Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets history, from the original Jets and the Atlanta Thrashers to the 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy, the 2025-26 collapse and the Hellebuyck trade.
The Winnipeg Jets are the NHL’s story of a city that lost its team and got it back. The club that took the ice in Winnipeg in 2011-12 was the relocated Atlanta Thrashers. On September 24, 2026, the league formally consolidated its statistical history with that of the original Jets of 1979-96, so one franchise record now runs from Bobby Hull’s WHA club through Dale Hawerchuk, Teemu Selänne, Ilya Kovalchuk and Connor Hellebuyck. Across that history the franchise has never won a Stanley Cup. Its high point came in 2024-25, when it won the first Presidents’ Trophy in its history with 116 points. The fall that followed was historic too: in 2025-26 it became one of only five defending Presidents’ Trophy winners to miss the playoffs.
| Vitals | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 (WHA Jets); joined NHL 1979. NHL lineage: Winnipeg 1979–1996, Atlanta Thrashers 1999–2011, Winnipeg since 2011 |
| League / conference / division | NHL / Western Conference / Central Division |
| Arena | Canada Life Centre, Winnipeg (opened as MTS Centre) |
| Owner | True North Sports & Entertainment (Mark Chipman, executive chairman and governor) |
| Head coach (Nov. 5, 2026) | Scott Arniel (since 2024-25) |
| Titles | No Stanley Cups; Presidents’ Trophy 2024-25; WHA Avco Cup 1976, 1978, 1979 |
Origins: the WHA Jets and the Hot Line (1972–1979)
The signing that made a league. The Jets name dates to the World Hockey Association. On June 27, 1972, Bobby Hull left the Chicago Black Hawks for Winnipeg on a 10-year contract as player and coach. It was the moment that gave the rebel league credibility, and it made Winnipeg a major-league hockey city.
The Hot Line. Swedish forwards Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson joined Hull to form the “Hot Line.” The Jets won the Avco Cup in 1975-76, 1977-78 and 1978-79, the first of those with a four-game sweep of Houston. They also lost the 1973 and 1977 finals.
A gutted entry. The Jets joined the NHL in 1979 with Edmonton, Hartford and Quebec. The merger terms let the established clubs reclaim players, and Winnipeg lost three of its top six scorers in the expansion draft and picked late in the entry draft. The Jets went 20-49-11 in 1979-80 and 9-57-14 in 1980-81. Those nine wins are the fewest in franchise history.
Hawerchuk and the Smythe Division wall (1981–1990)
The franchise center. That 1980-81 collapse earned Winnipeg the first overall pick in 1981, and the Jets chose Dale Hawerchuk. He won the Calder Trophy in 1981-82, and the Jets jumped from 32 points to 80 and their first NHL playoff berth. Over nine Winnipeg seasons Hawerchuk scored 379 goals and 929 points in 713 games. Both are franchise records under the 2026 consolidation.
Contender, with an Oiler problem. Hawerchuk and Thomas Steen made the mid-1980s Jets a regular playoff team. Coach Barry Long’s 1984-85 club went 43-27-10 for 96 points, the best record of the original Jets’ NHL years. Geography was the problem. The Smythe Division sent the Jets through Calgary and Edmonton every spring, and Wayne Gretzky’s Oilers eliminated Winnipeg six times between 1983 and 1990.
The two series wins. Before 2018 the franchise won only two NHL playoff series. Both came against Calgary: 3-1 in the 1985 division semifinals and 4-2 in 1987. Each sent Winnipeg into a division final against Edmonton, and each ended in a 4-0 sweep. In 1990, Bob Murdoch’s Jets pushed the Oilers to seven games in the division semifinals and lost the series 4-3.
The end of an era. Hawerchuk was traded to Buffalo after the 1989-90 season. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2001. Steen stayed through 1995 and finished with 553 assists, the franchise record.
Selänne, Tkachuk and the last stand (1990–1996)
The Finnish Flash. Winnipeg drafted Teemu Selänne 10th overall in 1988, and he arrived in 1992-93 to produce the greatest rookie season in NHL history: 76 goals and 132 points in 84 games. Both remain league rookie records, and both are franchise single-season records. He won the Calder Trophy and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. Under John Paddock, the Jets made the playoffs in 1991-92 and 1992-93 and lost to Vancouver both times.
