Winnipeg’s NHL team is called the Jets mainly because of the city’s deep ties to aviation and to honor its original hockey franchise with the same name.

Why is Winnipeg the “Jets”?

1. Aviation roots in the city

  • Winnipeg has long-standing connections to the Royal Canadian Air Force, including a major air force base near the city, which made an aviation-themed name feel natural.
  • The idea of “jets” evokes speed, power, and modern flight, all qualities owners wanted the team identity to reflect on the ice.

2. The original Winnipeg Jets (1970s–1990s)

  • The first Winnipeg Jets were founded in 1972 in the World Hockey Association and later joined the NHL in 1979.
  • Owner Ben Hatskin chose the name “Jets,” partly inspired by the aviation presence around Winnipeg and also reportedly influenced by the NFL’s New York Jets, whose brand he admired.
  • That franchise eventually moved to Phoenix in 1996 and became the Coyotes, but the Jets name had already become a core part of Winnipeg’s hockey identity.

3. Name revival with the current team

  • In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg, and the new ownership group decided to revive the historic “Winnipeg Jets” name rather than pick something new.
  • The NHL, which controlled the old Jets trademarks due to owning the Coyotes at that time, gave permission for the revived Winnipeg franchise to use the Jets name again.
  • Announcing “Winnipeg Jets” at the 2011 NHL Draft was a symbolic moment, tying the new team to the city’s past and to fans’ memories of the original Jets.

4. Logo and identity today

  • The modern logo features a jet silhouette over a roundel inspired by the Royal Canadian Air Force emblem, reinforcing the aviation and military connection.
  • Team colors and branding echo that same Air Force influence, keeping the link between Winnipeg, flight, and the Jets identity front and center.

So, “why is Winnipeg the Jets?”
Because the city grew up with air bases and aviation in its backyard, fell in love with a team called the Jets in the 1970s, lost it, and then brought that name back to honor its history and its identity.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.