The Filipino-themed Winnipeg Jets logo designed for their Filipino heritage night in the National Hockey League on Nov. 8, 2022. PHOTO FROM THE WINNIPEG JETS
AFTER a face-off between two Filipino American brothers in the National Hockey League (NHL) last week, another team decided to show the Filipino community in Canada some love.
The Winnipeg Jets revealed that they will host a Filipino heritage night at the Canada Life Center on November 8, in honor of over 80,000 Filipinos living in the Canadian province of Manitoba, in which Winnipeg is the provincial capital. It will be held during the Jets home game against the visiting Fil-Am hockey player Jason Robertson and his Dallas Stars.
A special Filipino-themed logo was designed by Filipino Canadians Jonato Dalayoan and Marc Gomez. Dalayoan is the owner of Winnipeg-based studio 4two Design Inc., while Gomez works for the Jets’ parent company, True North Sports and Entertainment.
“One of the hallmarks of the logo design is the representation of the eight-ray golden sun surrounding the Jets roundel; the sun is a prominent symbol on the Filipino flag and within the culture,” as explained on the team’s website on Tuesday.
“Three stars within the circle, also found on the Filipino flag, represent the three major island groups of the Philippines — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The three colors of the Filipino flag are overlaid on the jet reflecting the integration of Filipino heritage into Canadian culture. Inclusion of a traditional textile pattern further embodies the bold and festive spirit of the Filipino community.”
The Filipino-themed logos will be used as the team’s warmup jerseys before the game against Dallas.
Members of the Filipino community in Winnipeg will take part in the puck drop, namely: Philippine Basketball Association of Winnipeg commissioner Manny Arañez, Filipino community leader Aida Champagne, Filipino Journal publisher Rod Cantiveros, and Winnipeg Jets hockey academy alumnus Ron Cailo.
The Filipino Choir Musica will sing the national anthems of the United States and Canada. It is not clear if the Philippine national anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” will also be played before the game.
In addition, Filipino food, which includes chicken adobo and pork lumpia, will also be served. Chicken adobo skewers will be permanently part of Canada Life Center’s Aviator Grill locations.
The Jets previously had a player of Filipino descent in their roster, forward Tim Stapleton.
In the active NHL roster, there are three players of Filipino descent. They are brothers Nicholas and Jason Robertson of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Dallas Stars, respectively, and Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild.
.