Tkachuk’s club. Keith Tkachuk, the 19th pick in 1990, captained the team from 1993 to 1995. In the final Winnipeg season, 1995-96, he scored 50 goals and 98 points. Selänne was traded to Anaheim during that season. Teppo Numminen anchored the blue line through the whole decade.
Leaving Winnipeg. A weak Canadian dollar, rising free-agent salaries and the aging Winnipeg Arena, which had no luxury suites, pushed the team out. Owner Barry Shenkarow sold to Steven Gluckstern and Richard Burke, who moved the club to Phoenix. The last game was a 4-1 loss to Detroit on April 28, 1996, which ended a 4-2 first-round series defeat.
The Atlanta Thrashers (1999–2011)
Expansion in the South. The NHL awarded Atlanta a franchise on June 25, 1997. The Thrashers lost their first game 4-1 to New Jersey on October 2, 1999. The expansion team went 14-57-7-4 under coach Curt Fraser, and the club had a losing record in each of its first five seasons.
Heatley, Kovalchuk and a tragedy. Two high picks gave Atlanta a pair of young stars. Dany Heatley, taken second overall in 2000, won the 2001-02 Calder Trophy. Ilya Kovalchuk, taken first overall in 2001, became the most prolific scorer the Thrashers ever had. In September 2003, Heatley crashed his car, and teammate Dan Snyder died of his injuries days later. Snyder’s No. 37 was taken out of circulation in Atlanta. In 2016, Hellebuyck began wearing No. 37 in Winnipeg with the Snyder family’s support. Heatley was traded to Ottawa in 2005 for Marián Hossa and Greg de Vries.
The one playoff spring. Kovalchuk took a share of the 2003-04 Rocket Richard Trophy with 41 goals. He scored 52 goals in both 2005-06 and 2007-08, and finished with 328 goals and 615 points as a Thrasher. In 2006-07, Bob Hartley’s team went 43-28-11 and won the Southeast Division. Hossa had 100 points and goaltender Kari Lehtonen won 34 games. The New York Rangers swept them in the first round. It was Atlanta’s only postseason, and the Thrashers never won a playoff game.
Decline and sale. An ownership dispute within the Atlanta Spirit group and years of missed playoffs wore the franchise down. Kovalchuk was traded to New Jersey on February 4, 2010. On June 23, 2010, Atlanta acquired defenseman Dustin Byfuglien from Chicago, and he would become a fixture of the revived Jets. On May 31, 2011, the NHL confirmed the sale of the Thrashers to True North Sports & Entertainment. The reported price was $170 million, including a $60 million relocation fee, and the Board of Governors approved the move on June 21, 2011.
Return to Winnipeg (2011–2017)
The name comes back. True North revealed the “Winnipeg Jets” name at the 2011 NHL Draft on June 24, 2011, ending 15 years without NHL hockey in the city. The new Jets opened at the MTS Centre on October 9, 2011, with a 5-1 loss to Montreal. Nik Antropov scored the first goal of the revival. Claude Noël coached the first two and a half seasons, Andrew Ladd was the first captain, and the team played in the Southeast Division until the 2013-14 realignment moved it to the Central.
Building through the draft. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff built through the draft and took Hellebuyck in the fifth round, 130th overall, in 2012. Paul Maurice replaced Noël in January 2014. In 2014-15, the Jets went 43-26-13 and reached the playoffs for the first time since the move, but Anaheim swept them 4-0. Two non-playoff seasons followed. In that time, a core of Blake Wheeler, captain from 2016, Byfuglien and Mark Scheifele added Patrik Laine, Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers.
The Maurice peak and the 2018 run (2017–2021)
A 114-point breakthrough. The 2017-18 Jets went 52-20-10 for 114 points with Hellebuyck in goal, the best record of the Maurice years. They beat Minnesota 4-1 in the first round. In the second round they met Nashville, the Presidents’ Trophy winner, and won Game 7 on May 10, 2018, 5-1 in Nashville. It was the franchise’s first NHL series win since 1987 and sent Winnipeg to its first conference final.
Vegas. The expansion Vegas Golden Knights ended the run. Winnipeg won Game 1 4-2 on May 12, then lost four straight, ending with a 2-1 home loss in Game 5 on May 20. That conference final remains the deepest playoff run in franchise history.
