Game #89- Winnipeg Jets

Winnipeg Jets vs. Arizona Coyotes, January 26th 2016, MTS Center. I was invited to go to a friends bachelor party in Vancouver, and I thought if I am flying all the way to Canada I should try to knock out a game if I can. I really wanted to see hockey games in both Edmonton and Winnipeg but it was close to All-Star weekend and my only option were the Jets. That's ok, I have heard Edmonton is beautiful and perhaps I can see more of the city and the surrounding countryside when I visit that part of the country. Winnipeg on the other hand...I didn't really have a problem flying in for the night and getting out early the next day. After a 20 minute bus ride to the MTS center I was itching to get inside, it was about four degrees that night and with windchill it was below zero. The arena is fairly new and the entire concourse area was covered with hockey jerseys from the NHL, AHL, and junior teams. I also liked the fact that they had a wall of fame for local and Jets players as well as some old jerseys from the first Olympic gold medal team. It's nice to see an arena that celebrates the athletes and teams that most identify with the city. Moving on to the game, I was excited to watch the Jets. Growing up I was a fan of Teemu Selane and I knew the passion this city has for hockey. They were devastated

when the team moved to Phoenix so when the Atlanta Thrashers fell apart the city jumped at the chance to bring the Jets back. Personally I only know of one player on the current roster, and I think the rest of the NHL feels the same way because Dustin Byfuglien was the sole representative on the team selected to the All Star team. But that's ok, I just wanted the home team to beat the Coyotes. The Yotes are slowly catching up to my Kings and every loss simply helps our cause. Tonight I was in for a treat. Rookie Kikolaj Ehlers netted a hat trick for the Jets causing Arizona goalie Louie Domingue to flip out and snapping his stick against the goal post further exciting the crowd. Byfuglien scored on a break away in the third and putting the home team up 5-1, eventually winning 5-2. It was a good game and I was ready to move on to Vancouver for the real fun. Best part of the game, when the crowd starting chanting "There's no All-Star! There's no All-Star!". Why is that funny you may ask? Well this year the NHL opened the All-Star ballot to the entire NHL, so any player was available to be selected. For some reason the internet exploded voting for Arizona's John Scott...a fourth liner known more for fighting than skill. Now to the humorous part, John Scott was traded to the Montreal Canadien's organization and was quickly dropped to their AHL team. Because the 'Yotes only had one All-star selection, and Scott was no longer on the team, the savvy Jet's fans jumped on the visiting team. Too funny. By the way, the next day I was the only person walking from my hotel to the airport in a foot of snow in shorts. Everyone thought I was nuts and when they found out I was a hockey fan and lived in San Diego they were floored. I love Canada!