Winnipeg - Canada's "Second Team"

This is a relatively simple question, does Winnipeg become Canadian hockey fans "second team?" Will people in other Canadian hockey markets cheer for Winnipeg as there "other team?"

My thinking is that because Winnipeg was recently located in the SE Division, with no rivalry to other Canadian franchises, people may be more willing to cheer for them than they would otherwise. Also, at what point would the new Winnipeg franchise lose support of other fanbases?

If this has already been posted, talked about or, in typical HF fashion, been trolled about then I apologize.

When Winnipeg leaves the East, I will be half cheering for them.

That will stop as soon as they drop the puck on the first day of the season.

I don't cheer for other Canadian teams.

I think it's awesome that they're back but I won't be cheering for them. In fact I have a Jets hat I bought in Winnipeg a few years ago that I'll have to stop wearing now. Right now I'm sort of cheering for Vancouver but only because they're playing Boston. Once the Habs are out I really don't care who wins.

For me, heck yeah.

1) Leafs
2) Jets
3) Flyers

But to be fair, I loved the old jets and to be fair I loved the old thrashers.

I'll cheer for them until they do something to make me hate them. Shouldn't take too long since they will probably be in the Northwest division by the end of 2012.

Most likely, I like their roster (Pavelec, Byfuglien, Kane, Burmistrov), and honestly can't stand other Canadian teams.

For now it's a feel good story, but when the competition starts up for real in the fall, there won't be any Winnipeg loving from the other fanbases. And that's a good thing, since animosity means Winnipeg's back in it for real and are stirring up anger from success they could be having.

People being excited for their return has less to do with whether people will become fans of theirs, and more to do with people happy to see a city that absolutely loves hockey finally get their NHL team back after going so many years without them. I didn't cheer for Atlanta but I didn't dislike them either. I was neutral towards them and the change in location isn't going to really change that.

I'll cheer for the until they do something to my Sens. I won't party in the streets when they win or pound Molson Canadian when they lose to ease the pain, but I'll watch the Jets. But if they do something to Ottawa....They're dead to me

No that's like cheering for Calgary or Edmonton...never going to happen.

a team has to give me a reason to cheer for them.

They became tied for my top 4. 1st is edmonton, far and away. And now there' a 3 way tie for 2nd between Ottawa, Washington, an Winnipeg. Still if the oilers play them, very easy to hate them.

People like them right now because they just came back and sold a lot of tickets and everyone is happy and all, but when they start playing they'll quickly become just one of the other teams.

1. Pittsburgh


2. Montreal



3. Anaheim

4. Colorado/St. Louis/Vancouver


7. Winnipeg

I doubt that the majority of people in Canada would be willing to support them, I mean, people say that Montreal is Canada's team, in my opinion it is and they are unlikely to get support from the likes of Toronto or Ottawa, so why would any fan that sees Winnipeg as a potential rival, say Calgary and Vancouver, support them? Others might, but not the majority.

People being excited for their return has less to do with whether people will become fans of theirs, and more to do with people happy to see a city that absolutely loves hockey finally get their NHL team back after going so many years without them. I didn't cheer for Atlanta but I didn't dislike them either. I was neutral towards them and the change in location isn't going to really change that.

This is how most of my Canadian friends feel

I don't cheer for any Canadian team.

Don't think so. Needs to take several great seasons before that may happen, I think.

I don't cheer for other teams.

I don't cheer for other Canadian teams.

Same here, I wish them well in the sense I want them to do well enough to stay in the league, but I don't want them to win if that makes sense.

When Winnipeg leaves the East, I will be half cheering for them.

It's kind of cool that we get to play them 4 times their first season back though.

1. Pittsburgh


2. Montreal



3. Anaheim

4. Colorado/St. Louis/Vancouver


7. Winnipeg

For a sec, I thought you didn't know how to count until I saw 4 was 3 teams clumped together:laugh:

It may tie Calgary for my #2 team, but only for a few years, then it'll probably drop off.

Nope, as a western canadian team I wish them nothing but eternal mediocrity.

9th-10th place finishes for decades.

Probably not. Just because I'm happy Winnipeg got a team that doesn't mean I'll cheer for them. I hate the Flames and Canucks but I'd never want those teams to move. They're rivals and Winnipeg will eventually become a new rival as well.

