Reports: Winnipeg chooses Jets name
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}MINNEAPOLIS -- Old appears to be new once again in Winnipeg
According to several media reports, beginning with Thursday night comments from Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, the Winnipeg team will be called the Jets, the nickname the city's previous NHL team used during its time in the city. That team left in 1996 to become the Phoenix Coyotes.
Several other media outlets, including the The Winnipeg Free Press and TSN, are also reporting that True North Sports & Entertainment, the owner of the Winnipeg franchise, has settled on the Jets, in large part due to demand from the region's fans.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The official announcement could come when the team makes its first pick at Friday night's 2011 NHL Entry Draft at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Winnipeg franchise picks at No. 7 on Friday night.