Jets players salute fan favourite ‘Kroppy’

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This article was published 14/09/2016 (3304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A day after Winnipeg Jets’ super fan Len Kropioski died, players paid tribute to the man famous for his salute during the singing of O Canada prior to games.

“The players are going to miss him, the fans are going to miss him, the whole city’s going to miss him,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “You go to a Jets game and everyone knew where he sat, everyone expected him to be front row, on the big screen at some point, especially at the end of the anthem giving a salute.

“We definitely lost one of our best fans.”

Kropioski, known affectionately by Jets fans as Kroppy, died Tuesday afternoon at the Kenora personal care home where he lived. He was 98.

“Every time they showed him on the Jumbotron, the fans would go nuts,” added Little, who had a chance to talk to him on a couple of occasions. “As a player, you see that and you see how passionate he was and driving that distance every game and not missing one, I mean it’s fans like that that make you excited to play at that arena.”

Kropioski, who had season tickets, quickly became a fan favourite after he was captured on video early in the Jets inaugural 2011 season. Subsequently, he then was almost always shown on the scoreboard standing at attention and saluting his country at the end of O Canada, to the loud cheers of fans at the MTS Centre.

Kropioski, who had missed attending several games late last season because of illness, was honoured with a standing ovation upon his return, a moment that moved him to tears.

Jets centre Adam Lowry said Wednesday the organization has lost “an icon.”

“Last year, he had been absent for a little bit and when he came back the fans gave him a standing ovation that lasted two or three minutes. That truly shows what he meant to the fan base and the organization,” Lowry said.

“During the military night (Kropioski was a Second World War veteran), the guys would interact with him and take pictures with him. You’d always see him there during the anthem and it was cool seeing his passion for our team and for the organization.”

The Jets and True North Sports + Entertainment said they are looking at ways to honour Kropioski at their first home game of the season on Oct. 13 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“True North Sports + Entertainment and the Winnipeg Jets were greatly saddened when we learned yesterday afternoon of Len Kropioski’s passing,” the organization said in a statement.

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“‘Kroppy’ was the consummate hockey fan and his support of the team and the organization has always been genuine and pure, dating back to our time in the American Hockey League. His devotion to make the two-hour trip from Kenora to always ensure he was in his front row seat in time for the anthems demonstrated how passionate Winnipeg Jets fans can be.

“Kroppy had a tremendous impact on the organization, particularly those who interacted with him and came to know his family well. He will be missed.”

Granddaughter Kim Innard said Kropioski had been sick since December.

“It’s been a tough day,” she said Tuesday. “It’s pretty raw for the family.”

Kropioski had a long history of cheering on teams in his hometown. Not only was he a season-ticket holder with the old Manitoba Moose but he was a regular at Winnipeg Jets 1.0 games at the old Winnipeg Arena. In the early 1970s, when professional hockey was new in Winnipeg, Kropioski knew the team’s owner, Ben Hatskin — they went to St. John’s Technical High School together — and the team’s assistant coach, Nick Mickoski.