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Looking back at Andrew Ladd’s time with the Winnipeg Jets
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Photo credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Evan Waldner
Aug 25, 2025, 01:42 EDTUpdated: Aug 25, 2025, 12:44 EDT
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When the Winnipeg Jets came back to the NHL in 2011, the team needed someone who could lead a young roster and help build an identity in a city starved for hockey. That guy was Andrew Ladd. As the first captain of the Jets 2.0 era, Ladd quickly became the face of the team and set the tone for the culture that still sticks today.
Early career
Before coming to Winnipeg, Ladd was already a proven winner. Drafted fourth overall by the Hurricanes in 2004, he won a Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2006 and added another with the Blackhawks in 2010. That experience instantly gave him credibility with a locker room full of younger players who hadn’t been there yet.
Landing in Winnipeg
When the Thrashers moved to Winnipeg, Ladd was one of the few guys with playoff experience and real leadership skills. Making him captain was an easy call, and he showed it wasn’t just a title—he worked hard, led by example, and quickly became a guy Jets fans could really get behind.
Leading the Jets
From 2011 to 2016, Ladd was steady on and off the ice. He wasn’t flashy, but he scored big goals and played solid defence. He had multiple 20-goal seasons, including a 62-point year in 2014-15 when the Jets made their first playoff appearance since coming back to Manitoba.
The trade and later years
In 2016, the Jets started building around younger stars like Mark Scheifele, Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers, so Ladd was traded back to Chicago. It was the end of an era, but his impact stuck. He went on to play with the New York Islanders and Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth), and even though injuries slowed him down later, he stayed a respected vet wherever he went.
Ladd’s legacy
Andrew Ladd might not have spent his whole career in Winnipeg, but his impact on the Jets was massive. As the first captain of the new era, he gave the team leadership when it needed it most. Jets fans will always remember him as the guy who helped bring NHL hockey back to Winnipeg and guided the team through those early years.

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