Diminishing returns. The Jets lost in the first round to St. Louis in 2019 and to Calgary in the 2020 qualifying round. Hellebuyck won his first Vezina Trophy for 2019-20. In the shortened 2020-21 season, Winnipeg swept Edmonton 4-0 and was then swept by Montreal. Maurice stepped down during the 2021-22 season, and interim coach Dave Lowry finished a non-playoff year.
The Hellebuyck era and the Presidents’ Trophy (2022–2025)
Bowness and a new captain. Rick Bowness, a former original-Jets coach, returned in 2022-23. Wheeler lost the captaincy in 2022, and Adam Lowry was named captain in 2023. The Jets lost first-round series to Vegas in 2023 and Colorado in 2024, the second after a 52-24-6 regular season in 2023-24. Hellebuyck won the Vezina and Jennings trophies that season and signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract.
The 116-point season. Under first-year coach Scott Arniel, the 2024-25 Jets went 56-22-4 for 116 points, a franchise record. They won the Central Division and the Presidents’ Trophy, the first of either in the franchise’s history. The offense averaged 3.35 goals per game, tied for third in the NHL. Hellebuyck went 47-12-3 with a 2.00 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and eight shutouts. He won the Hart Trophy, a third Vezina and a second Jennings.
Seven games, then Dallas. The first round against St. Louis followed home ice: Winnipeg won all four games at home and lost all three in St. Louis. The Jets took Game 7 4-3 in double overtime on May 4, 2025. Dallas won three of the first four games of the second round. Winnipeg answered with a 4-0 shutout at home in Game 5, but the Stars closed the series 4-2 with a 2-1 overtime win in Game 6 on May 17. Hellebuyck went 6-7 in that postseason, and his playoff record since 2018 fell to 15-26.
The 2025-26 collapse and the Hellebuyck trade (2025–2026)
Injury and the slide. Hellebuyck had knee surgery on Nov. 22, 2025 and returned on Dec. 13. An 0-7-4 run from Dec. 15 to Jan. 8 dropped Winnipeg to last in the Western Conference. Scoring fell to 2.81 goals per game, tied for 24th in the league. Scheifele still had a career-high 101 points, Connor 90 and Gabriel Vilardi a career-best 30 goals.
Elimination. A post-Olympic push reached one point of a wild-card spot on March 31. On April 13, 2026, a 6-2 loss to Vegas and a Los Angeles win eliminated the Jets. They finished 35-35-12 with 82 points, seventh in the Central, and their three-year playoff streak ended. The Hockey Writers noted that Winnipeg became just the fifth reigning Presidents’ Trophy winner to miss the postseason. Hellebuyck finished 2025-26 at 23-23-11 with a .895 save percentage, although he won Olympic gold with the United States in February 2026.
The standoff. Hellebuyck requested a trade during the 2026 offseason. A June deal reportedly involving Buffalo fell through. He did not report to training camp in September, and the Jets suspended him. Winnipeg signed Stuart Skinner and claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers. On October 23, 2026, Winnipeg sent Hellebuyck to New Jersey for forward Dawson Mercer, goaltender Nico Daws, 2026 first-round pick Alexander Command, forward Nick Bjugstad, a 2029 second-round pick and a 2027 seventh-round pick, according to The Hockey News and the Associated Press.
Outlook as of Nov. 5, 2026. The Jets opened 2026-27 under Arniel with Lowry as captain, without Hellebuyck, and with a goaltending group rebuilt around Skinner. Scheifele and Vilardi are signed through 2030-31 and Connor through 2033-34. Under the consolidated record book, Scheifele entered 2026-27 at 372 goals, 535 assists and 907 points, within reach of all three Hawerchuk and Steen records.
Retired numbers
No banner, many honours. As of November 2026, Winnipeg was one of only two NHL clubs with no officially retired numbers; the other was Utah. The original Jets retired Bobby Hull’s No. 9 and Thomas Steen’s No. 25. Those honours went to Phoenix with the franchise in 1996, and the Coyotes later honoured both, along with Hawerchuk’s No. 10. The current club honours the original Jets through the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame, created in 2016, and inductees’ numbers are recognized at induction. Hawerchuk’s No. 10 has not been issued since the move from Atlanta. Hockey-Reference lists Nos. 9, 10 and 25 as the franchise’s retired and honoured numbers.
