A Jets game like no other

St. Vital

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2025 (548 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Overwhelmed! Exhilarated! That’s precisely how I felt about being at the Winnipeg Jets hockey game with my grandsons Matt and Ben at Canada Life Centre on Saturday, Jan. 11. Our team obliged from the very first minute — but we were ready for more.

These two fellows had notified me in advance that they would visit me in January and treat me to a hockey game. Little did I know they would also pre-arrange a big surprise.

‘Which weekend would I prefer, which game?” they asked. I chose the Colorado Avalanche game.

Do you remember how time passed much too slowly when, as a kid, you were waiting for an event to occur? I confess it’s the same in your ‘second childhood’ when you’re 97 and mostly a stay-at-home grannie.

Friday, Jan. 10, finally arrived. Ben’s plane left Toronto on time, and we spent a marvellous afternoon just chatting. However, his older brother Matt, a Brooklyn resident, found his scheduled Atlanta flight cancelled because of a severe snowstorm. “No problem,” for him. He switched to a flight through Minneapolis and arrived in time for a 6:30 p.m. dinner.

Saturday arrived soon enough, and after shopping and eating and exchanging bits of news about each other, we found ourselves at the arena.

It was crowded with hordes of fans. The boys had insisted I wear my Jets shirt-with-a-difference — which says “2012 WII BOWLING CHAMPION” on the back — just to baffle a few fans. I even surprised a Colorado fan by telling him “You’re wearing the wrong shirt.” All in friendly fun.

After parking his car – no mean feat in a strange city – Matt sat on my right side and Ben on my left, my presence juxtaposed the six-year-old beside him. Fans of all ages loudly approved the pre-game entertainment dedicated to, and presented by, Winnipeg’s Filipino community.

At last the hockey game began. Not a whole minute later the Jets scored.

What a game. Everyone cheered, uninhibited, and during breaks we feasted on delicious take-outs. It was total bliss as the Jets ended with a 3-0 shutout, winning kudos for our star goalie, Connor Hellebuyck.

But it was a moment in the second period that absolutely stunned me. My world stood still and I stared in total disbelief as my ‘boys’ frantically prodded me to “look up, look up!”

There in large print on the video board hanging above centre ice was this message:

WE LOVE YOU, BABA HANIA!

– MATT & BEN

What an unbelievable/unforgettable surprise. The joy!

Wasn’t that mighty clever of them — why would I not tell the world about it? My humble thanks, Matt and Ben, for the hockey game and this most beautiful message. Know that I love you, too.