A self-described diehard supporter of the Winnipeg Jets successfully got the historic Winnipeg Falcons hockey team front and centre at an upcoming Jets game.
Rod Palson, who grew up in the Hnausa and Riverton areas, asked True North Sports & Entertainment company whether it would be willing to honour the Falcons, a historic team that won gold at the 1920 Olympics.
“Since January of this year, with the help of fellow Icelander/hockey guru, George Sigurdson, I have been in discussion with True North and the Jets about honouring our historically beloved Winnipeg Falcons … in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of New Iceland,” wrote Palson in a document shared with the Express.
Based in Winnipeg, the Winnipeg Falcons were a men’s hockey team founded in the early 20th century. They team was made up of mostly Icelandic-Canadians. The team won the 1920 Allan Cup as part of the Manitoba Hockey League with Brandon and Selkirk, and was then chosen to represent the Canadian men’s national ice hockey team at the 1920 Olympics. They brought home the gold medal for Canada.
The tribute to the Falcons will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 4 when the Jets host the Montreal Canadiens at the Canada Life Centre.