Retired numbers
| No. | Player | Pos. | Team tenure | Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | Bobby Hull | LW | 1972–1980 | Retired Feb. 19, 1989 (original Jets); Jets HOF Oct. 19, 2016 |
| 25 | Thomas Steen | C | 1981–1995 | Retired May 6, 1995 (original Jets); Jets HOF Feb. 11, 2020 |
| 10 | Dale Hawerchuk | C | 1981–1990 | Honoured Nov. 14, 2017 (Jets HOF) |
| 4 | Lars-Erik Sjöberg | D | 1974–1980 | Honoured Feb. 26, 2019 (Jets HOF) |
| 8 | Randy Carlyle | D | 1984–1993 | Honoured Feb. 11, 2020 (Jets HOF) |
| 13 | Teemu Selänne | RW | 1992–1996 | Honoured Nov. 17, 2022 (Jets HOF) |
| 14 | Ab McDonald | LW | 1972–1974 | Honoured Feb. 26, 2019 (Jets HOF) |
| 14 | Ulf Nilsson | C | 1974–1978 | Honoured Oct. 19, 2016 (Jets HOF) |
| 15 | Anders Hedberg | RW | 1974–1978 | Honoured Oct. 19, 2016 (Jets HOF) |
| 27 | Teppo Numminen | D | 1988–1996 | Honoured Nov. 17, 2022 (Jets HOF) |
| 37 | Dan Snyder | C | 2002–2003 | Withdrawn from circulation in Atlanta (unofficial) |
Season by season
Every NHL season in the consolidated franchise record, newest decade first. The franchise was inactive from 1996 to 1999, and no 2004-05 season was played because of the lockout.
The 2020s 258–169–39 · 4 playoff berths · 1 Presidents' Trophy
| Season | W–L | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | In progress | — | — |
| 2025-26 | 35-35-12 | 7th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2024-25 | 56-22-4 | 1st, Central (Presidents’ Trophy) | Lost second round (DAL 2-4) |
| 2023-24 | 52-24-6 | 2nd, Central | Lost first round (COL) |
| 2022-23 | 46-33-3 | 4th, Central | Lost first round (VGK) |
| 2021-22 | 39-32-11 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2020-21 | 30-23-3 | 3rd, North | Lost second round (MTL 0-4) |
The 2010s 386–305–84 · 4 playoff berths · 1 conference final
| Season | W–L | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 37-28-6 | 4th, Central | Lost qualifying round (CGY) |
| 2018-19 | 47-30-5 | 2nd, Central | Lost first round (STL) |
| 2017-18 | 52-20-10 | 2nd, Central | Lost conference final (VGK 1-4) |
| 2016-17 | 40-35-7 | 5th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2015-16 | 35-39-8 | 7th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2014-15 | 43-26-13 | 5th, Central | Lost first round (ANA 0-4) |
| 2013-14 | 37-35-10 | 7th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 2012-13 | 24-21-3 | 2nd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2011-12 | 37-35-10 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2010-11 (ATL) | 34-36-12 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
The 2000s 294–344–100 · 1 playoff berth · 1 division title (Atlanta)
| Season | W–L | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-10 (ATL) | 35-34-13 | 2nd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2008-09 (ATL) | 35-41-6 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2007-08 (ATL) | 34-40-8 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2006-07 (ATL) | 43-28-11 | 1st, Southeast | Lost conference quarterfinal (NYR 0-4) |
| 2005-06 (ATL) | 41-33-8 | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2004-05 | — | Season canceled (lockout) | — |
| 2003-04 (ATL) | 33-37-8-4 | 2nd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2002-03 (ATL) | 31-39-7-5 | 3rd, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2001-02 (ATL) | 19-47-11-5 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 2000-01 (ATL) | 23-45-12-2 | 4th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
The 1990s 189–285–66 · 3 playoff berths · move to Phoenix, rebirth in Atlanta
| Season | W–L | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999-00 (ATL) | 14-57-7-4 | 5th, Southeast | Did not qualify |
| 1996-97 to 1998-99 | — | Franchise inactive | — |
| 1995-96 | 36-40-6 | 5th, Central | Lost conference quarterfinal (DET 2-4) |
| 1994-95 | 16-25-7 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 1993-94 | 24-51-9 | 6th, Central | Did not qualify |
| 1992-93 | 40-37-7 | 4th, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (VAN) |
| 1991-92 | 33-32-15 | 4th, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (VAN) |
| 1990-91 | 26-43-11 | 5th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
The 1980s 331–432–117 · 8 playoff berths · 2 division finals (1979-80 to 1989-90)
| Season | W–L | Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 37-32-11 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (EDM 3-4) |
| 1988-89 | 26-42-12 | 5th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
| 1987-88 | 33-36-11 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (EDM) |
| 1986-87 | 40-32-8 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost division final (EDM 0-4) |
| 1985-86 | 26-47-7 | 3rd, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (CGY) |
| 1984-85 | 43-27-10 | 2nd, Smythe | Lost division final (EDM 0-4) |
| 1983-84 | 31-38-11 | 4th, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (EDM) |
| 1982-83 | 33-39-8 | 4th, Smythe | Lost division semifinal (EDM) |
| 1981-82 | 33-33-14 | 2nd, Norris | Lost division semifinal (STL) |
| 1980-81 | 9-57-14 | 6th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
| 1979-80 | 20-49-11 | 5th, Smythe | Did not qualify |
By the numbers
Franchise marks
Per Hockey-Reference franchise history (Winnipeg 1979-96, Atlanta, and Winnipeg since 2011), through the 2025-26 season.
