson in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. As a result, the Oilers were the only team in my lifetime to use their backup and third-string goalies in the Final. They lost in seven games. I'm getting off-topic here.

In case you were wondering, only three Thrashers remain on the current Jets roster: Bryan Little, Blake Wheeler, and Dustin Byfuglien. (I doubt you were wondering, I'm the only one that cares about such things.) It's kind of poetic that Wheeler is the Jets' current captain; he was drafted by the Coyotes but wouldn't play for them. 

Would you consider any of these guys hobby stars? I only have original Jets in my star player box (Hawerchuk, Tkachuk, Selanne) and I'm having trouble deciding if I should promote Blake or Big Buff. The Exquisite base card cost just 45 cents on COMC due to one little surface impression that actually blends in quite well. I wasn't going to buy it but the price kept dropping and I have about a third of the 30-card base set. The cards are as thick as ten cards from 2013-14 Score...a set which accounts for nearly one-third of my new Jets.

I've bought a few Jets cards on COMC over the past 16 months. These were cheap ePack cards - I actually traded for the Scheifele on site, so it only cost a quarter for shipping.

 

This pair of Patrik Laine O-Pee-Chee cards have the same photo and nearly the same price tag (the base RC was $0.71, retro was $0.75.) Winnipeg won the lottery in 2016, allowing the Jets to draft Laine second overall. Finnish Flash 2.0 (nickname patent pending) finnish-ed second in the NHL with 44 goals this past season. 

 

Some pack-pulled Jets, including the only Young Guns RC I pulled in 2017-18. Jack Roslovic is one of 11 Americans currently on their roster - the most of any NHL team.

The Jets advanced to the Western Conference Final in 2018, for the first time in their history. I bought this Kyle Connor Young Guns RC on COMC after they beat the Golden Knights in Game 1.

It must have jinxed the Jets because they didn't win again. You're welcome, Knights fans.

I bought this mug on my Canada trip in 1999

Favorite Jets player (current): If I had to pick one it would be Scheifele or Laine
Favorite Jets player (all-time): Teemu Selanne


No more tour stops. The Sports Card Tour Giveaway Draft is next. Final standings and prizes will be revealed this weekend.

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I hope you have enjoyed reading these Sports Card Tour posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them. Your comments and feedback on this project have truly been appreciated. I'm thrilled to hear that some of you have learned a few facts from reading these, as I was initially worried that I'd be telling you things you already know.

My original narrative idea was to write these posts as if I were writing a book for my mother. I might still put these posts together in a book, though I doubt she'll want to read over 500 pages of this!

Mom used to have a bit of a crush on Barry Melrose

Some of these posts were quite long, and some of the things I tried didn't work. And I probably got a few facts wrong (#fakenews) but I did my best to express my opinions of each team and city without being too biased one way or the other. Even when readers might have an unfavorable opinion of teams like the OKC Thunder (stop moving franchises, dammit!) I tried to imagine a fan of that team or city would read each post.

I've also had to fight a few battles with my lousy internet connection, which actually caused me to have a panic attack somewhere between Oakland and Pittsburgh. I'm looking forward to a month's worth of "Blogger X has the next pick" posts in August. It will give me time to relax, get some household chores done, clean up my card collection..and return the favor for all of your comments. 


With that, let the Sports Card Tour Giveaway Draft begin!


Thanks for reading everyone. Have a great weekend!



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