Winnipeg JetsCanadian professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitobawho plays in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The franchise was founded in 1999 in Atlanta as the Thrashers and had losing seasons in each of its first five years of existence. Improvement came with the development of the young star Ilya Kovalchuk, the first overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, and the Thrashers posted their first winning record during the 2005–06 season. In 2006-2007, the team won a division title but was swept by the New York Rangers in his only playoff appearance while located in Atlanta.
After their division title season, the Thrashers returned to the ranks of teams that did not reach the playoffs, posting winning percentages around .500 over the next four seasons. The team’s prolonged mediocrity, combined with a relatively uninterested ownership group that largely failed to engage Atlanta-area hockey fans, led to the team’s poor performance. presence during Thrashers home games and diminishing returns on the team’s financial investments. In 2011, the franchise was sold to a Winnipeg-based company who moved the team to Canada. The team name was changed to the Jets in honor of the professional hockey team of that name which played in Winnipeg from 1972 to 1996 before becoming the Phoenix Coyotes. As part of an NHL realignment, the Jets moved from the Eastern Conference to the Western Conference after the 2012–13 season.
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During the 2014–15 season, Winnipeg won 43 games and accumulated 99 points (a franchise record at the time), but finished only in fifth place in a very competitive Central Division. The Jets nevertheless qualified for the playoffs for the first time since their move, but the team was swept in its first playoff series. Winnipeg’s return to the playoffs was short-lived, as the team returned to the bottom of the division standings the following year. In 2017–18, the Jets had the second-best record in the NHL during the regular season (114 points) and advanced to the franchise’s first Conference Finals series, where the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights. Winnipeg returned to the playoffs after the 2018–19 season, but lost in the first round. The team’s next playoff appearance will be in 2020–21. This season, which was shortened due to COVID-19 pandemicsaw the Jets advance to the second round, where the team was swept by the Montreal Canadiens.
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- 1999 – present
Winnipeg also made the playoffs in 2022-23 and 2023-24, but lost in the first round both seasons. In 2024–25, the Jets finished the regular season with a record of 56-22-4, winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the team with the most points. However, Winnipeg had a disappointing run in the playoffs, losing in the second round.
