The Manitoba Moose are the top affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets, playing out of the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They returned to the city after a brief stint in St. John’s in the 2015-16 season and remain a cornerstone franchise in the American Hockey League.
The team began life as the Minnesota Moose in 1994, playing in the now-defunct International Hockey League. They were relocated to Winnipeg in 1996 after the original Jets franchise relocated to Phoenix that year, with a group of businessmen intending to keep professional hockey in the city. The IHL’s demise in 2001 led to the Moose being among the teams accepted into the AHL. After a rocky start, the team played in the city for nine seasons, reaching the Calder Cup Finals in 2009 where they fell to the Hershey Bears in six games.
Winnipeg would regain their National Hockey League club in 2011, when the Atlanta Thrashers folded and brought back the Jets prior to the start of the 2011-12 season. As a result, the Moose moved to Newfoundland and became the St. John’s IceCaps, becoming the top affiliate of the reborn Jets after previously serving as the top affiliate of the Vancouver Canucks. The franchise played musical chairs one last time in 2015, moving back to Winnipeg where they remain to this day.
In the 2022-23 season, the Manitoba Moose finished with a record of 37-25-6-4, third in the Central Division. They were defeated in five games by the Milwaukee Admirals.
Their current head coach is Mark Morrison, their general manager is Craig Heisinger, and their captain is Jimmy Oligny.
Notable Manitoba Moose include Scott Arniel, Mike Keane, and Cory Schneider.