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Winnipeg Free Press
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Jets super-fan puts pedal to the metal when revving up Whiteout spirit
Stanley Cup? More like Stanley coupe. If you have been to any of the Winnipeg Jets' Whiteout parties held this spring at True North Square, chances are you've come across a two-door Chevrolet Vega station wagon fully decked out with Jets decals, flags, goalie masks… even a life-size replica of the National Hockey League's championship trophy. The vehicle in question belongs to Dan Nolin, a grandfather of two who, ahead of every Jets home playoff game, has been making the 25-kilometre trip downtown from his home in Grande Pointe to show off his set of wheels to Jets fans, sure, but also to some of Winnipeg's finest. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Jets fan Dan Nolin , 66, displays his two replica flight helmets on his 1971 Chevy Vega wagon. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Jets fan Dan Nolin , 66, displays his two replica flight helmets on his 1971 Chevy Vega wagon. A few hours before Game 1 of the Jets' first-round series versus the St. Louis Blues, Nolin was driving west along Portage Avenue. As he approached Canada Life Centre, he was pulled over by a police cruiser that had been tailing the Jets-centric Vega for a couple of blocks. 'The cop who stopped me had a few questions about my siren, which I installed on the roof before the 2023 playoffs,' Nolin says, seated in a Southdale coffee shop the morning after the Jets eliminated the Blues in a Game 7 nail-biter that just so happened to coincide with his 66th birthday. ('All I want for my b-day is a Jets win,' declared a homemade sign Nolin, the owner of an insulation company, brought along to the festivities.) 'Mainly he wanted to warn me about firing up the siren in traffic, which could obviously cause confusion for other drivers. I told him I was very aware of that to which he said 'great.' 'Then he smiled and said on the other hand, any time I wanted to park and let 'er rip, that was perfectly fine with him and his fellow officers.' Nolin didn't have the Jets in mind 12 years ago when he spotted an ad on Kijiji for a 1971 Chevy Vega, the exact type of automobile he had as an 18-year-old, before it was totalled in an accident. He contacted the owner, only to be informed the car likely wouldn't start, as it had been sitting in a garage for 14 years. No worries, Nolin responded. If he couldn't get the engine to turn over, he knew 'a guy' who would. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin purchased the 1971 Chevrolet Vega 12 years ago for $6,500, and has since put another $5,000 into the classic car. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin purchased the 1971 Chevrolet Vega 12 years ago for $6,500, and has since put another $5,000 into the classic car. 'It didn't have a speck of rust on it and I ended up getting it for $6,500,' says Nolin, who has since sunk another $5,000 into the vehicle, including having a hole expertly cut into the hood to display a pair of shiny four-barrel carburetors. 'Not that I'm selling it, but there is a Vega on the market right now that's not even close to mine condition-wise that's commanding 30 grand.' For the first couple of years he had it, Nolin, who also tools around in a 1957 Ford Thames and a vintage Pontiac Astre, drove the Vega in the summer months only. However in the spring of 2015, the first year the current iteration of the Jets qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs, he brought it out earlier than usual, hoping it might prove to be a good-luck charm for the club. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin's ride clearly displays the ultimate goal for the Jets' playoff run this year. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin's ride clearly displays the ultimate goal for the Jets' playoff run this year. 'What happened was a buddy of mine had given me a Jets licence plate and because the car is blue — though some people argue it's turquoise — like the Jets (home) jerseys, I thought why not throw a few Jets things on it and parade around in it on game days, honking my horn,' says Nolin, who, in his younger days, patrolled the blue line for the St. Boniface Saints. So what if the Jets were swept by the Anaheim Ducks four games to zip that April? That didn't dissuade Nolin from rolling what some had started to call the Jets-mobile out again three years later, when the team made the playoffs for the second time, after finishing second overall in the league, three points behind the Nashville Predators. The Jets advanced all the way to the Western Conference final that year. As the victories piled up, so did the number of decorations adorning Nolin's ride. (To be clear, all of the crests, placards and so forth are held in place with magnets, so as not to ruin the car's finish.) 