WINNIPEG, November. December 29, 2023 – The Winnipeg Jets are preparing for their second annual South Asian Heritage Night presented by Canada Life on Saturday, December 29. On the 16th, at 6 p.m., when they face the Colorado Avalanche. The game celebrates Manitoba’s vibrant South Asian community by incorporating food, music, dance and art.

Marking a historic moment in the history of the NHL and professional sports, the Amber Trails School choir, made up largely of students of South Asian descent, will perform the American national anthem, as well as a Punjabi and English version of O Canada. Their performance will be the first time the Canadian national anthem has been sung in Punjabi at a major professional sporting event. Punjabi has recently become the third most spoken language in Canada, behind the two official languages.

Pre-match entertainment will include music from many regions influenced by South Asian culture, performed by DJs of South Asian descent: DJ Hira representing Punjabi music, DJ General B representing the West Indian community and DJ Nish focusing on Bollywood style music. The Winnipeg Punjabi Arts Academy will present lively pre-game dance and drum/dhol performances in the concourse, while the Indian School of Dance will offer a special performance in the bowl during intermission.

Canada Life Center Executive Chef Richard Duncan collaborated with Chef Vishwajit Bhati, originally from India and trained in cooking in India, to offer South Asian dishes. They will include traditional bowls of butter chicken and saag paneer, tandoori chicken pizza and sweet treat gulab jamun at various concession sites.

The game will once again honor individuals of South Asian descent who are making a positive impact on the sport and the community. They understand:

• Dampy Brar – a former professional hockey player who played in the WCHL, IHL and ECHL, and who received the 2020 Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award for his work in developing the game through Apna Hockey;
• Randeep Sidhu-Saini – founder and co-chair of Punjabi Community Health Services Manitoba, an organization established in 2022 to address the health, social and settlement needs of South Asian communities, including mental health support and addiction – and who the beneficiary organization is. South Asian Heritage Night fundraising efforts;
• Reetu Chahal – Winnipeg-born Special Olympic athlete and multiple medal winner in powerlifting, having recently won three bronze medals at this summer’s Special Olympics World Games in Berlin;
• Vivek Bhangria – a Winnipeg-born Canadian dwarf athlete who earlier this year competed as part of Team Canada at his fourth World Dwarf Games in Australia; And
• Armaan Dhillon – a Manitoba provincial high school golf champion, born in Winnipeg, currently a member of the University of Victoria golf team who has competed across North America.

To further highlight the rich heritage of the South Asian community and its significant contributions to hockey, the Winnipeg Jets will showcase elements of the “We Are Hockey” exhibit at the Canada Life Center for the South Asian Heritage Game . Opening planned for the hockey center for all in December. 6, the exhibition focuses on the experiences of people of color and challenges the linear meaning of “hockey as Canada’s national sport.” The exhibition was curated by Dr. Satwinder Kaur Bains of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the University of the Fraser Valley.

Limited-edition Winnipeg Jets South Asian Heritage jerseys – featuring the intricate and vibrant logo designed in collaboration by True North, local designer Charmi Sheth and Waseem Shaikh of Ethnicity Matters – will be available for auction on the game concourse, in support from PCHS Manitoba.

Additional jerseys will be available via an online auction at auctions.nhl.com/WinnipegJets from Friday January 12, 2024 is Sunday January. 21, 2024.

An expanded range of South Asian heritage clothing and merchandise will be available at Jets Gear and online at TrueNorthShop.com leading into the South Asian Heritage Night match.

As part of True North’s efforts to grow the game locally, a collaboration with Apna Hockey launched the inaugural Apna/Jets Bauer First Shift program. The six-week hockey introduction gave more than 120 children, mostly from the South Asian community, the opportunity to equip themselves with full hockey equipment and learn from hockey instructors. Apna Hockey. Many of these new skaters will continue the “Second Shift” of the program in April 2024. More information is available at hockeyforallcenter.com.

For more information on tickets, please visit WinnipegJets.com/TICKETS.