It seems like most Canadians root for their own team and dont want to see the other teams have any success whatsoever.
While they are happy to see Winnipeg be back, they dont want them to have success at the expense of their own team.

#1 team clearly
#2 Habs
#3 no one

I'll cheer for them when they play the Flames and Oilers. Other than that? Eh, I don't feel strongly one way or another. I'd like to see Winnipeg fans get to experience the playoffs, though.

Once they move to the West I may. I seem to have a pattern that I don't really hate any team in the West other than Vancouver and most of my hatred comes from the East. The West I like some teams and am mainly neutral towards the rest. Observe:

1. Toronto
2. Chicago
3. Calgary
4. Pittsburgh
5. Edmonton
6. Minnesota
7. Columbus

27. Carolina
28. Vancouver
29. Montreal
30. Ottawa

Everyone else I classify as neutral, but I could see Winnipeg sneaking around that top 7 for sure, unless they do something bad to the Leafs.

As an Oilers fan I already like the Senators, I am neutral on the Canadiens, I have a mild dislike for the Flames, a strong dislike for the Leafs and complete hatred for the Canucks.

The Jets will probably fit in between the Senators and Canadiens for me.

As an Oilers fan I already like the Senators, I am neutral on the Canadiens, I have a mild dislike for the Flames, a strong dislike for the Leafs and complete hatred for the Canucks.

The Jets will probably fit in between the Senators and Canadiens for me.

Unless, of course, they call the team something stupid like the Manitoba Moose. Then they will fit between the Canadiens and Flames.

They'll be my 3rd favorite team... after Pittsburgh and Calgary.

As a Vancouver fan, my ranking would probably be something like this:

1.) Vancouver
2.) Montreal
3/4.) Teams I'm neutral about: Ottawa/Winnipeg
5.) Edmonton
6.) Calgary
7.) Toronto

5-7 fall into the dislike through hate range. :P Tough to put any team with Byfuglien on it in the like range, but Kane raises them up to neutrality.

I don't care for Winnipeg either way.

Depends if you support us as well.

When you face the Leafs, I will not be cheering for you, and I don't
expect vice-versa.

Happy to have you here though. Congrats!

I think for their first season everyone will root for the jets but then after they'll just be another team in the league.

Winnipeg is simply irrelevant to most Canadians save for Manitobans...no they will not remotely be Canada's second team...however, I will be pulling for them anytime they play the Flames who I detest....

As a Habs fan once said to me, "I HATED the Nords. Couldn't stand them. But now I miss them." It's not that he has grown an affection for them, but he misses the rivalry. He can't love to hate them any more.

Canadians (& others) might support a Winnipeg team in the NHL, will then also hope that said team is competitive, solvent etc. They'll enjoy any rivalries that develop. It probably won't go past that once they're established and on the ice again.

Some will adopt the Jets as their second team (heck, I'd certainly love having the Nords as a second favourite if they return) but most will appreciate their existence more than they will actually follow the club.

I'm actually really happy for the fans in Winnipeg. It will be a lot more exciting watching games in a sold out arena in Winnipeg then a half empty building in Atlanta.

Leaf fan through and through, but I have a soft spot for Winnipeg for sure (especially if your playing the Habs or Canucks).

They will be loved until they succeed.

Semi-OT: Just wondering, for those who remember, what was the general feeling like in the rest of Canada when they announced the Ottawa franchise back in December 1990? Was it like Winnipeg now or not so much?

I'll only cheer for them if they're the Jets. I'm not cheering for any Manitoba Moose ****

For me it's 1. Winnipeg 2. Nashville. I don't like any other canadian teams.

Winnipeg will fall into category two in my three category rating system:

YaY. Ottawa

Meh. All the other teams tied

Hiss. Toronto EDIT: I will throw Buffalo in this category too, come to think of it....

Fans should cheer for their team, and loathe all the others. If the Jets aren't your team, boo them with all your heart.

Rest assured, I am hating your team in return.

1. Jets
2. Sens
3. Blues


hated: leafs, habs, sabres, penguins, sharks

Fans should cheer for their team, and loathe all the others. If the Jets aren't your team, boo them with all your heart.

Rest assured, I am hating your team in return.

I don't get this at all. I mean, yes... you boo the team when they're playing your favorite team, but that doesn't mean you have to hate all other teams at all times.