'It was getting kind of dicey there for a while, as I added more and more stuff. I remember driving down (Highway) 59, doing 90 clicks, watching in the rearview mirror to see if anything was blowing off or not.' In late March, a representative from True North Sports + Entertainment reached out to Nolin to see if he was interested in becoming an official part of this year's game-day goings-on at True North Square. He was even invited to a press conference to announce the return of the Whiteout parties, a get-together he almost missed entirely owing to an oversight on his part. The press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 8. Except as he was preparing to hit the hay the night before, he suddenly realized he had neglected to change the MPI coverage on his car from storage to active. He raced to an insurance agent first thing in the morning, and explained the urgency of the situation. The agent, an admitted Jets fan, completed the necessary paperwork in a matter of minutes, fast enough that Nolin was able to make it to Hargrave Street in time to drive behind a limo carrying the press conference's guests of honour, Jets mascots Mick E. Moose and Benny. TREVOR HAGAN / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin first decked out his Vega in Jets paraphernalia in spring 2015 as a good-luck charm for the returned team's first-ever NHL playoff series. TREVOR HAGAN / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin first decked out his Vega in Jets paraphernalia in spring 2015 as a good-luck charm for the returned team's first-ever NHL playoff series. Nolin, who has been arriving at Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet, can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. One of those requests came from Rob Psaila, a resident of Melbourne, Australia who travelled 15,000 kilometres to cheer on the Jets in games 1 and 2 of the Blues series. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin usually attends Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin usually attends Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet. 'I also ran into two guys from Minnesota who told me I absolutely had to bring my car to St. Paul one day, maybe during the regular season,' says Nolin, mentioning he does have a 40-foot tri-axle trailer that attaches to his work truck, which means there's no reason he can't haul the Vega to an away game, perhaps in Edmonton, if the Jets continue to advance through the playoffs. 'I'm not currently travelling to the States because of you-know-who, but yeah, an all-Canadian western final would be something else, right?' he says. One more thing: if you're thinking Nolin is watching Jets games downtown with one eye on the big screen and another on his car, to make sure nobody's snatching a Mick E. Moose stuffie or mini hockey stick-as-windshield wiper, think again. Nolin is pleased to report that everybody who stops to admire the car — a combination of people headed into the rink as well as those attending the street parties or on their way home to catch the action on TV — have had the utmost respect for his ongoing project. 'The folks at True North told me they'd give me a special place to park, but I was like, 'no, I'm not going to need that,'' he says, polishing off the last of his coffee. 'Seriously, from the reactions I've received — all 100 per cent positive — I get the feeling I could leave it overnight in any part of town and nothing's going to happen to it, what with everybody currently pulling for the Jets so hard.' BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. David Sanderson Dave Sanderson was born in Regina but please, don't hold that against him. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jets pride in his ride
Stanley Cup? More like Stanley coupe. If you have been to any of the Winnipeg Jets' Whiteout parties held this spring at True North Square, chances are you've come across a two-door Chevrolet Vega station wagon fully decked out with Jets decals, flags, goalie masks… even a life-size replica of the National Hockey League's championship trophy. The vehicle in question belongs to Dan Nolin, a grandfather of two who, ahead of every Jets home playoff game, has been making the 25-kilometre trip downtown from his home in Grande Pointe to show off his set of wheels to Jets fans, sure, but also to some of Winnipeg's finest. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Jets fan Dan Nolin , 66, displays his two replica flight helmets on his 1971 Chevy Vega wagon. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Jets fan Dan Nolin , 66, displays his two replica flight helmets on his 1971 Chevy Vega wagon. A few hours before Game 1 of the Jets' first-round series versus the St. Louis Blues, Nolin was driving west along Portage Avenue. As he approached Canada Life Centre, he was pulled over by a police cruiser that had been tailing the Jets-centric Vega for a couple of blocks. 'The cop who stopped me had a few questions about my siren, which I installed on the roof before the 2023 playoffs,' Nolin says, seated in a Southdale coffee shop the morning after the Jets eliminated the Blues in a Game 7 nail-biter that just so happened to coincide with his 66th birthday. ('All I want for my b-day is a Jets win,' declared a homemade sign Nolin, the owner of an insulation company, brought along to the festivities.) 'Mainly he wanted to warn me about firing up the siren in traffic, which could obviously cause confusion for other drivers. I told him I was very aware of that to which he said 'great.' Then he smiled and said on the other hand, any time I wanted to park and let 'er rip, that was perfectly fine with him and his fellow officers.' Nolin didn't have the Jets in mind 12 years ago when he spotted an ad on Kijiji for a 1971 Chevy Vega, the exact type of automobile he had as an 18-year-old, before it was totalled in an accident. He contacted the owner, only to be informed the car likely wouldn't start, as it had been sitting in a garage for 14 years. No worries, Nolin responded. If he couldn't get the engine to turn over, he knew 'a guy' who would. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin purchased the 1971 Chevrolet Vega 12 years ago for $6,500, and has since put another $5,000 into the classic car. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin purchased the 1971 Chevrolet Vega 12 years ago for $6,500, and has since put another $5,000 into the classic car. 