Mention the word 'Winnipeg' to Teemu Selanne and Teppo Numminen, and the memories start to flow almost immediately.
Words like "unbelievable" and "special" are their descriptors for the whiteouts in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they're also used to describe their time in the Manitoba capital overall.
"Winnipeg fans, you can't find that passion for hockey anywhere," said Selanne. "There's no one word, or two, or three, to really describe them."
Both players came over from Finland - Numminen in 1988, and Selanne in 1992 - and were immediately embraced by the city.
"That was really nice to see and feel at home right away when you're a young player coming into the league," Numminen said. "I think fans and the community really showed us how things are done, and how even in a smaller market or smaller town, you can get the strength together from the community. We saw that. We carried that with our careers with that lesson."
Numminen, Selanne honoured to join Winnipeg Jets Hall of Fame
Official induction ceremony takes place November 17