The NHL has officially clarified a rather tangled chapter in its team histories by merging the records of both versions of the Winnipeg Jets.
While this move does clear some waters, it adds an extra layer of complexity to an already confusing narrative.
On Wednesday, the Jets and the league announced they would be consolidating the statistical histories of both team incarnations.
It sounds straightforward, but, well, it’s anything but.
The initial Jets, which began in the World Hockey Association in the ’70s, were not the same franchise as the one currently based in Manitoba. The original squad was among four teams that joined the NHL but eventually relocated to Arizona in 1996.
In contrast, the Atlanta Thrashers landed in Winnipeg in 1999, thus becoming the present-day Jets.
To make matters even more complicated, the Coyotes’ hockey assets were sold to a new entity that became the Utah Mammoth. Interestingly, Utah was treated as a completely new franchise, leaving behind the histories of both the Coyotes and the Jets.
If you feel the need to pause and collect your thoughts, go ahead—because it gets even more convoluted…
Merging the original Jets history with that of the current ones leaves the Coyotes as an independent franchise.
This scenario introduces some peculiar quirks. For instance, Teemu Selanne’s iconic rookie season in 1992–93 is now statistically linked to the Thrashers’ legacy in a way that’s rather unusual.
At the same time, Shane Doan was drafted by the original Jets, spent his rookie season in Winnipeg, and then played over 1,400 games with the Coyotes. Up to this point, he was recorded as having played for just one franchise.
This isn’t entirely accurate anymore when you look through the revised records.
The merger makes Dale Hawerchuk the all-time goals and points leader for the current Jets franchise. Meanwhile, Mark Scheifele, who claimed those records in 2025, will need to reclaim his spot, starting the season seven goals and twenty-two points behind.
Honestly, there’s no way to make this situation entirely clear-cut. But this updated approach seems to be the best available option—even if it remains a bit perplexing as it stands.
