St. Paul, Minn — It’s easy to spot Jets fans in Minnesota, they’re almost always wearing Jets gear.
But the flags on Jonathan Braverman’s Jeep, along with the floor covers and stickers, take it to another level. His vehicle has a Minnesota license plate. He’s been calling this state home for 11 years.
“I get bugged a lot,” Braverman said.
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Braverman grew up in the Maples neighbourhood of Winnipeg, and has fond memories of watching the Jets in the old arena as a kid. He also remembers the pain of losing the team in 1996, which is also why he’s so loyal.
“I was just holding out hope they would come back.”
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The NHL returned to Winnipeg in 2011 and Braverman is just as big a fan now as he was 15 years ago, driving around Minneapolis–St. Paul proudly showing off the Jets’ colours.
“Overall I kind of stand out like a sore thumb.”
“The games I’ve been to here in Minnesota, I try to get close to the Winnipeg Jets fans because it doesn’t matter who you know, they’re all high-fiving you.”
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Braverman, who has been living in the states for well over a decade, lived in Fort Lauderdale prior to settling in the Twin Cities, which is where he met his Minnesota-born wife.
“The long winters and the long pothole season is just like growing up in Winnipeg,” Braverman said. “The people around here are just as nice.”
They now have two children and have managed to get at least one of them to cheer for the Jets.
“My daughter, who is 12, is a big Jets fan. She wears the Jets’ jerseys, the sweaters. My son is a Wild fan because of my wife, so every time I say ‘Go Jets Go’ he says “Let’s Go Wild,” Braverman said. “So its fun.”
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