'It didn't have a speck of rust on it and I ended up getting it for $6,500,' says Nolin, who has since sunk another $5,000 into the vehicle, including having a hole expertly cut into the hood to display a pair of shiny four-barrel carburetors. 'Not that I'm selling it, but there is a Vega on the market right now that's not even close to mine condition-wise that's commanding 30 grand.' For the first couple of years he had it, Nolin, who also tools around in a 1957 Ford Thames and a vintage Pontiac Astre, drove the Vega in the summer months only. However in the spring of 2015, the first year the current iteration of the Jets qualified for the Stanley Cup playoffs, he brought it out earlier than usual, hoping it might prove to be a good-luck charm for the club. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin's ride clearly displays the ultimate goal for the Jets' playoff run this year. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin's ride clearly displays the ultimate goal for the Jets' playoff run this year. 'What happened was a buddy of mine had given me a Jets licence plate and because the car is blue — though some people argue it's turquoise — like the Jets (home) jerseys, I thought why not throw a few Jets things on it and parade around in it on game days, honking my horn,' says Nolin, who, in his younger days, patrolled the blue line for the St. Boniface Saints. So what if the Jets were swept by the Anaheim Ducks four games to zip that April? That didn't dissuade Nolin from rolling what some had started to call the Jets-mobile out again three years later, when the team made the playoffs for the second time, after finishing second overall in the league, three points behind the Nashville Predators. The Jets advanced all the way to the Western Conference final that year. As the victories piled up, so did the number of decorations adorning Nolin's ride. (To be clear, all of the crests, placards and so forth are held in place with magnets, so as not to ruin the car's finish.) 'It was getting kind of dicey there for a while, as I added more and more stuff. I remember driving down (Highway) 59, doing 90 clicks, watching in the rearview mirror to see if anything was blowing off or not.' In late March, a representative from True North Sports + Entertainment reached out to Nolin to see if he was interested in becoming an official part of this year's game-day goings-on at True North Square. He was even invited to a press conference to announce the return of the Whiteout parties, a get-together he almost missed entirely owing to an oversight on his part. The press conference was scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 8. Except as he was preparing to hit the hay the night before, he suddenly realized he had neglected to change the MPI coverage on his car from storage to active. He raced to an insurance agent first thing in the morning, and explained the urgency of the situation. The agent, an admitted Jets fan, completed the necessary paperwork in a matter of minutes, fast enough that Nolin was able to make it to Hargrave Street in time to drive behind a limo carrying the press conference's guests of honour, Jets mascots Mick E. Moose and Benny. TREVOR HAGAN / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin first decked out his Vega in Jets paraphernalia in spring 2015 as a good-luck charm for the returned team's first-ever NHL playoff series. TREVOR HAGAN / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin first decked out his Vega in Jets paraphernalia in spring 2015 as a good-luck charm for the returned team's first-ever NHL playoff series. Nolin, who has been arriving at Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet, can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. One of those requests came from Rob Psaila, a resident of Melbourne, Australia who travelled 15,000 kilometres to cheer on the Jets in games 1 and 2 of the Blues series. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin usually attends Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS FILES Nolin usually attends Whiteout soirées sporting white trousers paired with a Jets blazer and white crash helmet. 'I also ran into two guys from Minnesota who told me I absolutely had to bring my car to St. Paul one day, maybe during the regular season,' says Nolin, mentioning he does have a 40-foot tri-axle trailer that attaches to his work truck, which means there's no reason he can't haul the Vega to an away game, perhaps in Edmonton, if the Jets continue to advance through the playoffs. 'I'm not currently travelling to the States because of you-know-who, but yeah, an all-Canadian western final would be something else, right?' he says. One more thing: if you're thinking Nolin is watching Jets games downtown with one eye on the big screen and another on his car, to make sure nobody's snatching a Mick E. Moose stuffie or mini hockey stick-as-windshield wiper, think again. Nolin is pleased to report that everybody who stops to admire the car — a combination of people headed into the rink as well as those attending the street parties or on their way home to catch the action on TV — have had the utmost respect for his ongoing project. 'The folks at True North told me they'd give me a special place to park, but I was like, 'no, I'm not going to need that,'' he says, polishing off the last of his coffee. 'Seriously, from the reactions I've received — all 100 per cent positive — I get the feeling I could leave it overnight in any part of town and nothing's going to happen to it, what with everybody currently pulling for the Jets so hard.' BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Nolin can't count the number of people who've begged him to take them for a spin before puck drop. David Sanderson Dave Sanderson was born in Regina but please, don't hold that against him. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Raucous Winnipeg fans poised to be X-factor for Jets in 2nd round against Dallas Stars
