Current Jets eager to honour past Jets great

“(The Jets) are trying to bridge the gap a little bit, to acknowledge the guys who had a huge impact on the community before we got here,” said Blake Wheeler.

Current Jets captain Blake Wheeler was just four years old when Dale Hawerchuck was traded from the Winnipeg Jets to the Buffalo Sabres.

However, Hawerchuck’s legacy in this city isn’t lost on Wheeler or the rest of the team.

“(The Jets) are trying to bridge the gap a little bit, to acknowledge the guys who had a huge impact on the community before we got here,” said Wheeler. “It’s an important thing. These guys played a lot of meaningful hockey in this town.”

Tuesday night, Dale Hawerchuck will be honoured and inducted into the Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame ahead of their game versus the Arizona Coyotes.

Hawerchuck played nine seasons with the Winnipeg Jets, collecting over 900 points along the way.

Tyler Myers, who will remain in the lineup Tuesday after showing discomfort in his last game, says it’s special for the current team to connect with former legends of the game.

“Even last year at the Heritage Classic, it was pretty cool to spend some time with the alumni and legends,” said Myers. “It should be a good one for (Hawerchuck) tonight and to be a player and see that it will be exciting for us too.”

Meanwhile, the Arizona Coyotes will be honouring Hawerchuck with a number 10 sticker on their helmets Tuesday night.

The Coyotes, who relocated from Winnipeg in 1996, retired Hawerchuck’s number as a franchise in 2007.