The original Winnipeg Jets that joined the NHL in 1979 and lasted until 1996, and the new Winnipeg Jets that returned in 2011 are technically not the same franchise. The original became the Arizona Coyotes while the new team originates from the Atlanta Thrashers, but considering the Flyers have only made two minor deals with the current incarnation of the Jets, for the purposes of recapping their trade history, might as well just lump the two franchises together. The original Jets have quite a history with the Flyers. Ironically enough, they served a very similar purpose that the Coyotes do today- the loophole for the league to get around rules and financial problems. The new Jets feature two of the more infamous trades in recent Flyers history.
Original Jets
10/16/84 – Tim Young for futures
Tim Young was a decent contributor for much of his career, most notably with the Minnesota North Stars in the 1970s. Injuries took a toll and he bounced around the league later in his career. He was dealt the the Flyers for unknown compensation after just 44 games in Winnipeg. He played 20 games for the Flyers and 49 for the Hershey Bears after the trade and retired in 1985.
12/10/88 – Steve Fletcher for futures
Steve Fletcher was a depth forward who spent most of his time in the AHL. He played three games for the Jets during the 1988-89 season, then a season-and-a-half with the Hershey Bears after the trade, never suiting up for the Flyers.
7/21/89 – futures for Shawn Cronin
Shawn Cronin was a defenseman who signed with the Flyers on June 12, 1989. On July 21, 1989, he was traded to the Jets. He racked up a massive 703 penalty minutes in just 193 games with the Jets sprinkled over three seasons.
9/28/89 – futures for Pete Peeters and Keith Acton
Pete Peeters was in his second stint as a Flyer and entering year 12 of his career. He had just signed his deal in June of the same year. He played two more seasons with the Flyers and retired in 1991.
Keith Acton was a forward the Flyers had acquired from the Oilers in February of 1989. He went on to play 303 games with the Flyers over parts of five seasons.
10/3/89 – Pete Peeters and Keith Acton for 1991 fifth round pick (Juha Ylonen) and futures (cancelation of 7/21)
This trade was undoing the previous deal, with a fifth round pick thrown in to be inconspicuous.
The Jets drafted forward Juha Ylonen 91st overall in 1991. He never played for the Jets, instead opting to continue his career in his native Finland. He eventually made the jump to the NHL once the franchise relocated to Phoenix in 1996.
The trades occurred as a way for the Flyers to avoid losing either Peeters to Acton to the 1989 waiver draft. The league ultimately fined both teams $10,000 for loaning players with the trades occurring just a few days apart.
2/27/92 – Moe Mantha for futures
Moe Mantha had played just 30 games for the Flyers during the 1988-89 season after being acquired from the Minnesota North Stars for a draft pick in December of 1988. He was claimed by the Jets during the 1989 waiver draft, the same one the Peeters and Action debacle occurred. Unlike the other two, he spent three seasons in Winnipeg before being reacquired by the Flyers in this trade for unknown compensation.
10/1/92 – Stephane Beauregard for 1993 third round pick (Dave Roche) and 1994 fifth round pick (Fredric Deschenes)
Stephane Beauregard was a goaltender who was traded five times in a calendar year from June 1992 to June of 1993. He started in Winnipeg, was dealt to the Sabres on June 15. The Sabres then traded him to Chicago in exchange for Dominik Hasek on August 7. Chicago sent him back to Winnipeg on August 10. Then he was dealt to the Flyers in this deal on October 1. Then was traded back to Winnipeg the following June.
6/11/93 – 1993 third round pick (Dave Roche) (traded to PIT) and 1994 fifth round pick (Fredric Deschenes) (traded to DET) for Stephane Beauregard
Yet another trade that originally occurred to bypass the waiver draft. This deal was originally negotiated early in the 1992-93 season, but this time the NHL had instilled rules to prevent teams from undoing trades within a four week span after the waiver draft. Thus Beauregard played the entire season for the Flyers and was returned to Winnipeg during the offseason.
