Cyber-crank posts fake Jet jersey

It took less than 36 hours after logo launch for an image of a Winnipeg Jets jersey to hit cyberspace.

The item is a fake, Jets director of communications Scott Brown said Sunday.

The alleged design is home and away jerseys side by side, showing the darks as blue with blue and silver striping and trim. The white is a basic jersey with blue shoulders and blue and silver striping.

"Not even close," Brown told the Free Press on Sunday.

The doctored photo does sport the Jets' new primary logo, the fighter jet on top of the red maple leaf inside a roundel similar to the one commonly used by the Royal Canadian Air Force, and winged shoulder patch, designs which were unveiled by the team on Friday.

"I suppose we're in for a good month of this," Brown added.

The team said at its logo unveiling Friday that it would be into September before the Jets game uniforms would be revealed.

The images that appeared over the weekend were easily identifiable as fakes, Brown said, because of the way the jerseys are shown. He didn't elaborate.

Over the weekend, even though no jerseys are for sale, the Jets saw long lineups at their merchandise store at the MTS Centre.

Jets Gear brought in almost $200,000 for the initial team-logoed foray of sales and moved out all of it but a few men's T-shirts.

The store will be open again this morning with just that item, but expects to have a replenished stock sometime early in the week.

Brown said that the variety of items — basically hats and T-shirts — will remain limited for a while yet.

Other city sports retailers joined the Jets' stuff bonanza on the weekend and reported high interest in the limited number of items presently available.

Adding to the Saturday buzz at the Jets Gear store, the team brought in winger Eric Fehr to sign autographs for an hour. The store was lined up outside and around the Portage Ave. and Hargrave St. corner before 10 a.m.

"I think this is great," Fehr said Saturday. "I think Canadians are proud of the military and it's great to represent them on our logo.

"I really didn't know what to expect so I'm not really surprised. I think it's a great look and I'm really excited to wear it."The 25-year-old Winkler product said his recovery from and rehabilitation after off-season shoulder surgery is progressing nicely.

He's been receiving treatment and working out at the MTS Centre.

Saturday, he wore a big grin when asked about the outside lineups for the Jets Gear store.

"This is great," he said. "It's definitely what we expected. The fans here are very passionate and we've seen that throughout the years. I think that's just going to get stronger with an NHL team in the city."

Brown said that True North continues to be impressed by the fans passion and their appetite for all things Jets — tickets, news, rumours and now merchandise.

"You can't say enough about them," Brown said.

tim.campbell@freepress.mb.ca

NCAA game on again

 

THE on, then in-doubt, then on-again NCAA hockey game coming to the MTS Centre this season appears now to be definitely on again. The University of North Dakota has scheduled a Jan. 7 game against the Clarkson University Golden Knights and it's believed to be the first NCAA game to be played outside of the U.S. The Jets are in Buffalo that night. UND had five players with Manitoba connections on their roster last season, but that has dwindled to just one, freshman Taylor Dickin. Third-year UND forward Jason Gregoire left school and signed with the Jets in early July.

 

— Campbell