Just how bad is Niederreiter’s new house?

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winnipeg. In the middle of the Canadian prairie. “Winterpeg” is what the town is called by those who mean well. Others opt for the overall verdict of a prison camp or “shithole” (roughly: dirt hole). What’s going on now?

The continental climate ensures extremely cold winters, with average temperatures well below zero in Winnipeg guaranteed for five months. The “Winterpeg” nomenclature is neither utopia nor malice, but rather a play on words with a concrete background. There are people who appreciate long, cold winters. Former Swiss national coach Ralph Krueger (63) was born and raised in Winnipeg. “Cold? The winters are brutal, it’s constantly minus 20 degrees, which feels like minus 30 degrees. But it’s a great city to play hockey.”

Winnipeg offers a shirt-sleeve environment, says Krueger, with a deep-rooted worker-peasant culture. The motto on the cars’ license plates (“Kind Manitoba”) is no coincidence: “The harsh conditions merge, you have no choice but to be kind.” Whatever Krueger emphasizes, the “Winnipeggers” are fervently behind their sports teams. In the summer, the Jets share popularity with the “Blue Bombers”, who appear in Canada’s CFL football league.

The Jets have been back in Winnipeg since 2011

However, the dominant subject is the Jets, at least since they are back in town: in 1996 the franchise, which was in economic difficulties, was sold to Phoenix (USA state of Arizona), in 2011 bought the holding company “True North Sports & Entertainment” the NHL rights of the “Atlanta Thrashers” and brought the organization to Winnipeg. The 13,000 season tickets that were on sale were gone within minutes. Krueger: “Playing in Canada is different from playing in the US. And playing in Winnipeg is different from playing in Vancouver, Toronto or Ottawa.” The Jets’ home base is the “Canada Life Center” in downtown Winnipeg, a 15,004-seat stadium for ice hockey spectators. “One of the smallest stadiums in the NHL, but the spectators are very close. It’s a cauldron with a great atmosphere.”

When an icy wind blows through the city outside, hardly anyone is outside. In the inner city, numerous underground and above-ground tunnels lead directly to the building complex that also houses the Canada Life Centre.

Social problems, homelessness

Those who are outside often do not do so voluntarily. In 2010, during the Swiss national team’s preparation camp for the Vancouver Olympics, a journalist was amazed at how many people in the city center were “hanging out” outside in the freezing cold. Homelessness, with all the collateral damage, was a problem in Winnipeg at the time. A problem that still exists. Many of these homeless people are of Indigenous descent, the “First Nations” making up about 10 percent of the population in the greater Winnipeg area. Like almost everywhere in North America, the descendants of the indigenous people still face major social problems. Alcoholism, drug addiction, impoverishment and homelessness are widespread symptoms of decades of forgetfulness and disdain.

Those who can afford it move to the suburbs

Those who can afford it move to the nearby suburbs. As is the case in many metropolitan areas in North America. So did Luca Sbisa: the former Swiss NHL professional played a season for the Jets in 2019/2020. He lives just 15 minutes from the stadium, in an area where nature is fantastically beautiful, Sbisa told Blick at the time. “It is usually very cold, but the sun almost always shines.” An environment in which Chur’s Nino Niederreiter should also feel at home.

Source : Blick

Emma

I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.