Raucous Winnipeg fans poised to be X-factor for Jets in 2nd round against Dallas Stars

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: May 06, 2025 1:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 37 minutes ago

It's blue, covered successful stickers and mini-sticks, topped with a replica Stanley Cup, filled with gas and acceptable for Round 2 of the NHL playoffs. 

It's hard to miss Dan Nolin's Jets mobile. And that's the full point.

The 1971 Chevy Vega wagon is meant to get attention — the wailing rooftop siren demands it — and thrust excitement among Winnipeggers for their beloved Jets.

"It's amazing. I get smiles — everywhere you look it's smiles," said Nolin, whose dependable started to ace and get emotional. "It's conscionable fun. It's conscionable truthful overmuch fun.

"Kids travel up, they privation pictures. And I don't interest astir radical touching it erstwhile I parkland it downtown. I gotta person religion successful people."

Not lone does it get attention, it sparks goodwill.

While driving astir up of Sunday's deciding Game 7 betwixt the Jets and St. Louis Blues, Nolin was approached by a alien with a spare ticket.

Nolin told his friend, Richard, to instrumentality it. It was the archetypal crippled Richard had ever seen and proved to beryllium 1 of the top games ever played astatine Canada Life Centre.

"He went successful determination archetypal clip successful his life. And for that game? Awesome."

The Vega is festooned with enactment lighting, Jets hubcaps, flags held aloft by hockey sticks, a goalie mask, a pitchy combatant plane, a plush mentation of Jets mascot Mick E. Moose and mini-sticks connected the hood, doors and wiper blades.

"I've had it for 12 years and I conscionable support having amusive with it," said Nolin, who is likewise sheathed successful everything Jets, from his aviator helmet done to his whiteout pants and sneakers.

His Jets suit jacket, which hangs unfastened to uncover a Jets jersey, has a miniature Mick E. Moose attached to the bosom pouch similar a corsage. He adjacent has a secondary helmet for passengers to get into the spirit.

Nolin's obsession launched successful 2015 with a elemental Jets licence plate. Not agelong afterwards, the Jets clinched their archetypal Stanley Cup playoff quality since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta.

"Ever since then, I conscionable support connected going. I conscionable support having amusive with it," Nolin said.

Jets successful pugnacious against Dallas

The Jets precocious to the 2nd circular of the NHL playoffs with Sunday's victory, a treble overtime comeback shocker against the Blues, punching their summons to the adjacent bid matchup against the Dallas Stars. That best-of-seven begins Wednesday.

So what are their chances of motoring deeper into the post-season?

"On paper, if we were looking astatine this precise subjectively, you would accidental the task conscionable got a batch much daunting for the Winnipeg Jets," said Rogers Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds.

The Stars nipped astatine the Jets' heels during the agelong tally of the regular season, and the teams finished 1-2 successful the Western Division.

That said, truthful overmuch has already defied expectations. The archetypal circular betwixt the Jets and Blues was officially the NHL's best against a wildcard team. The Blues were last to publication a playoff spot.

But arsenic the Jets and their fans rapidly discovered, they were acold from an casual foe.

Fact is, they were the NHL's hottest squad successful the last 2 months, rapidly climbing the standings aft a mediocre season.

"And the Jets shouldn't person been capable to triumph without [injured star] Mark Scheifele, and they inactive were capable to," Reynolds said. 

"As astonishing arsenic it was for them to triumph that Game 7, it shouldn't be, due to the fact that they showed clip and again passim the play that they were a squad susceptible of doing that. The Winnipeg Jets look to person thing special."

At the opening of the year, the Jets winning the President's Trophy would person been an improbable notion, Reynolds said.

Once they started mounting records for wins aboriginal successful the season, everyone thought they were going to dilatory down, but they didn't, helium said.

"On paper, the Dallas Stars should beryllium the much superior team.… [The Stars] are deeper and possibly person much precocious extremity power. But the Winnipeg Jets support uncovering ways to beryllium radical wrong."

The Jets person the reigning Vezina Trophy victor arsenic the league's champion goalie and Connor Hellebuyck is mostly considered a shoe-in to triumph it again. He's besides up for the Hart Memorial Trophy arsenic the NHL's astir invaluable player.

But helium struggled mightily against the Blues before returning to signifier successful the double-overtime of Game 7.

One place Winnipeg and Dallas draw adjacent is successful their flair for the dramatic.

Like the Jets, the Stars pulled disconnected a Game 7 comeback, rallying with 4 consecutive goals successful the 3rd play for a 4-2 triumph to destruct the Colorado Avalanche.

But the X origin for the Jets could beryllium the radical similar Dan Nolin — the instrumentality base, the highly large whiteout crowd.

The Blues' fans created a menacing acquisition for the visiting Jets, but "Dallas volition not person that benignant of environment," Reynold said, calling their fans much subdued.

So if that's the situation Dallas is utilized to, the 1 successful Winnipeg has the imaginable to buckle their knees.

"What you saw successful St. Louis was amazing. What you spot successful Winnipeg is supernatural," said Reynolds.