Could it Be??

Well it’s official…….almost.  Winnipeg will once again have an NHL franchise, pending the formality of having the NHL Board of Governors vote on the relocation.

Please forgive this post as I go off on a non-real-estate-related tangent for the first time since I started my blog.

Being from Winnipeg, I was a Jets fan through and through as a youngster playing hockey.  I was at the final Jets game (a loss to Detroit in the first round of the playoffs) and it was a sad day for everyone in the city and surrounding area.

Photo Credit: blogspot.com

The prospects for success look good, especially considering the immediate response from the city and community.  The only question is will the novelty eventually wear off?  The original NHL franchise never really amounted to much and fan support only seemed to pick up when the prospect of the team relocating seemed imminent.  Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again……because it did in Atlanta (For those of you that don’t know, this was actually the 2^nd failure of the Atlanta franchise – the first being the relocation of the Atlanta Flames to Calgary).

I wish the new franchise all the best, but approach the entire situation with cautious optimism.  The rink is the smallest in the NHL (even Gary Bettman mentioned today that “this will not work  unless the building is sold out every night”……seriously Gary?....Winnipeg already hates you enough….do you have to be a Negative Nancy on the day of the news conference???), the fan base is the smallest (yet probably the loudest) and it may be tough attracting talent to city with two seasons – Winter and Mosquitoes……..OK, it’s not that bad….really.  I love the place….most of the time.

Realistically, I think it will work out, although I wish the city and True North would have had the foresight to believe that an NHL team could return….and not build an area that is the size of a sardine can….but beggars can’t be choosers.

With the name of the new team…and the colours…..still up in the air, it looks like I will have to wait a while to buy my girlfriend a new jersey for her birthday J

For lack of a better signoff…..Go Jets Go!