With the National Hockey League making a return to Winnipeg, Manitoba for the 2011-12 season, it’s interesting but unrelated to rehash the scoring records of the city’s original NHL franchise. The Jets played in Winnipeg from 1979-80 to 1995-96 as an NHL team. Previous to 1979-80, they were a member of the World Hockey Association. After 1995-96, they were relocated to Phoenix where they became, and remain, the Coyotes.

The Atlanta Thrashers were and expansion franchise that began play in 1999-00. Although speculation had the Coyotes moving back to Winnipeg, it will indeed be the Thrashers. If it had been the Coyotes, it would have technically been the Jets returning home and the individual records would carry forward in theory. However, since it’s the Thrashers, any records from the original Winnipeg Jets will remain frozen in history.

Teemu Selanne was the tenth overall pick by the Jets in the 1988 NHL Entry Draft. Selanne finally appeared in a Jets jersey for the 1992-93 season. Teemu made up for the wait with a record breaking performance en route to earning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. Selanne set the unbroken Jets record for most goals in a season with 76 and most points in a season with 132. These numbers still stand as NHL rookie records. Selanne remained in Winnipeg until he was traded to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim during the 1995-96 season.

The same season as Selanne’s offensive explosion, defenseman Phil Housley set a few team records of his own. Housley’s 79 assists stand as a team record and his 97 points are the most by a Winnipeg Jets defenseman. It was Phil’s best season in an NHL career than lasted from 1982-83 to 2002-03. Housley played three years with the Jets from 1990-91 to 1992-93. He also played with the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, Chicago Blackhawks and Toronto Maple Leafs throughout his NHL career.

Tie Domi owns the record for the most penalty minutes in a single season for the Jets. In his second of three seasons in Winnipeg, 1993-94, Domi sat out 347 minutes in the penalty box. Better known as a Toronto Maple Leafs tough guy for his final eleven seasons in the league, Domi surpassed 347 just once in his career, 365 in 1997-98. Tie is Toronto’s all-time PIM leader and ranks third in the NHL all-time behind Tiger Williams and Dale Hunter.