Thoughts About Winnipeg’s NHL Team Name

So this will be my last plug for using Mechs as a nickname for the new Winnipeg NHL franchise, as well as an argument for the team returning to their original Jets monicker.

I think Mechs would work on so many levels - it’s badass, modern, different, aggressive, and just plain cool overall. It also pays homage to the Jets name, when acknowledging many Mechs turn into Jets or can fly like one. It’s Jets on steroids, essentially.

The name would move merchandise beyond the core fans of the team. The team mascot and the pregame entrance would be the best in the league!

Mechs would be my personal choice for the nickname if the team were seeking a new identity. Like the majority of fans out there (according to numerous polls and petitions), I’d be very happy with a return to the old Winnipeg Jets name.

The team have a lengthy history prior to moving to Phoenix in 1996, and many fans have carried the torch over the last 15 years for the sorely-missed Jets. The name has become synonymous for heartbreak and symbolic for a large void in the Canadian hockey landscape.

There is a general assumption that True North (owners of the franchise) are trying to milk fans for as much money as possible with a new name. You can’t really fault them for this, they just spent $170M purchasing the team, so any means to recoup that seems reasonable. I’m still wondering why they paid a relocation fee ($60M) as Dallas, Carolina, Phoenix, and Denver did not have to pay one - but I digress. True North paid the big bucks, so if they want to name the team something silly like The Mighty Ducks, they are more than free to do so.

Many also argue to keep the Jets name, but opt for a new logo and jersey style to satisfy True North’s appetite for merchandise profits, which would be a reasonable approach. The current iteration of the logo and jerseys used from 1990-1996 is still modern-looking and passable, but a refresh is long overdue.

Many budding designers have revamped the Jets brand, as the logo wields a lot of recognition and personality. These designs were submitted for numerous sports logo and jersey enthusiast websites over the past 15 years. Even I have engaged in the exercise. The Winnipeg Jets brand has carried so much appeal for designers and sporting enthusiasts alike, comparable to the Nordiques, Rockies, Whalers, North Stars, and many other defunct or retro teams. Often the design exercise was to see how the Jets would look if they were still active, a question which might soon be answered.

Speaking of the Minnesota North Stars, their successor the Minnesota Wild is one example of how a reborn NHL team opted for a new identity which lead to mixed results. A new name was needed, because the old North Stars name was altered to Stars when the team relocated to Dallas. Despite the necessity for a new identity, many fans still attend Wild games clad in North Stars gear. Minnesota had to deal with name similarity, an issue Winnipeg does not have to contend with. However Winnipeg should make note of the fallout Minnesota endured.

The NHL currently owns the Jets brand, and continues to reap all the profits until True North declares they’d like to reactivate the name for their own use. True North better act quickly, as there has been a frenzy for Jets merchandise across Canada.

I wouldn’t mind seeing an extension of the name as long as “Jets” was used in some form. For example: Winnipeg Fighter Jets, which has a Notre Dame Fighting Irish theme to it. Fans can simply shorten it to “Jets” if they’d like (and probably will). Then again, the simplicity of the name Jets has a lot of appeal.

A few of the other candidate names haven’t impressed me as a name that can replace the Jets. Moose seems like a parody of Canadian culture. Can you imagine the Manitoba Moose taking on the New York Rangers? Falcons feels so very high school to me, probably because I attended a few schools with that nickname. However Falcons does carry a lot of historical significance (first Canadian team to win Gold at the Olympics). Bison, Mounties, Warriors, etc. - all names that don’t have the same amount of currency as the Jets. I am very ambivalent about whether to name the team for the city or province, as both are rather funny to read and pronounce. Winnipeg. Manitoba. See?

One thing is for sure, fans will be chanting Go Jets Go regardless of what the team is named when the puck drops in October. And if True North does move forward with Jets, they are more than welcome to use my Mech as a mascot.

EDIT: If they do go with Mechs or Jets, I propose they adopt a Mech as their mascot. The Mech would have many jet parts, almost looking like Starscream. It would have proportions like this:

I think it would look cool to have a ‘walking jet’ serve as the mascot.

Also if I was in charge of the NHL Guardian Project, I would use giant robots to represent teams instead of Superheroes. The robots may not be as unique looking as caped characters, but you could incorporate all the city skylines as the backdrop to giant robot battles.