Bloggers

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Glen Murray: Go Jets Go

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 02/17/2012 3:21 PM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

I had a chance to speak with former mayor Glen Murray the other day.

As most of my conversations go, we talked more about the Winnipeg Jets than other stuff.

By way of background, Murray was mayor for the ground-breaking of the MTS Centre in 2003 and says before that, he helped get Mark Chipman and David Thomson together, first meeting them at the Fyxx to discuss "the crazy idea" of building an arena on the old Eaton’s site.

Because of that, he was invited to be at the team’s Oct. 9 home opener against the Canadiens.

"I actually teared up. That was amazing moment to see the Jets back and to sit in there."

Murray said a better moment came when the Jets played the Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on Oct. 19.

"It’s a moment I’ll never forget in my life. When the Jets came in, the announcer told a bit of the story about how Winnipeg won its team back. Everyone stood up and gave a standing ovation for many, many, many, many minutes. A lot of people were crying. You could feel the emotional enthusiasm in the room."

Now halfway through the hockey season, Murray says Winnipeg fans shouldn’t despair the team’s win-loss record.

"They are doing as well as the Maple Leafs. I know that’s not exactly the gold-bar standard for success in the NHL. But it only took Winnipeg less than 12 months to have a team as good as Toronto. That’s a huge credit. In a just a few months Winnipeg already has a hockey team rivalling the Leafs."

Murray left the mayor’s office in 2004 to run under the Liberal banner in the federal election. He lost to Tory Steven Fletcher.

Murray is now Ontario’s minister of training, colleges and universities in the McGuinty government.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

(You must be logged in to post your reaction)

Your reaction?

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010; View the changes. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.