Ranks
- 1st NHL regular-season standings, 2024-25 (116 points)
- 1st Points, franchise history: Dale Hawerchuk (929)
- 1st Goals, franchise history: Dale Hawerchuk (379)
- 1st Assists, franchise history: Thomas Steen (553)
- 1st Goals in a season, franchise history: Teemu Selänne (76, 1992-93)
Per Hockey-Reference and the NHL consolidation announcement, through Sept. 24, 2026.
Honors
- 2024-25 Presidents' Trophy
- Connor Hellebuyck, 2024-25 Hart Trophy
- 3× Vezina Trophy, Hellebuyck (2019-20, 2023-24, 2024-25)
- 2× Jennings Trophy, Hellebuyck (2023-24, 2024-25)
- 2024-25 Central Division champion
- 2006-07 Southeast Division champion (Atlanta)
- 3× Calder Trophy (Hawerchuk 1981-82, Selänne 1992-93, Heatley 2001-02)
- Rocket Richard Trophy, Kovalchuk (2003-04, shared)
- 2018 Western Conference finalist
Per Hockey-Reference player and team pages, through the 2025-26 season.
The arguments
Whose history is it? The September 2026 consolidation settled the official record. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the change lets the full history of NHL hockey in Winnipeg be celebrated as one continuous story. True North’s Mark Chipman credited the 1979-96 teams with building the identity the club carries. The result has one oddity: the record includes 12 Atlanta seasons but leaves out the 1996-2024 Arizona seasons of the original club, which stay with the dormant Coyotes franchise. Some outlets described the change as the NHL returning history that belonged to Winnipeg. Wikipedia’s summary treats it as a retroactive accounting change that leaves the franchise inactive for 1996-99.
Was Hellebuyck a playoff goalie? His supporters point to three Vezinas, a Hart and Olympic gold. His critics point to a 15-26 playoff record since 2018 and the 6-7 run in the 2025 Presidents’ Trophy year. The trade request and camp holdout started a second dispute. Cheveldayoff said publicly, “Connor made his choice to do how he chose to do it,” while Hellebuyck had asked for a trade before camp and stayed away until one was made.
Was 2024-25 real? One view treats the 116-point season as a peak built on an MVP goaltender. On that view, the 2025-26 drop from 3.35 to 2.81 goals per game was the team returning to its true level. The other view points to Scheifele’s 101-point season in 2025-26 and Hellebuyck’s November surgery as evidence that injury, not decline, sank that year.
Why it matters
Few NHL franchises have a history like Winnipeg’s: a WHA dynasty that gave a rival league credibility, an NHL club that ran into Gretzky’s Oilers six times, a departure that became a warning about small Canadian markets, and a revival built on an Atlanta team that made the playoffs once. The 2024-25 Presidents’ Trophy and Hellebuyck’s Hart season were the revived Jets’ high point. The 2025-26 collapse and the October 2026 trade of the goaltender who defined that era closed it. The consolidated record book now holds Hawerchuk, Selänne, Kovalchuk, Scheifele and Hellebuyck, and still no Stanley Cup Final appearance.
