What? I don't see anything.
It's the #9. Kane wears the number 9. Which is awesome because it makes him look like K-9 out on the ice.
Wait. That's not him. Sorry.
Much better.
Anyway, so what's the big deal? Kane is a star on the team and wore the number 9 in Atlanta, so what's the problem with him keeping his number in Winnipeg?
Bobby Hull. That's the problem. But not really, but yeah.
Why is Bobby Hull a problem?
Because they retired the number 9 for Bobby Hull. The old Jets. The current Coyotes who still have it retired to this day.
See, this is a classic example of why the Jets should not be the Jets. I have said it time and time again, but I'll say it again. The Winnipeg team should never have taken on the Jets as a nickname. It will eventually get to be too complicated trying to seperate the two franchises.
And its already starting. Kane wants to wear the number 9, but unofficially maybe he shouldn't. I mean, officially he's all fine because the franchise (the Atlanta to Winnipeg one) never retired the number. But the Jets (circa pre-Phoenix) did. So you've maybe got a new 9 Jets jersey which could rub people the wrong way.
Will it? Who knows. I imagine some will see it as disresepectful and an abomination on the Jets tradition. Some may see it as what it is, New Jets. Jets 2.0. But more importantly, will Kane actually wear it?
Kanes says he wants to. But, he also said he will seek the approval of Bobby Hull before doing so. If it gets a no-go, he will switch to the number 19.
What should they do? Personally, I'd like to see Kane keep the 9 in Winnipeg. It is a very direct signal to "old" Jet fans that this is a new team with a new identity and new set of protocols and a new number set. This team must establish a new identity for the sake of preserving the memory of the old and growing with the new.
I do have another recommendation. I sense the Winnipeg front office doesn't read this or if they do, they won't listen to me. Again. But here's my suggestion: Retire the number 37. For Dan Snyder and the Atlanta Thrashers.
In case you don't know, Snyder was killed in a horrific car crash while riding with Thrashers teammate Dany Heatley.
Heatley, who was driving about up to 82 MPH in a 35 zone, lost control and skidded into a brick pillar and iron fence. Both players were ejected from the car. Six days later on October 5, Snyder lapsed into septic shock and died. Heatley was charged with vehicular homicide as a result of the crash.
He pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular homicide, driving too fast for conditions, failure to maintain a lane, and speeding. He was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to give 150 speeches on the dangers of speeding, and pay $25,000 to Fulton County for the cost of investigating the crash. The lighter sentence was due in part to Snyder's parents forgiving Heatley for the accident, their desire that he not be sent to prison, and the judge's opinion that Heatley being in prison would not benefit the community.
The Thrashers named the Dan Snyder Memorial Award in his honor. This award is given to the player that best embodies perseverance, dedication and hard work without reward or recognition, so that his team and teammates might succeed. His parents gave the award, here presented to Eric Perrin.
As a bare minimum, I would hope the award is still given out in Winnipeg. I would like to see the number 37 retired for two reasons. First, it pays respect to a man whose life was cut short. Second, it give a small nod to the franchises roots here in Atlanta without being bold and obvious (though I'm all for bold and obvious), like the Calgary Flames did.
Not only did the Flames keep the name Flames from Atlanta, but the alternate captain's "A" on the jerseys is the old primary Altanta Flames "A".
How did other teams handle the relocations from city to city? Well, there are five other examples of teams leaving an area. The Colorado Rockies become the New Jersey Devils. The Dallas Stars were once the Minnesota North Stars. The Quebec Nordiques are now the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes are the former Hartford Whalers. How did those teams handle it?
We already mentioned the Phoenix Coyotes have the number 9 for Hull. They also have the number 25 retired from Thomas Steen, by Winnipeg. That is the way to go.
The Avalanche did not give the same treatment to their franchise's former city. The Nordiques retired the numbers 3 – J. C. Tremblay, 8 – Marc Tardif, 16 – Michel Goulet, and 26 – Peter Stastny. After the move to Denver, the Avalanche returned all four of these numbers to circulation. Peter's son Paul Stastny is currently wearing #26. There appears to be no indication of any kind of the Quebec team. Normally, I would say that's messed up and wrong. BUT, I might be able to give the Avalanche a little bit of a pass for two reasons.
One: the Nordiques was struggling badly with identifying itself. It was in an area that almost exclusively spoke French and therefore couldn't really establish itself outside the city. This was an opportunity to let it grow.
The other reason is related because they were a part of a team bringing NHL hockey back to Colorado.
The Colorado Rockies left in 1982 and became the New Jersey Devils, before the 1995 season when the Avalanche moved to Denver. The Rockies did not retire any numbers, so of course the Devils didn't have that issue. The Devils is a bit of a different story. New Jersey had been trying for years to get a team. And the Rockies were struggling in many ways. Seven coaches in four seasons. Last place in the standings. I mean REALLY struggling. So it may have been a blessing to start completely new for the franchise. While it still might have been a nice nod to do something in recognition for the former team, things worked out because the Denver area welcomed the Nordiques (now the Avalanche) and began a new era.
