Jets fans flock to St. Louis

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This article was published 06/04/2015 (3836 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s common for the Winnipeg Jets to hear rabid fans yell out “True North” during the national anthem when they’re on the road in cities popular with Winnipeggers, including Calgary, Vancouver, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and Anaheim.

But Tuesday night they’re going to hear it in St. Louis of all places.

A group of about 20 Winnipeggers, headed up by Mike Pyle, CEO of the Exchange Income Corporation, are flying down in the morning on one of the company’s planes to take in this all-important game in the Jets’ drive to make the playoffs.

They will be hosted by members of the St. Louis Blues alumni, including Brett Hull, Bernie Federko and Kelly Chase.

Pyle said he’s going to kill a few birds with one stone by tying the hockey game into a regional meeting for its U.S. operations as well as a pat on the back for some of his staff members following an excellent year in 2014.

“It’s a great chance for us to go down and cheer on our team,” Pyle said.

The common thread is Blues forward and Winnipeg native, Alex Steen. For a number of years, Exchange has helped out with the Amadeus Steen Foundation — named in honour of Steen’s younger brother who died shortly after birth — by flying in a number of his teammates for an annual golf tournament.

Exchange owns Perimeter Aviation, Calm Air, Keewatin Air and Bearskin Airlines.

The only potential controversy — and it’s a fun controversy — is whether the Winnipeggers will be able to wear their Jets jerseys in the Blues alumni suite.

“We’ll cheer loudly but we’re not sure about the jerseys, yet,” Pyle said with a laugh.

Terry Yake, director of the Blues alumni and a veteran of more than 400 NHL games, put the matter to rest.

“I’ll have (former Blues enforcer) Tony Twist remove them,” he said good-naturedly.

Yake, who grew up in Mather, Man., and played junior for the Brandon Wheat Kings, said he’s looking forward to welcoming the Winnipeg group because it will be the alumni’s chance to repay them for their previous hospitality.

“This is a nice way for us to say ‘thank you’ and show them around town. It’s too bad there isn’t a Cardinals game the next night,” he said, referring to the city’s baseball team.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca