Star Wears: Jets award bomber, camo jackets to players of game

Welcome to Star Wears, where our Short Shifts squad will highlight each participating NHL team’s unique and creative way to honor their player of the game after each victory, handing them a token of appreciation that usually lasts at least one season, and sometimes takes on a life of its own.

Team: Winnipeg Jets

Item(s): Leather Fighter Pilot Jacket & Camo Fatigue Jacket

Origin Story: The team name Jets is a nod to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), so the team’s player of the game item took off from there.

City/Team Connection (dubious or otherwise): The city is still home to 17 Wing/Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Winnipeg, a major base since 1925. The RCAF dates back to 1920 and was a major contributor to the British Commonwealth Air Training Program during World War II, carrying out multiple operations on three different continents.

Fun Fact: The Jets are one of the few teams to give out two postgame awards. According to captain Adam Lowry, the bomber jacket is for the star of the game and the camouflage jacket is for the game’s unsung hero. “Guys that get down and dirty and do some of the gritty stuff that help you win,” Lowry said.

Quotable: “It's nice to recognize the things that kind of go unnoticed in a game and I think it's our way of recognizing we need the offensive flash, but you also need some of the little things to win games,” Lowry said. Everyone can play a role and have a contribution — kind of recognize those people is kind of a way to cap off a good night.”

-NHL.com Independent Correspondent Darrin Bauming contributed to this report.