Asking Winnipeg Jets fans who’s their favourite player of All-Time is like asking a parent who their favourite child is. Combine that with the fact that top-10 lists are extremely subjective and to avoid this awkward conundrum, I present the Top Winnipeg Jets of every generation.

The 90s changed everything – literally everything. There were technological advances in music, electronics, and of course those curves on hockey sticks. For those unfamiliar in the 1992 Stanley Cup final, Marty McSorley received a penalty for an illegally curved stick that resulted in a costly goal, which helped the Canadiens on their way to the last Stanley Cup to be lifted by a Canadian team. Illegal curves or not, the early 90s were filled with goals and Jets fans enjoyed their fair share thanks to these legends.

There is always something special about watching a rookie play for your favourite team… When you’ve never really seen them play so you taper your expectations. You know you can’t expect the world from a teenager but you pray they can get you on your feet, cheering. Well, in 1992-93 a lot of shoes got worn out in the Winnipeg Arena as fans were hit with the ‘Finnish Flash.’ After three years in the Finnish league, Teemu Selänne finally made his debut in the NHL and carved his name into the history books – and I mean CARVED, because nobody will be able to break his record. Selänne netted 76 goals in his rookie season, beating the previous rookie scoring record set by Mike Bossy by 23 goals. The Finnish Rookie also tallied 56-assists for an unworldly 132-points. There are records that will be broken but this one will not. The four lucrative years Jets’ fans had with Teemu Selänne left many wondering, ‘What if we had him his whole career?’

Although Teemu’s predecessors established Winnipeg’s ever-lasting relationship with Finland, Selänne solidified it for eternity. Record books aside, Selänne loved Winnipeg. He has repeatedly said he never wanted to leave and was completely blindsided by the trade. After tallying 306-points in four seasons, even the most paranoid player would never have thought he would get traded. But Winnipeg GM’s are known for either hitting the trade out of the park or hurting their backs striking out. Every Jets’ fan felt the pain of losing a player who performed at the highest level, embraced the prairie city and cried as he was traded to save money. The business of sports is like no other and the Selänne trade ranks comparably to Gretzky being shipped to Los Angeles: both teams lost their souls to save money.

Jets fans will always have the 1992-93 season, a year that will remain in their record books and hearts forever. The ‘Finnish Flash’ went on to become the face of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, where he tallied 988-points for the Disney franchise. In 2007, the Finn finally achieved his dream when he tallied 15-points on the way to helping the Ducks win the Stanley Cup. Selänne enjoyed a 23-year career and gave fans insight into his trade from Winnipeg in his autobiography My Life:

This openness and honesty endeared Selänne to Winnipeg – he reminded them of one of their own. Currently, Selänne has no regrets and is enjoying running his restaurant in Laguna beach, co-producing a reality show in Finland and, of course, cheering on Patrik Laine. Discussing Laine, Selänne reported,

While CoVID has filled the 2021 season with uncertainty, Jets fans can take solace in knowing that, whenever it starts up, they’ll have the support of their Finnish Flash, who was one of the Jets’ top players of the 90s.

Twitter: Jonesinthezone