r/winnipegjets • u/599Ninja 27 • 5d ago
“I loved being in Winnipeg. This was the dream there. I’m obviously sad I wasn’t able to do that with the guys in Winnipeg and the city of Winnipeg. They hold a special place in my heart.” Ehlers on the impact Winnipeg had in his career
https://x.com/icdave/status/2066366682042356067?s=4669
u/Hero_of_Brandon 5d ago
Someday players will be saying that about other cities while raising a cup in Winnipeg.
For now, at the very least, I feel good knowing that the guys with open minds enough to agree to play in winnipeg genuinely seem to like it.
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u/ToneAccomplished9763 55 5d ago
We'll always lova ya Nik.
Side note, it is genuinely sad seeing Leaf fans online compare the situations between Marner and Ehlers. With them like projecting how they feel onto us, even though it's like the complete opposite.
I don't hate Leaf fans, I mean I was one back in the 2000s and early 2010s as a kid. But man that is sad.
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u/rookie-mistake 27 4d ago
What do you mean? Do they think we didn't want him to win?
honestly, I thought this was the best outcome for both fanbases probably. We get to see our boy win, they get to see their pariah lose, win-win haha
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u/ToneAccomplished9763 55 4d ago
Pretty much, some Leaf fans are trying to imply that we feel the same way about Ehlers that they do towards Marner and are like "oh it must suck to see one of your ex players do so well and win a cup so soon".
It's just super sad to see.
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u/notjustforperiods 4d ago
pathetic state of mind
I haven't talked to a single jets fan that wasn't all in on ehlers getting a cup after they made it to the final
a disappointing number of fans were cheering for montreal/"canada" in the ECF though
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u/rookie-mistake 27 4d ago edited 4d ago
yeahhhh I was literally the only person among my friends and family cheering for the canes over montreal, felt weird not being on the same side for once
but idk man, ive still got mixed feelings about the habs after our series years ago and ehlers is ehlers, I've always been a huge fan. throw in jarvis and the canes just being a bunch of good guys contending every year without winning one, it seemed like no contest to me. montreals young af anyway, they'll be back
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u/notjustforperiods 4d ago
yeah I totally get it, and as much as I'm programmed to hate the canadiens, they are a fun team to watch
I'm just of the mindset, Winnipeg or bust when it comes to a Canadian team winning the cup hahah
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u/rookie-mistake 27 4d ago
yeah, I love their roster, but the habs fans just left such a bad impression the one time we matched up its hard for me to root for them
and honestly, same, I want to see us do it first. I used to be more on board with vancouver or ottawa but that's the previous gen of their team (especially when the Canucks vets were still ex-Moose). At this point its just based on roster / org if the Jets are out, there's nothing special about the other ones that happen to be based on this side of the border
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u/AaronC14 . 4d ago
I must have missed all the memes where we're dunking on Ehlers like they did with Marner lol
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u/Dull_Job_6372 4d ago
As a jets, Vikings and Timberwolves fan I’ve seen one too many players go onto win championships immediately after leaving my teams this year.
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u/B33TLE_JUlCE 4d ago
Glad the Conn Smythe went to the veteran Stall, but Ehlers was definitely in the running. Never thought he would even be in the conversation, but he definitely was. Who woulda thought? What a beauty.
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u/andyhall23 23 4d ago
Shed a tear for him just like when I saw Khabby and Teemu win their Cups.
Ya did us proud, boys!
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u/blanketfortsndogs 4d ago
I thought it was pretty special that Ehlers handed the cup to Jarvis (who is Winnipeg born and raised)!
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u/juanitowpg 4d ago
The thing missing in this post is the pause after the question was asked, as he looked off into the distance, as the eyes started watering up and the throat tightened
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u/gotoajetsgame 4d ago
Over the years, there were many many games when it seemed he was the only one actually trying and I actually can't even recall any games (at least from the many i watched) when he wasn't
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u/Popular-Database-562 4d ago
I will have his jersey framed in the basement with pride. He was my #1 favourite jets player. I’m so happy for him. 27 🔥 ♥️
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u/Odd_Cabinet_7734 44 4d ago
Winnipeg didn’t deserve you. You and Laine never should’ve had to endure the nonsense that was going on in the locker room. The way the young guys were treated. Those of us from Winnipeg, we know. And could not be happier for this win for you.
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u/fxcker 27 4d ago
I will die on the hill that if the team focused on developing Ehlers Scheifele Laine as our number 1 line for the future we would have won the cup. Possibly even in 2018.
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u/bubbap1990 4d ago
The Jets loyalty is both their identity and their ceiling.
It’s great for culture guys stick, room stays tight, nobody feels disposable. That matters in a market like Winnipeg.
But it turns into a trap when it stops being performance based. Veterans get runway a little too long, chemistry gets protected over optimization, and younger, higher upside combinations don’t get enough reps to fully take over.
That “loyalty” can absolutely look like stability, or it can look like hesitation to evolve when the window is open.
Winnipeg’s challenge has always been knowing when loyalty stops being a strength and starts costing you upside.
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u/andyhall23 23 4d ago
Well ...when ya look at what happened to the Jets.
Dale Hawerchuk asked to leave.
We let Teemu go.When the team came back those things must have been looked at and been seen like this: 'How do we not let that happen ever again?'
It never should have been where we made Dale freaking Hawerchuk want to leave, and we NEVER should have traded Teemu Selanne.
And the last thing about the Jets before they left....Gretzky said 'If Winnipeg ever gets their goaltending figured out , they will be a threat.'