Interestingly, the Devils and the Avalanche met in the 2001 Stanley Cup Finals where the Avalance won. This is one of the most notable Finals ever, not necessarily because of the franchise/city connections, but because of Ray Bourque. After being handed the Cup from NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, captain Joe Sakic immediately turned, and gave it to Ray Bourque, capping off Bourque's 22-year career with his only championship. This is extremely unusually because the captain traditionally raises it above his head, kisses the cup, skates a victory lap around the ice, and then hands it off. But if ever someone had earned this type of honor, it was Ray Bourque.
Arguably one of the greatest moments in Stanley Cup history.
But let's get back to the issue of remembering the former city in a franchise. The Hurricanes. When the Whalers moved to Carolina to begin the 1997-98 NHL season, the previously retired #2 for Rick Ley and #19 for John McKenzie for the New England Whalers were returned to circulation, while Gordie Howe's #9 was not. Howe's number is considered officially retired by the Hurricanes, although there is no banner to recognize it. That is an interesting decision. It is officially retired, but not really shown that way. And it wasn't everyone, just Gordie Howe. I don't know how I really feel about that. I guess it does honor the past (kinda half heartedly), but establishes a new identity. I do wish they would have been an all or none thing. Not pick Gordie Howe out, though he is a great player, don't get me wrong.
The Stars. That is a unique situation any way you slice it. The time in Minnesota was good for the team, then named the North Stars.
They had hardships both on and off the ice. They did have an impressive Cinderella run in 1991 and made it to the Stanley Cup Finals wearing the jersey pictured above. But it was clear that owners didn't care as they announced the new team moniker in 1992.
That cannot be a good sign. You make the Finals one year and come back to change the jersey? Could it be possible the team was looking to move?
The team was losing money. (What? Lose money on hockey in Minnesota?) It was hard to get a deal with the city on stadium permits. Attendance was low. As is well explained in a 1993 Sports Illustrated article, owner Norman Green was much reviled in Minnesota following his decision to relocate the franchise. Several reasons were cited including poor attendance during a string of losing seasons, the failure to reach stadium deals in Minneapolis or Saint Paul, and a sexual harassment lawsuit against Green that resulted in his wife threatening to leave him unless he moved the team. The article included a quote from North Stars booster club president Julie Hammond: "When [Norm Green] came here, he said, 'Only an idiot could lose money on hockey in Minnesota.' Well, I guess he proved that point."
Okay. So the management let/forced/caused the move of a team from Minnesota. I mean, if you look at it, he tried to relocated to Anaheim (denied, granted to expansion Mighty Ducks) and San Jose (denied, granted to expansion Sharks).
That sucks. But here's the really interesting part. The NHL promised the people of Minnesota that hockey would soon return. And it did. The team left for Dallas in 1993 and by 2000, the Wild were there. The NHL felt so bad for the people, they put in a new team because their ownership sucked that much. Either that or the NHL realized that this is a great area for hockey (financially) and this guy "done screwed us up bad." Either way, the NHL recognized him as bad business and/or bad for the fans and made it up to them.
All of that is just a side note. The bigger point is that the Stars not only kept the name, but the look as well. So they certainly honor their past.
I can only hope that Winnipeg does something to remember the Thrashers for us Atlanta fans, in some way. Not the traditional name (as the Flames and Stars did). But something. Maybe even having the word "Winnipeg" going down the left arm as the Thrashers traditionally did with the word "Atlanta". Just a slight nod.
I'm not expecting another tradition to carry over regarding the Snyder accident: the constant booing of Dany Heatley. Although Dan Snyder's parents may have forgive Heatley, the Atlanta fans never did. He's a talented player having some great seasons in Ottawa then San Jose and he will likely be just fine in Minnesota, but Atlanta will always remember him for "killing another player". That's, to a degree, not fair because he didn't, of course, intentionally mean to kill Snyder. However, when you drive your Ferrari 360 Modena more than double the speed limit, you have to expect bad things may happen.
Yes. That car going between 55 and 82 in a 35. Ya think maybe that's a bad idea?
Realistically, I don't think the 37 will be retired. I don't know if the Dan Snyder Award will carry over, though I hope both of these things happen. If not, Snyder's memory will not fade away completely because the former Atlanta and current Canucks' American Hockey League affiliate, the Chicago Wolves have a yearly award given in his honor, the Dan Snyder Man of the Year Award, and have honored his number 19 by hanging a banner with other retired and honored player numbers. Likewise the Ontario Hockey League renamed their Humanitarian of the Year trophy in his honor, making it the Dan Snyder Memorial Trophy.
Which brings us full circle to Evander Kane again. Kane might wear 9, but if not, it will be 19, the same number hung in a place of honor in the Chicago Wolves arena. Maybe that's the answer. Don't officially retire the number 9 or the number 37 (or 25 for Steen), but put them in a place of honor with other banners and eventual retired numbers. Honor old Jets. Honor Atlanta & Snyder.
I'd be happy with that. But can you see now why naming the team "Jets" has some unintended consequences?
TTFN
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