WINNIPEG — The transformation of Investors Group Field from hockey rink back to a football field began almost immediately after the final buzzer sounded. The outdoor rink may be almost gone, but the memories will last a lifetime.
The return of some of the most beloved Winnipeg Jets of the past was enough to bring the childhood memories all flooding back. Yes, fans were deprived of the fairy tale ending as the Jets lost in the game that actually mattered. And the Alumni Game won’t exactly make up for all those agonizing losses in the 80’s, but for most, including “The Bandit”, there was a feeling of satisfaction, finally beating the likes of Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.
“You got how many hall of fame players on that team?” asked Daniel Berthiaume. “We tried to beat them every time we played against them and finally we got one. For them it probably doesn’t matter, but for us we’re happy.”
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It was the kind of week dreams are made from. Not only for the fans but also for some of the players. Like Ryan Smyth, who grew up in Alberta and got the chance to play alongside some of the stars he idolized as a youngster.
“I was an Oiler fan favourite back then,” said Smyth. “We played on the streets, playing ‘I’m Wayne Gretzky’ and to play on a line in the third period is pretty special for me.”
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For 15 years hockey fans in Winnipeg were left with only the pain and sorrow of losing their beloved team. The return of the Jets in 2011 healed some of those wounds, but maybe now, after seeing the likes of Dale Hawerchuk and Teemu Selanne celebrate goals with the Jets again, those memories from 1996 will seem a little less painful.
“When this team wins a Stanley Cup, it’s coming back to Winnipeg,” yelled Ed Olczyk at a rally in 1996.
Olczyk’s famous words almost became an anthem for a lost generation of Jets fans. And Eddie “O” can laugh about it now, more than 20 years later.
“I meant what I said and I love Winnipeg,” said Olczyk. “I know Glenn Healy, a former teammate of mine with the Rangers. Heals had that on for his answering machine for about five or six years at his house.”
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And with one final tweet as he left, Selanne thanked the city for what was a memorable weekend that overflowed with nostalgia.
The last word goes to the Finnish Flash upon learning the Palomino Club had been re-born.
“That’s good because we need those two-step Tuesdays.”
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