The 1993 third round pick was deal as part of a package deal to acquire Mark Recchi from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
They also traded the 1994 fifth round pick to Detroit for forward Jim Cummins.
6/27/95 – Russ Romaniuk for rights to Jeff Finley
Jeff Finley was the Islanders’ 55th overall pick in 1985 and spent seven years between the AHL and NHL with the organization. He signed with the Flyers in 1993 and played exclusively in the NHL during the 1993-94 season, but ended back up in the AHL in 1994-95. His rights were traded to Winnipeg, where he’d play one season with the Jets and one with the Coyotes before signing with the New York Rangers in the summer of 1997.
Russ Romaniuk was a forward who the Jets drafted 31st overall in 1988. He played most of his career in the AHL during his time in Winnipeg. He split the 1995-96 season between the Flyers and Hershey Bears and left for the International Hockey League the following season.
9/20/95 – 1997 seventh round pick (Tony Mohagen) (traded to ANA) for Andre Faust
Andre Faust was a forward who signed with the Flyers in 1992 after his collegiate career. He played 47 games with the Flyers over the following three season, though mainly played in the AHL. He spent one season with the Jets’ AHL squad, the Springfield Falcons after the trade and left for the DEL in Germany in 1996.
The Flyers traded the 1997 seventh round pick to the Mighty Ducks in exchange for forward Bob Corkum in February of 1996.
2/27/96 – Tim Cheveldae and 1996 third round pick (Chester Gallant) for Dominic Roussel
Tim Cheveldae was a goaltender who spent three seasons with the Winnipeg Jets. He played eight games with the Phantoms to conclude the 1995-96 season and was not tendered a contract in the summer.
The Flyers drafted forward Chester Gallant 64th overall in 1996. He never played for the organization.
Dominic Roussel was a goaltender who spent six seasons with the Flyers. He closed out the year with the Jets but re-signed with the Flyers during the 1996 offseason and played one more season with the Phantoms.
New Jets
6/24/16 – 2016 first round pick (German Rubtsov) and 2016 second round pick (Pascal Laberge) for 2016 first round pick (Logan Stanley) and 2016 third round pick (Luke Green)
The trade was the Jets moving up four spots from 22 to 18 to select defenseman Logan Stanley. Stanley has played a depth role in Winnipeg for a few seasons, but didn’t develop into a 6’7, 225lb monster like they had hoped.
The Jets also got the 79th overall pick and drafted defenseman Luke Green. He played two seasons with their AHL affiliate before heading to Europe to continue his career.
The Flyers landed the 22nd overall pick and took forward German Rubtsov, whose stock fell heading into the draft after a doping scandal hit his U-18 Russian World Championship team. He made his jump to North America shortly after and played in the QMJHL with mediocre results. When he made the professional jump in 2018, he spent most of his career injured, and when he was playing, it was in a depth role. He played four NHL games in 2019-20. He was dealt to the Florida Panthers in 2022 and headed back to Russia when he contract expired.
The Flyers also acquired the 36th overall pick that the used to draft forward Pascal Laberge. He spent three seasons between the AHL and ECHL, struggling with injuries and wasn’t tendered a contract in 2021.
6/3/19 – Rights to Kevin Hayes for 2019 fifth round pick (Harrison Blaisdell)
The Jets acquired forward Kevin Hayes from the Rangers at the 2019 trade deadline for a playoff push that ended with a first round loss to St. Louis. His rights were traded to the Flyers and he signed a seven-year extension a few weeks later. He would play four seasons in Philly riddled by injuries and off-ice problems exacerbated by a clash with head coach John Tortorella and was dealt out of Philly during the 2023 offseason.
The Jets drafted forward Harrison Blaisdell 134th overall in 2019. He has not signed with the organization as his collegiate career continues.
By: Dan Esche (@DanTheFlyeraFan)
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