Another hockey sweater is headed to the rafters of Winnipeg’s Bell MTS Place.
Jimmy Roy, who spent his entire North American pro career as a member of the Manitoba Moose, will see his No. 21 sweater immortalized Friday.
Roy, now working as Director of Player Development with the Winnipeg Jets, holds the Moose franchise records for games played and penalty minutes.
He told 680 CJOB’s Sports Show he’s excited his sweater will take a place of honour beside the Moose’s only other retired jersey – that of his one-time teammate Mike Keane.
“I probably get a little emotional talking about it because it’s a pretty cool honour,” said Roy, who credits Keane with getting him a shot at NHL training camp with the Dallas Stars.
“I’ve known Keaner for probably 25 years … the amount of respect I have for him – not just as a hockey player, above and beyond hockey, just as a person – you just can’t compare it.
“To be able to share that together with him, I think we were very similar in the way we thought about the game and the way we played it … I think there’s no bigger honour than to share this with him.”
Roy joined the Moose in 1997 – shortly after the original incarnation of the Winnipeg Jets relocated to Arizona – and said he was impressed by the organization’s big-league professionalism.
“I have to give a lot of credit to the fans and ownership, and the people who sold tickets, and the training staff and everybody, because they made us feel like we were in the NHL. It was a pretty cool environment to be around.
“There’s a bunch of stuff that comes spouting back. My first memory was when I walked out from the locker room to the old Winnipeg Arena.
“In training camp, I was the first person out there, and I remember seeing the big picture of the Queen in the old arena.”
Roy, who ended his playing career with the Iserlohn Roosters in Germany, said that during his nine years with the Moose, the team was always competitive.
“We missed the playoffs (only) once, so there was always that playoff fever there, which is what you want in professional hockey.”