The intersection of gaming and sports is typically relegated to digital facsimiles, such as your Maddens, your NBA 2Ks, or your ESPN NFL Footballs (haha nah, not that last one). Occasionally, video games invade the real thing, and right now, the fate of the Winnipeg Jets rests on the unlikely shoulders of a Pokemon.
The Squirtle Saxophone animation began its humble journey on TikTok in late November 2023, courtesy of the user merme.lada. It depicts the beloved Water-Type turtle jamming on a saxophone to the tune of SunStroke Project’s Run Away. You may better remember this song as the genesis behind 2010’s Epic Sax Guy meme, and if you don’t, you’re probably too young to be reading this article. Maybe go play some Roblox or something, instead.
The animation made a surprise cameo a few weeks later at an NHL match hosted by the Winnpieg Jets, when the graphic appeared on the Jumbotron in an effort to encourage the crowd to make some noise.
The conclusion was a victory for Winnipeg, and a delighted fanbase lauding the jazzy Pokemon as the MVP. In the time since, the Jets have continued displaying the graphic during their home games, going 9-1-1 during that stretch and surging from playoff contenders to one of the league’s best teams.
As a result, Squirtle has become a de facto mascot for Winnipeg fans, adorning the Jets Reddit page and spawning no shortage of tributes ranging from reverent to downright antagonistic.
Though the Jets aren’t even the originators of the idea — the earliest example I could find of Squirtle appearing during a sporting event was a December 16th NBA game, where perhaps not coincidentally the hometown San Antonio Spurs would snap an 18 game losing streak — it is clear that the Pokemon has found its home in Winnipeg.
Should they carve a path toward their first Stanley Cup victory, this plucky terrapin will undoubtedly become forevermore entrenched in Jets history. Now if only I could convince my Canucks to adopt Bulbasaur and leverage a strategic type advantage…
