WINNIPEG – Arguably, no one better embodies what the Winnipeg Jets mean on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean than Thomas Steen. From 1981 to 1995, the savvy Swedish centre piled up 817 points with the club’s first NHL incarnation, and he’s still living in Winnipeg to enjoy the Jets’ revival.

Steen’s #25 jersey was retired by the Jets just before they relocated to Phoenix in 1995, reflecting the respect he earned with his conduct on and off the ice. The product of Grums IK and later Leksands IF far exceeded expectations after being drafted 103rd overall in 1979.

He helped keep pro hockey alive in Winnipeg by purchasing a share of Minnesota’s IHL franchise in 1996 and moving it to the provincial capital to become the Manitoba Moose. The Moose survived into the AHL era until being displaced to St. John’s, Newfoundland to serve as the new Jets’ farm team this season.

Today, Steen (also the father of St. Louis Blues center Alexander Steen) has found a new niche for himself in politics. He ran federally for the Conservative Party of Canada in the 2008 elections, and won a seat on the Winnipeg city council last year for the ward of Elmwood-East Kildonan.

IIHF.com’s Lucas Aykroyd caught up with the 51-year-old Steen minutes before the start of the Jets’ home opener against the Montreal Canadiens on October 9.

What does it mean for the city of Winnipeg to get the Jets back?

You can see it’s so vibrant downtown now. It was not like this after the Jets left. Hockey is so important in Canada, and especially in Winnipeg and Manitoba, with our cold winters. It really brings life into the city. For years we weren’t sure this was going to happen, but we got it now. We’ve already won, regardless of how the games go.

How do you like the Jets’ chances of making the playoffs?

I think they’re good. Teams are so even in the NHL today, so they’ll have to be lucky and healthy. In that case, I think they have a shot. But it’s very fragile. It’s a long year, and it’s tough to go all the way and win the Stanley Cup.

How many games are you hoping to attend this year personally?

It depends on my job, but as many as I can, for sure. I know there’ll be evenings where I have to work.

Economically, it’s hard for an NHL team to work in a small market. What can you say about the way the fans and business community have stepped up in Winnipeg?

Fantastic. You could tell when they announced the return of the team – we were down at The Forks – and they also announced the ticket prices. A big cheer went through the crowd, even though it was the second-highest ticket price in the NHL. They were expecting the highest, I guess! And then the tickets were snapped up in 17 minutes, and probably 15 minutes of that was processing credit cards. More like two minutes. It was a good message to send, that we can really support a team here. I think it’s here for the long term.

Have you had a chance to welcome new fellow Swedish Jets like Tobias Enström and Johnny Oduya to Winnipeg yet?

Yeah. I already met with them and Carl Klingberg too (plays for the Jets farm team in the AHL). I scouted for the Minnesota Wild over in Europe and coached in Gothenburg, Sweden. Carl played with my younger son, and Johnny Oduya played for the team. Tobias is one of my son Alexander’s best friends.

When you came over to play in the NHL, how aware were you of what Swedish stars like Anders Hedberg, Ulf Nilsson, and Lars-Erik Sjöberg had done in Winnipeg in the 1970’s?

I was very aware. I lived for hockey since I was two years old. My brother played, my cousin played, and my other cousin, Dan Labraaten, played for the Jets. So I was very aware of everything about the Jets. I think Lars-Erik Sjöberg was the guy who recommended me to Winnipeg. That’s how I ended up here, and I’m still here.

When you look back at your 14-year NHL career, what were your favourite accomplishments with the Jets?

There are so many, it’s hard to pick. But every guy I played with scored his highest point total for, I think, 12 years in a row. All my linemates. I was a playmaker, and I took pride in that. To me, that was a very personal accomplishment. You know, the last time the Jets entered the NHL [in 1979-80], we had to start with only two players protected from the WHA. It takes a long time to draft a new team. We have the luxury of having a full NHL team here today. So it’s a better start for the city, and the NHL has changed the rules and everything. We have a chance of having a winning team here. A lot of things are different.

Who was your favourite Jets linemate?

I’m always asked that, but again, there were so many. Of course, I loved Teemu Selänne and Dale Hawerchuk. Bengt Lundholm was another guy who comes to mind. And Willy Lindström. But I really had a great connection with Pat Elyniuk. We used to score some beautiful goals together. We only got to play together for two years, but it was really something special.

You also had a fine international career. You were named Best Forward at the 1979 World Juniors. Was it then that you truly realized you had a career in pro hockey ahead of you?

I was one of those weird kids who decided at age three that I was going to be a hockey player! [laughs] That’s all I wanted to do. Like I said, my brother and cousin played, and I used to go to the rink every day for hours. I just loved the sport, hanging around the team. I didn’t really worry about things. The game just took me places, and I ended up in Winnipeg. It wasn’t my doing, though. I was just playing hockey! [laughs]

You also won silver medals with Tre Kronor at the 1981 and 1986 World Championships, behind the Soviets. What was it like to play against Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, and Sergei Makarov in those days?

I played against them my whole career, from junior up. We had some good battles. I remember in two games we beat them 11-3 and 8-3, something like that. But in the medal round of the ‘79 World Juniors, we lost 7-5 to them. It was a lot of frustration, too. But you know, it was a fantastic career for me internationally, when I look back. I played in the 1984 Canada Cup with Kent Nilsson and Håkan Loob. That was very special. We had that chemistry where you just know where guys are, where to pass the puck. It just happens sometimes. You don’t know why. People put you together and it works. And then you can’t keep it! [laughs]

Most Swedish NHLers return to Sweden when their careers end. You decided to stay in Winnipeg. What was the reasoning behind your decision?

I looked at my family. My kids were born here and went to school here. I worked really hard to stay in Winnipeg during my playing career, but I never knew that I was going to play my whole career here until I was done! [laughs] You could get traded any day. So I just worked hard to stay here. We had really good friends, my family was taken care of, and we just loved it here. It’s ongoing. Here I am, 30 years later, and it’s still like that. It’s all friends.

How did you end up in politics?

Now that’s a different story. I actually ended up flying out to Ottawa and I was asked to run in the federal election. It had never crossed my mind. It sounded so crazy, but I thought: "Hey, why not? I’ll try it!" [laughs] I’d done a lot of charity work, and I could see how it was going to fit. But I wasn’t really ready for it the first time. I learned a lot and worked on it a bit. Then last year, I ran for Winnipeg city council and won. So now, I love it. I can really see that it fits my personality, and hopefully I do a good job.

LUCAS AYKROYD