In the 1890s, the Winnipeg Victorias become a powerhouse of early hockey, winning Stanley Cups (then the trophy for top amateur club) in 1896, 1901 and 1902.
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In 1920, the Winnipeg Falcons pull off a rare double - winning the 1920 Allan Cup and later that year adding the first-ever Olympic gold medal in ice hockey.
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In 1967, the name "Winnipeg Jets" is first used, by a junior-league team. The name is later taken by the pro franchise, causing the junior team to rename itself the Winnipeg Clubs, and then - more imaginatively - the Winnipeg Monarchs.
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In 1972, the WHA launches as a rival to the NHL. The Winnipeg Jets are the new league's flagship franchise, poaching disgruntled NHL superstar Bobby Hull with a then unheard-of $1-million salary - and ironically kicking off the era of high salaries that would later help trigger the franchise's downfall.
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In 1974-75, the Jets revolutionize hockey for the second time in three years by signing Anders Hedberg and Ulf Nilsson, the first European superstars to play in North America. The Swedish duo team with Bobby Hull to become the dominant line in the league.
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In 1975-76, the Jets win their first of three Avco Cups, the WHA's championship. No question the team was a dynasty: three Avco Cups in five trips to the final in the WHA's brief, seven-year life.
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In 1978-79, the Jets defeat the Edmonton Oilers (including a teenage Wayne Gretzky) for the final Avco Cup. Afterward, the Jets become one of four WHA teams to merge into the NHL - along with Quebec, Hartford and Edmonton.
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Before the start of the 1979-80 season, the NHL teams feast on the Jets' roster in a "reclamation draft," stripping the team of its stars. It is the first drop of frustration the Jets' fans will suffer over the next 17 seasons. (Ironically, the attention paid to the dynastic Jets allowed the young Edmonton Oilers to escape notice - that team would go on to be the Jets' nemesis and win the Stanley Cup in five of the next 11 seasons.)
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In the 1981 draft, the Jets use their first-overall pick to select Dale Hawerchuk. He immediately proves himself one of the league's premier scorers, racking up 103 points in his first season.
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During the early 1980s, the Jets rebuild themselves through shrewd drafting, but are repeatedly frustrated by their old WHA foe the Edmonton Oilers. In the span of eight seasons, the Oilers eliminate the Jets from the playoffs six times. The Jets never eliminate the Oilers.
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Against Calgary in the 1987 playoffs, the "Winnipeg White Out" makes its debut. Everyone in the stands wears white in a bid to intimidate the Flames, and the Jets do win the series. This tradition lives on in the franchise's current incarnation in Phoenix, which raises the question: Who gets to use it if the Phoenix Coyotes play the Winnipeg Whatevers in the playoffs next year?
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Arguably the team's lowest moment comes in 1990, when the Jets take a three-games-to-one lead over the Oilers and have a legitimate shot at the Cup. Shockingly, the Jets lose the next three games straight. The Oilers go on to win their fifth Cup a few weeks later.
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In 1992-93, Finnish rookie Teemu Selanne scores 76 goals, setting an NHL rookie record, and suggesting that the team may just be able to find new success as it transitions out of the Hawerchuk years.
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By 1995-96, the Canadian dollar sinks to 60 cents U.S. - like all other Canadian teams, the Jets' revenue comes in Canadian currency but salaries must be paid in its U.S. counterpart. Local owner Barry Shenkarow, unable to sustain millions in losses every year, puts the team up for sale.
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On Dec. 13, 1995, after months of rumours about a move to Minnesota, it becomes official: The Jets, failing to find a local owner, will be moving to Phoenix for the 1996-97 season. The remainder of the Jets' 1995-96 season is played out in a sombre atmosphere.
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On April 28, 1996, the Jets play their last game in Winnipeg, a 4-1 loss to Detroit. After the game, the players gather on the ice to wave goodbye to the fans, who respond with a nice ovation.