Only in Winnipeg could the unveiling of a hockey sweater top the launch of a provincial election on newspaper front pages and television news broadcasts.
The Winnipeg Jets revealed its long-awaited uniforms to the public in early September, as a quartet of players walked down the ramp of a Canadian Forces Hercules aircraft at 17 Wing's Winnipeg hangar.
Wearing sweaters featuring the team's air-force-inspired logo, the players, led by captain Andrew Ladd, were given a hero's welcome by several hundred invited guests on the tarmac.
The reception was no surprise considering the hockey buzz in Winnipeg gets louder every day as the October 9 home opener against the Montreal Canadiens gets ever closer.
The team has spent nearly $10 million upgrading the seven-year-old MTS Centre, where it will play its games this season. The renovations include new flooring and paint colour schemes throughout the building as well as the construction of concession areas in the upper bowl.
The team has also done its best to appease its fans who weren't lucky enough to score seasons tickets - which sold out in a matter of days in June - by launching a website where fans can exchange tickets at face value, thereby reducing the market for scalpers.
from Western Investor October 2011