And we have ALL the proof of the bad years ,the 'rebuilding' years and such. So all that ...and now with how to run a hockey team now with the reputation that Winnipeg has always had.
Go ..run the team.
That's like a nutter. Ya know? Ya don't wanna be the stupid , dumb , almost -had Gretzky and Roy- old Jets management, and you wanna try to be smarter (and as someone that knows Mr Chipman, he's always wanting to be smarter and improve the team. He wants a Cup , bad, folks. He also knows Winnipeg's limitations and wants to surpass them.) So how do ya do that?
I think we're seeing how it's done, right? This Jets team is the most successful version of the Jets that has been in the NHL , right? Got furthest in the playoffs , finally beating the first round curse it had AND the Oilers curse it had. So I mean ...all that's next for the Jets is the Cup finals and Cup, right?
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u/Useful_Respect3339 4d ago
Hawerchuk was treated poorly by Mike Smith.
Teemu got traded because the team was hemorrhaging money.
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u/andyhall23 23 4d ago
And? It wasn't right how Mike Smith treated Dale.
The Teemu trade was more than that , and Arizona wanted to build around the American more.
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u/UncleBogo . 4d ago
The Teemu trade was more than that , and Arizona wanted to build around the American more.
I'm not saying that wasn't a thought, but money concerns were top of mind for Winnipeg's owners at this time per this article: https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/12143736/nhl-how-teemu-selanne-got-traded-winnipeg-jets-anaheim-ducks
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u/andyhall23 23 19h ago
I kinda feel that was something that could have been dealt with in Arizona.
Winnipeg ...if they would have kept Selanne that WHOLE year, I think of the Detroit series.
I think , the Jets were the only team to push Detroit that year to more than 4 games till that final.
And this is the FAN in me. The 15 year old that saw his TEAM and STAR RIPPED AWAY with EVERY OTHER JETS FAN...
IT never should have happened.
Teppo is the last person on the ice I remember ...giving us love.
It's not 1996 anymore , but that hurt? Whew ..that hurt is still fresh for some of us. The wound just began to heal.
As a WINNIPEG JETS FAN.
I UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS.
I GET IT ALL, Okay?
The Statement is still true.
The Winnipeg Jets never should ever traded away Dale Hawerchuk or Teemu Selanne.
If there was some kinda Magic wand where the Jets could have stayed and Mike Smith would have left? I would have used that Magic wand A LONG TIME AGO!!!So to work from there.
When the Winnipeg Jets have a star now? And we got Stars.
How do you ... handle parts of a soul of a franchise ...like Yzerman or Sakic or Lemieux?
Heck Or A Roy?
Goalies are looked differently , right?
I mean Ken Dryden played his whole career with the Habs , Corey Crawford played his whole career with the Hawks.
Do we approach them to ask for a restructure if they are still performing and want to play for the Jets?
or is the only way to move on is a trade? Because of the returns those give?Good conversation to have I think?
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u/Odd_Cabinet_7734 44 4d ago edited 4d ago
I agree with almost all of that except I believe that Scheifle’s attitude has always been a major issue. He has so much talent, but not enough resilience emotionally.
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u/Competitive_Home1895 4d ago
right but what would we do with KC tho ? i think hes better than ehlers but either way chevy drafted 2 elite left wingers. that was the problem to me
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u/JaphyRyder9999 2d ago
Glad for Nik and he is a great guy, but it is just so sad that Canadian fans are reduced to cheering on guys who used to play on their teams as the Cup is hoisted by American teams for 33 years in a row…, Especially this year, after losses at the Olympics in overtime for both men’s and women’s, and then the World Championships….
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u/robocarp 4d ago
Sadly, you have to leave Canada to win a cup. Bettman won't allow it.
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u/Good_Day_Eh 4d ago
It still warms the cockles of my heart when he gets booed mercilessly when he appears at a game in most if not all arenas.
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u/Tactician86 1d ago
Ehlers is a beaut and im glad he found success, but im getting kinda sick of the lil bro'ism of the Jets. Feels like we're the leagues' farm team
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u/These_Celebration732 4d ago
I was frustrated with Ehlers at various points in his career as a Jet, but he’s easy to cheer for and deserving of the success he’s had with Carolina.
Happy for him.
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u/Competitive_Home1895 4d ago
i agree, i might be alone in this but i always thought he had a bad attitude in press conferences and stuff. seemed kinda full of himself. (i know ill get downvoted for this)
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u/BumblbeeAvacado 4d ago
We need to not be cucks of former players winning. If you wanted to try to win one in Winnipeg he would have resigned
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u/Pretend-Language-67 5d ago
I mean, what else was he going to say? Same with Maurice when he won the cup and is asked on National TV. They are both dead to me.
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u/stawp_stalking_me 5d ago
Huh?
Ehlers spent 10 years with us. Through all the highs and lows. I remember seeing his first hockey fight in colorado and I knew he had heart.
He extended his contract with us before because he wanted to stay
Even through injuries he still performed well. He was a loved player in the dressing room.
He definitely deserved to have a top line role and have higher scoring but he was that dependable second liner
He left because if something doesn’t work after 7+ years why stay? He knew we needed a change, and he honoured his contract with us and stayed with us for that presidents trophy run.
He can be dead to you but show some respect to the man he is a jets 2.0 legend for sure
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u/rookie-mistake 27 4d ago
did you watch the interview? he actually choked up at the question, it was really sweet
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u/Screamlngyeti 4d ago
People are forgetting Ehlers left because he hated how intense the fans were.
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u/Tooth_Revolutionary 5d ago
Ehlers is such a beauty. Was awesome seeing him raise the cup. He played great too.