Raucous Winnipeg fans poised to be X-factor for Jets in 2nd round against Dallas Stars Dan Nolin poses next to his Jets mobile, which he takes around Winnipeg during the Stanley Cup playoffs, rallying fans and driving excitement. (Trevor Brine/CBC - image credit) It's blue, covered in stickers and mini-sticks, topped with a replica Stanley Cup, filled with gas and ready for Round 2 of the NHL playoffs. It's hard to miss Dan Nolin's Jets mobile. And that's the whole point. The 1971 Chevy Vega wagon is meant to get attention — the wailing rooftop siren demands it — and drive excitement among Winnipeggers for their beloved Jets. "It's amazing. I get smiles — everywhere you look it's smiles," said Nolin, whose voice started to crack and get emotional. "It's just fun. It's just so much fun. "Kids come up, they want pictures. And I don't worry about people touching it when I park it downtown. I gotta have faith in people." Winnipeg Jets super fan Dan Nolin stops by the CBC Manitoba studio in Winnipeg on Tuesday. (Trevor Brine/CBC) Not only does it get attention, it sparks goodwill. While driving around ahead of Sunday's deciding Game 7 between the Jets and St. Louis Blues, Nolin was approached by a stranger with a spare ticket. Nolin told his friend, Richard, to take it. It was the first game Richard had ever seen and proved to be one of the greatest games ever played at Canada Life Centre. "He went in there first time in his life. And for that game? Awesome." The Vega is festooned with rope lighting, Jets hubcaps, flags held aloft by hockey sticks, a goalie mask, a jet fighter plane, a plush version of Jets mascot Mick E. Moose and mini-sticks on the hood, doors and wiper blades. "I've had it for 12 years and I just keep having fun with it," said Nolin, who is similarly sheathed in everything Jets, from his pilot helmet through to his whiteout pants and sneakers. His Jets suit jacket, which hangs open to reveal a Jets jersey, has a miniature Mick E. Moose attached to the breast pocket like a corsage. He even has a secondary helmet for passengers to get into the spirit. Nolin's obsession launched in 2015 with a simple Jets licence plate. Not long afterwards, the Jets clinched their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta. "Ever since then, I just keep on going. I just keep having fun with it," Nolin said. Jets in tough against Dallas The Jets advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with Sunday's victory, a double overtime comeback shocker against the Blues, punching their ticket to the next series 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 at this very subjectively, you would say the task just got a lot more daunting for the Winnipeg Jets," said Rogers Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds. The Stars nipped at the Jets' heels during the stretch run of the regular season, and the teams finished 1-2 in the Western Division. That said, so much has already defied expectations. The first round between the Jets and Blues was officially the NHL's best against a wildcard team. The Blues were last to book a playoff spot. But as the Jets and their fans quickly discovered, they were far from an easy foe. Fact is, they were the NHL's hottest team in the final two months, rapidly climbing the standings after a mediocre season. "And the Jets shouldn't have been able to win without [injured star] Mark Scheifele, and they still were able to," Reynolds said. "As surprising as it was for them to win that Game 7, it shouldn't be, because they showed time and again throughout the season that they were a team capable of doing that. The Winnipeg Jets seem to have something special." At the beginning of the year, the Jets winning the President's Trophy would have been an improbable notion, Reynolds said. Once they started setting records for wins early in the season, everyone thought they were going to slow down, but they didn't, he said. "On paper, the Dallas Stars should be the more superior team.… [The Stars] are deeper and maybe have more high end power. But the Winnipeg Jets keep finding ways to prove people wrong." The Jets and Stars both have a flair for dramatic comebacks. ( The Jets have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the league's best goalie and Connor Hellebuyck is generally considered a shoe-in to win it again. He's also up for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. But he struggled mightily against the Blues before returning to form in the double-overtime of Game 7. One place Winnipeg and Dallas draw even is in their flair for the dramatic. Like the Jets, the Stars pulled off a Game 7 comeback, rallying with four straight goals in the third period for a 4-2 win to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche. But the X factor for the Jets could be the people like Dan Nolin — the fan base, the extremely loud whiteout crowd. The Blues' fans created a menacing experience for the visiting Jets, but "Dallas will not have that kind of environment," Reynold said, calling their fans more subdued. Winnipeg fans can shake a decibel level to its core when they get excited. (John Woods/The Canadian Press) So if that's the environment Dallas is used to, the one in Winnipeg has the potential to buckle their knees. "What you saw in St. Louis was amazing. What you see in Winnipeg is supernatural," said Reynolds.
