He was first introduced to the Winnipeg public back in 2011 at the Jets first game back against the Montreal Canadiens on March 9th. The cameras caught him saluting and singing his heart out to O Canada. Since then he became a game-day tradition with his image on the scoreboard every night at the conclusion of the national anthem. He was an advertising gold mine for the Jets as Kroppy showed (and the Jets brass hope he showed) what a die-hard Winnipeg Jets fan was made of. Kroppy epitomized what it was (and is) to be a Winnipeg Jets fan. Being there for your team through thick and thin. Showing up and cheering your heart out when you know that the team may not be very good and may disappoint you every season; only to show up the next year for a guaranteed 42 more games.
With the Jets donning their WHA-style jerseys of the 1970s for the Winter Classic as well as a couple of other regular-season games, plus the White-Out that returned to Winnipeg for the 2014-2015 playoffs, perhaps another long-standing, but slightly different tradition may be introduced. Why not replace the old portrait of Queen Elizabeth II that hung at the south end of the old Winnipeg Arena with the same such honour for Kroppy? I don't think one Winnipeg Jets fan would complain. If they did, simply rescind their season's tickets.
