WINNIPEG – The St. Louis Blues head back to Canada tied 2-2 in their first-round playoff series with the Winnipeg Jets. It’s now a best-of-three battle to determine who survives another round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
As the division rivals clash on the ice, an unexpected off-ice connection has come to light: One that suggests that the Jets’ current logo may owe its existence to St. Louis.
According to a 2011 Winnipeg Free Press report, when the Jets were reborn from the NHL franchise formerly known as the Atlanta Thrashers, their new logo featured a fighter jet that closely resembles the CF-18 Hornet.
The CF-18 Hornet, as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation notes, is based on the American-made F/A-18 Hornet, but modified to meet the specific operational requirements of the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Believe it or not, both jets were brought to life with a helping hand from McDonnell Douglas in St. Louis.
Back in 1982, according to United Press International archives, the first CF-18 rolled off the line at McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis. At the time, it was described as a “sleek twin-engined jet” and the first of 138 aircraft built “for the Air Command of Canadian Forces.”
The CF-18 became a key part of Canada’s military force, described by Canadian government officials as a versatile, multi-role firefighter used for everything from air defense and tactical support to aerobatic demonstrations.
Meanwhile, the original F/A-18 Hornet, on which the CF-18 is based, was first produced in 1978. It quickly became a reliable workhorse for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, praised for its performance and relatively low maintenance. It’s estimated around 1,500 were made in St. Louis from 1978 to 2000.
McDonnell Douglas, the St. Louis-based company behind both jets, merged with Boeing in 1997. Production of the American F/A-18 continued briefly after the merger, while Canada’s program had already concluded. Still, St. Louis’ aerospace legacy continues to fly high through both aircraft.
When it comes to the Winnipeg Jets, as we know them today, there’s still some confusion around their origins, including how their logo and identity came to be.
The current logo prominently features the CF-18, a jet that didn’t exist when the original Winnipeg Jets franchise played from 1972 to 1996 between the WHA and NHL. That team predates the CF-18’s debut and has no direct link to the modern franchise.
Today’s Winnipeg Jets are not a continuation of that original team. In fact, the NHL treats them as a separate entity entirely.
The current Jets originally began as the Atlanta Thrashers, an NHL expansion team founded in 1999. When the franchise relocation to Winnipeg in 2011, it revived the Jets name as a nod to the city’s hockey past, but not the records of history of the previous Winnipeg Jets franchise.
What came to be of the original Jets? That franchise relocated to Arizona in 1996 to become the Phoenix Coyotes, later rebranded as the Arizona Coyotes. In 2024, after years of instability, the existence of the former Jets/Coyotes franchise was paused, and what remained of the Coyotes became the NHL’s newest franchise, the Utah Hockey Club.
All told, as the Blues and Jets continue their series, there’s a little irony in their air: Part of the Winnipeg Jets’ current identity, specifically their CF-18-insipired logo, may not have been possible without St. Louis.
As for the Blues, they’re certainly riding momentum into Game 5 after dominant back-to-back home wins in Games 3 and 4, outscoring the Jets 12-3. But with the time equivalent of three full days off, and the series shifting back to Winnipeg, it will take a big effort to regain that top form.
What’s left of this series? Game 5 is set for an 8:30 p.m. CT puck drop Wednesday in Winnipeg.
The Blues and Jets will return back to St. Louis for Game 6 on Friday, during which the winner of Game 5 will have a chance to clinch the first-round series. And if a winner-take-all Game 7 is necessary, it’s set for this upcoming Sunday in Winnipeg.