Street could be named after Jets super-fan

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This article was published 12/01/2017 (3185 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A street in Kenora, Ont., could be renamed in honour of a longtime, passionate fan of the Winnipeg Jets.

Len (Kroppy) Kropioski died in September at the age of 98.

The Second World War veteran attended almost every home game, saluting the flag as the national anthem was sung before the puck drop.

Kenora city council is looking at renaming McQuillan Street to Kroppy’s Lane in honour of Kropioski.

According to the recommendation to be adopted at a meeting next week, Kropioski spent countless hours volunteering and coaching youth hockey.

McQuillan is a street that Kropioski used to get to his house.

If passed, the street would be renamed on Hockey Day in Canada in February.

It’s the same day the community will hold the first “Kroppy Cup” pond hockey tournament.

“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,” True North Sports & Entertainment said in a statement at the time of his death.

Kropioski 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.

— The Canadian Press / staff