‘You feel at home’: Playoff hockey helps newcomers feel more Canadian

Mykhailo Ivanov never thought he’d become a diehard hockey fan.The 42-year-old had immigrated to Winnipeg a little over two years ago to escape the war in Ukraine. He didn’t know much about hockey, he said, but after he was given tickets to a Jets game he fell in love with the sport – and the community that comes with it. “I like that kind of emotion and support from other fans, from the people nearby you,” he said in a phone interview. “It’s an important part of my life now.