Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 21/09/2011 (4268 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MANY fans were wondering why the Jets wore their white jerseys both at home and in Columbus for the split-squad games Tuesday night. Good question.

And the simple answer, we’re told, is this: the team is saving their ‘blues’ for the home opener against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9.

THE WORD FROM OHIO: In Columbus, the Jets had few highlights.

Veteran defenceman Ron Hainsey led the team with 19:59 of icetime. The shortest amount of icetime was 9:18 for rookie tryout John Albert, a 2007 Atlanta draft pick who just graduated from Ohio State.

From the other statistical categories, no Jet was more than minus-one, a product of Columbus being two-for-four on the power play.

In the faceoff circle, Winnipeg’s Riley Holzapfel was best, winning seven of nine, though on the night, the Jets were outgunned in the circle 54 to 46 per cent.

SOME FIRSTS, WITH ASTERISKS: On Tuesday’s night of firsts for the return of the Jets to NHL action, the trivia answers will eventually require asterisks for their pre-season status. These come from Columbus, where the game started 90 minutes earlier than the contest at the MTS Centre:

— First faceoff: Winnipeg’s Jim Slater and Columbus’s Samuel Pahlsson.

— First broken stick: Jason Jaffray.

— First blocked shot: Chris Thorburn.

— First Jets save: Chris Mason on Vinny Prospal.

— First Jets shot: rookie John Albert (at 3:06).

— First goal: Evander Kane (6:21 of 2nd).

— First penalty: Blake Wheeler (7:34 of 1st).