WINNIPEG — It’s not Gary Bettman’s presence in Winnipeg that is a concern for Jets fans. That’s his purpose.
The NHL Commissioner stops by most markets throughout the regular season. He began last season by telling the Winnipeg media there was no emergency to address or news to announce.
This season’s visit came with the realization that the stakes were higher, but Bettman was an unequivocal supporter of the True North as an ownership group and Winnipeg as an NHL market.
“I think there’s been a lot of speculation as to why I came here today,” Bettman said Tuesday in Winnipeg. “This is a place where hockey is important. I believe this is a strong NHL market. The owners have made an extraordinary commitment to the Jets, this arena, and downtown, spending hundreds of millions of dollars. I believe. I don’t know why people are speculating that somehow (the NHL) doesn’t exist here.”
This was announced by Jets Chairman Mark Chipman. The Athletic Winnipeg’s season ticket sales have declined by 27 per cent over three years, from about 13,000 tickets to just under 9,500 tickets, according to an announcement last week.
“I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t say, ‘We have to go back to 13,000,'” Chipman said last week. “This situation we’re in right now isn’t going to work out in the long run. It’s just not the case.”
Bettman said in 2011 that for the NHL to operate in Winnipeg, the Jets would need to fill the building every game. On Tuesday, he justified his statement regarding the decline in season ticket deals.
“I know Mark Chipman and David Thomson aren’t interested in just surviving in the NHL. They want to thrive,” Bettman said. “This will get resolved eventually. I don’t see this as a crisis, but like any team in any market, there needs to be cooperation between the community, the fan base and the club, and ultimately I believe that will happen.”
Bettman expressed similar optimism during a visit to Winnipeg last season. According to Hockey Reference, the Jets played at 93.6 percent capacity in the 2022-23 season, but that number has dropped to 87.3 percent so far this season.
Bettman told reporters Tuesday that he downplayed concerns that the team would face an imminent move if the season ticket base doesn’t grow soon.
“Obviously, we need to improve our attendance,” Bettman added. “I believe in the organization, but more importantly, I believe in this community.”
Chipman recently took matters into his own hands and called former season ticket holders to help them better understand why they gave up their seats. He also makes visits to his home. Chipman was accompanied by star players Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele on a recent visit to the home of a former season ticket holder. This is part of True North’s overall strategy to improve customer service and sales, as the team sold out all season tickets in minutes and then sold out the building for the better part of eight consecutive seasons. , Chipman admitted it wasn’t very good.
“For 10 years, we weren’t a sales organization. We were a service organization, and to be honest, I don’t know if we were a very good service organization,” Chipman said. The Athletic.
Chipman expressed similar frustration in his address to fans at the Canada Life Center before Tuesday’s game. Chipman, flanked by Bettman and his deputy commissioner Bill Daly, apologized for past customer service failures, particularly regarding the lack of flexibility in season ticket packages. Some former season ticket holders have cited customer service as a reason for leaving.
Earlier in the day, Morrissey expressed his joy at having the opportunity to visit Jets fans with Chipman and Scheifele.
“In my opinion, there’s nothing more Canadian than this: an outdoor rink spanning three front yards, with trees planted in the middle of the ice,” Morrissey said. “That’s something I’ve always valued about the Jets organization and I think Chipman is their dedication to the City of Winnipeg, their love for the City of Winnipeg.
“I think this is just one example of him trying to put his players in a situation where they can interact with great fans and be a part of this community.”
True North’s investment in the Jets is significant and ongoing. Winnipeg acquired former captain Blake Wheeler this offseason, followed by trade acquisition Gabriel Vilardi in July and long-time stars Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck in October for the same seven-year deal. Signed an $8.5 million AAV extension. Winnipeg re-signed Nino Niederreiter to a two-year contract soon after and acquired Sean Monahan from Montreal earlier this month to strengthen their playoff push. True North also announced a $13 million renovation of the Canada Life Center in September.
Below are Bettman’s comments and quotes provided to Winnipeg media on Tuesday.
On the pandemic and why the Jets are struggling to fill arenas
Bettman ended his message with a long list of reasons why Winnipeg is struggling, saying it doesn’t matter how the Jets got here, he believes it’s the True North that will move the Jets forward.
“Some say people don’t want to come downtown at night. Some say the team’s performance should have been better, even though the team’s performance was pretty good. The season ticket drive was initially successful. Some say it didn’t happen. Some say it’s because of the pandemic. All of our clubs have dealt with the pandemic. It may have affected some markets more than others. But again, we’re where we are. We believe in this market and we’re focused on the fact that the owners believe in this market.”
About Winnipeg Corporate Support
A major theme of the conversation in Winnipeg was the relative lack of support for businesses compared to other markets. The Jets sell 15 percent of their season tickets to corporate interests.
Bettman and Daley met with local businessmen as part of a trip to Winnipeg. Mr. Bettman was asked whether there should be certain standards for corporate commuter pass agreements.
“That’s not what I should be looking at. What you want is all the places where you can get support, whether it’s the business community that buys the tickets or the business community that does the advertising and promotion and activities around the club. It’s about having a franchise that has strong support from the rest of the world,” Bettman said. “I think the club has very strong support in that regard.”
Bettman also said that if he could go back to 2011, when True North sold its first season ticket package, it might have been wise to reserve “four or five thousand tickets” for corporations. He also admitted that he could not.
“They didn’t, and that’s history,” Bettman said. “We’re where we are and we’re going to move forward.”
Timeline to health
Bettman said neither he nor True North issued any ultimatums or deadlines. Instead, the focus is on making sure the fanbase is “maximally engaged.”
“We’re not operating under a sword of Damocles or a razor blade,” Bettman said. “This is part of the evolution that franchises go through from time to time. Many other Canadian franchises, for example, those that were considered small markets or had some of their season ticket bases expired. And they had to rebuild it with younger fans. It happens. Let’s be clear here: This is a strong NHL market. I mean, I have faith. It will be adjusted.”
Jets as a model franchise
Bettman said he was perplexed by the level of fan concern about the potential move. He noted that True North is investing “hundreds of millions of dollars” into the team, arena and downtown area.
“That’s why anyone suggesting that the ownership agenda lies outside of Winnipeg is foolish.”
Daley expanded on Bettman’s praise.
“What I’m saying is this is a team that is widely regarded as an exemplary franchise in the league,” Daly said. “We’ll run it well from top to bottom, we’ll put a competitive hockey team on the ice, we’ll spend to the limit. But, as Gary said, we’ll invest in the community and all of its philanthropy and the city. I wish he had 32 of these.”
Winnipeg receives revenue share
Bettman confirmed that the Jets have received and will continue to receive payments under the NHL’s revenue-sharing system. Asked if there was any pressure on the league board to improve Winnipeg’s hockey-related revenue (HRR), Bettman was unambiguous.
“If your question suggests or implies in any way that there are concerns about this franchise at the board level, the answer is not at all.”
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(Gary Bettman Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