CBC
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Raucous Winnipeg fans poised to be X-factor for Jets in 2nd round against Dallas Stars
It's blue, covered in stickers and mini-sticks, topped with a replica Stanley Cup, filled with gas and ready for Round 2 of the NHL playoffs. It's hard to miss Dan Nolin's Jets mobile. And that's the whole point. The 1971 Chevy Vega wagon is meant to get attention — the wailing rooftop siren demands it — and drive excitement among Winnipeggers for their beloved Jets. "It's amazing. I get smiles — everywhere you look it's smiles," said Nolin, whose voice started to crack and get emotional. "It's just fun. It's just so much fun. "Kids come up, they want pictures. And I don't worry about people touching it when I park it downtown. I gotta have faith in people." Not only does it get attention, it sparks goodwill. While driving around ahead of Sunday's deciding Game 7 between the Jets and St. Louis Blues, Nolin was approached by a stranger with a spare ticket. Nolin told his friend, Richard, to take it. It was the first game Richard had ever seen and proved to be one of the greatest games ever played at Canada Life Centre. "He went in there first time in his life. And for that game? Awesome." The Vega is festooned with rope lighting, Jets hubcaps, flags held aloft by hockey sticks, a goalie mask, a jet fighter plane, a plush version of Jets mascot Mick E. Moose and mini-sticks on the hood, doors and wiper blades. "I've had it for 12 years and I just keep having fun with it," said Nolin, who is similarly sheathed in everything Jets, from his pilot helmet through to his whiteout pants and sneakers. His Jets suit jacket, which hangs open to reveal a Jets jersey, has a miniature Mick E. Moose attached to the breast pocket like a corsage. He even has a secondary helmet for passengers to get into the spirit. Nolin's obsession launched in 2015 with a simple Jets licence plate. Not long afterwards, the Jets clinched their first Stanley Cup playoff appearance since relocating to Winnipeg from Atlanta. "Ever since then, I just keep on going. I just keep having fun with it," Nolin said. Jets in tough against Dallas The Jets advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with Sunday's victory, a double overtime comeback shocker against the Blues, punching their ticket to the next series 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 at this very subjectively, you would say the task just got a lot more daunting for the Winnipeg Jets," said Rogers Sportsnet's Sean Reynolds. The Stars nipped at the Jets' heels during the stretch run of the regular season, and the teams finished 1-2 in the Western Division. That said, so much has already defied expectations. The first round between the Jets and Blues was officially the NHL's best against a wildcard team. The Blues were last to book a playoff spot. But as the Jets and their fans quickly discovered, they were far from an easy foe. Fact is, they were the NHL's hottest team in the final two months, rapidly climbing the standings after a mediocre season. "And the Jets shouldn't have been able to win without [injured star] Mark Scheifele, and they still were able to," Reynolds said. "As surprising as it was for them to win that Game 7, it shouldn't be, because they showed time and again throughout the season that they were a team capable of doing that. The Winnipeg Jets seem to have something special." At the beginning of the year, the Jets winning the President's Trophy would have been an improbable notion, Reynolds said. Once they started setting records for wins early in the season, everyone thought they were going to slow down, but they didn't, he said. "On paper, the Dallas Stars should be the more superior team.… [The Stars] are deeper and maybe have more high end power. But the Winnipeg Jets keep finding ways to prove people wrong." The Jets have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner as the league's best goalie and Connor Hellebuyck is generally considered a shoe-in to win it again. He's also up for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. But he struggled mightily against the Blues before returning to form in the double-overtime of Game 7. One place Winnipeg and Dallas draw even is in their flair for the dramatic. Like the Jets, the Stars pulled off a Game 7 comeback, rallying with four straight goals in the third period for a 4-2 win to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche. But the X factor for the Jets could be the people like Dan Nolin — the fan base, the extremely loud whiteout crowd. The Blues' fans created a menacing experience for the visiting Jets, but "Dallas will not have that kind of environment," Reynold said, calling their fans more subdued. So if that's the environment Dallas is used to, the one in Winnipeg has the potential to buckle their knees. "What you saw in St. Louis was amazing. What you see in Winnipeg is supernatural," said Reynolds.
