The two Finns will join Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg, Dale Hawerchuk, Ab McDonald, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Randy Carlyle and Thomas Steen in the Winnipeg franchise Hall of Fame which was established in 2016 by current owner Mark Chipman. If you're reading that list, there are some names on it whose character has been called into question and a few who accomplished more elsewhere. Make no mistake that these are some of the bigger names who played in the Manitoba capital for the Jets, but a Hall of Fame should be a lot more than a Hall of Famous.
Selanne's exploits in Winnipeg included his incredible rookie season where he set the NHL rookie goal-scoring mark and rookie points mark for first-year players. That was one of the most incredible seasons by any player who wore a Jets logo on his chest, and we can't over look the history in those 84 games of that '92-93 season. The only problem is that Selanne played in just 147 more Jets games before he was traded to Anaheim. He had 76 goals in his record-setting season, and just 71 in the three seasons that followed. There's no doubt that Selanne's efforts in his first season in Winnipeg are Hall of Fame worthy, but his total time in a Jets jersey saw that season as his best.
I want to be clear that this isn't an attack on Teemu Selanne. The guy is a class act from top to bottom. I own an NHL All-Star jersey with his name and number on the back. I have his book with his autograph in it after meeting him. He's always been kind and complimentary to the people of Winnipeg and the city itself. The man is still idolized by hockey fans in Winnipeg and his name is mentioned with the aura of the hockey legend that it deserves. Teemu will always be a player who is larger than life in Winnipeg.
It's a given, then, that Jets fans will always cheer for the Finnish Flash whenever he appears in Winnipeg. We were lucky to have such a talented player play in Winnipeg, but do four seasons where more than half of his points came in his rookie campaign reflect a Hall of Fame career? When one looks at Selanne's exploits, it's clear he did his best work in Anaheim after Winnipeg inexplicably traded him so what criteria is Winnipeg using for its Hall of Fame other than "he played here"?
Teppo Numminen is another fantastic player who skated on the Winnipeg blue line for eight seasons. His time in the Manitoba capital is clearly longer than that of Selanne, but he also spent more time in a Jets jersey than Bobby Hull, Ab McDonald, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, and the majority of the Winnipeg Hall of Famers. He was a steady, reliable defender whose quiet demeanor often hid the burning desire to win. Like most defenders who thrive on preventing the opposition from scoring, Numminen's contributions on the blue line were often overlooked for the offensive defenders of his time, but the Jets were better with him on the ice than off it.
Again, let's be clear that this isn't an attack on Teppo Numminen. He's a player who I hold in high regard for never demanding the spotlight, but doing the work that should command it. I own a Phoenix Coyotes jersey with his name and number on the back. He too has always been kind and complimentary to the people of Winnipeg and the city itself. It's very clear that Numminen is held in high esteem by fans in Winnipeg just as he does with the city where he started his NHL career.
Numminen scored 265 points in his eight seasons with the Jets with his best season coming in the final year that the Jets played in Winnipeg. His 54 points in 74 games in 1995-96 was the only season where he led his team's defenders in scoring while in Winnipeg and the 54 points was best total of his career, but his seven seasons in Phoenix following the move of the franchise to Arizona saw him score 269 points - more total points in less time. His play got even better in his own zone as well as Numminen was often used against the opposition's best players, so it would be hard to argue that his play in Winnipeg was Hall of Fame worthy.
It's fairly clear that the only people in the Jets' Hall of Fame are former Jets, so it's not like we're worrying about Manitoba-born players here. But that's where one could ask why Ab McDonald, who played just two seasons in Jets colours after a long and successful NHL career, is in the Jets' Hall of Fame.
Again, that's not an indictment of McDonald's career as he was extremely successful in places like Chicago, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis, but Hall of Fame careers in a specific city usually last longer than four, one, and one seasons which is why McDonald isn't in the Blackhawks' Hall of Fame, the Penguins' Hall of Fame, or the Blues' Hall of Fame. In saying this, I need to ask again what standards and criteria the Jets are using for Hall of Fame selections other than players who were Mark Chipman's favorite players growing up.
If you wanted better candidates based on what they did in Winnipeg, there could be names such as Dave Ellett, Fredrik Olausson, Phil Housley, Keith Tkachuk, Alexei Zhamnov, Paul MacLean, Laurie Boschman, Joe Daley, Kent Nilsson, and a list of others who were here longer, scored more points, and generally had better hockey careers in the Jets' red-white-and-blue uniforms. If the criteria is simply who fans and Chipman idolized as players, the Jets' Hall of Fame is nothing more than a Hall of Famous.
It's hard to argue that any of the players who are part of the Jets' Hall of Fame - Bobby Hull, Ulf Nilsson, Anders Hedberg, Dale Hawerchuk, Ab McDonald, Lars-Erik Sjoberg, Randy Carlyle, Thomas Steen, Teemu Selanne, and Teppo Numminen - aren't exceptional hockey players. They won Stanley Cups, Avco Cups, a number of individual trophies, scored a ton of points, and were leaders in their careers. The problem is that very little of those accolades upon which Hall of Fame careers are based were done in Winnipeg.
I'm excited to welcome Teemu and Teppo back to Winnipeg to celebrate their careers and achievements in Winnipeg Jets jerseys, but we need to petition this "Hall of Fame" name that the Jets have to being named something else - "Hall of Honours", "Franchise Greats", "Unparalleled Franchise Players" - since most of the players inducted into this acclaimed group did their best work elsewhere.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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