I'm a Sens fan first, and a hockey fan second. Being a Sens fan shouldn't mean I don't get to enjoy other games. I often watch hockey when the Sens aren't playing, and thoroughly enjoy it. In fact, I can count on one hand the teams I absolutely loathe (Leafs, Sharks, Flyers... Habs are quickly falling into this group, but that's more because my Hab Fan friends are total dicks when it comes to talking hockey, not because of the on-ice product). Just because I'm a Sens fan, it doesn't mean I have to hate other teams... only when they're playing the Sens.

Winnipeg, consider yourself my 2nd Canadian team.

...Until you do something horrible to the Sens. Or unless you Winnipeg fans go all Maple Leafs on us and collectively turn into a super-concentrated black hole mass of douchenozzles.

Winnipeg, due to its size will always be viewed as the underdog when compared to the larger NHL markets.

Everyone loves an underdog!

I'm certainly going to be a big fan because their farm team is going to be in St. Johns, my home town.

I will always cheer for the Leafs though. They're my team forever.

Yes Leafs 1st, Winnipeg 2nd but I probably won't last too long as a Winnipeg fan. Once the puck drops and the inevitable Leafs slamming develops in the Winnipeg thread, it'll be time to checkout. No harm no foul yet so I'm following along.......for now :lol:

Habs 1st, Whatevers a very, very close second.

Definitely in my case Winnipeg will be my second team. The first NHL game I attended was Leafs vs. Jets back in 1995 or 1996.

Well, at least, as other Leafers like me have said, this will endure until the ad-hominem Toronto hating starts up as it inevitably will.

I'll be cheering for them as a 2nd because Winnipeg is in my blood and the city has been a part of my life since as far back as I can remember, but I'll stick with the Oilers as my top team because they're what I've always known and loved from a hockey point of view.

Definitely in my case Winnipeg will be my second team. The first NHL game I attended was Leafs vs. Jets back in 1995 or 1996.

Well, at least, as other Leafers like me have said, this will endure until the ad-hominem Toronto hating starts up as it inevitably will.

We're all too busy hating Saskatchewan to worry about Toronto. :D

nope

edmonton
Ottawa
Montreal

satan worriors

Flames
Peggers


cannots

1. Winnipeg
2. Phoenix
3. Vancouver (though easily bumped down, since they only make the list because I live here).

We're all too busy hating Saskatchewan to worry about Toronto.
Except Saskatchewan doesn't have an NHL team to hate on.

Nothing is automatic, my second team has to earn such a title. Can you earn such a title Winnipeg? That is the question.

1. Winnipeg
2. Winnipeg
3. Pittsburgh (Mario + Jagr + Crosby .... hard to let habits die!)

First I will always be a Habs fan no matter what.That being said I am thrilled you guys get to be back in the NHL.I am only 17 so I never saw the Jets play on tv or live.However, I heard your story about the Jets leaving and heard about operation grassroots and the save the Jets rallys.To see your whole city and province rally around this eventhough you knew the end was near was very special. I watched the Funeral on youtube and I teared up.

St.John's Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets are similar in some ways. Both were very active in the community you guys had goals for kids, we had the wives foundation.In fact if you go around town there are some traces of the SJML. We were both the victims of ever changing growth in pro hockey. The NHL was wanted expansion into the Southern US small markets were eliminated.We fell victim to MLSE and their corporate greed we loved the SJML and supported them through some bad teams.The AHL was moving on to bigger markets such as Omaha,Peoria,Austin.

The Fog Devils came and went and Mile one was dark.We never thought the AHL would return.Well here we are we both got what we wanted and we are working together.Both of our cities are in a buzz over what happening.I expect season ticket to sell extremely well here as in Winnipeg.Both of our provinces are experencing a time of economic growth and developement our cities are much larger and our arena's are top notch.I hope we can help brin the Stanley Cup to Portage and main and hopefully we can bring a Calder Cup to Water Street because both of our fanbases deserve it.I cannot thank TNSE enough for what they have done for both our of cities.Go Jets/Falcons/Moose or whatever.I'll be getting my Ladd jersey soon and my St.John's one.

EVERY fan of the Jets always had a second team, some were Leafs, Habs and for me..I'm a Canucks fan.

So we do have second teams..

I spent a month in Winnipeg working back in February 2004, so I've had good thoughts of Winnipeg since. I'd say I'll hope they do well, especially once they move west.