The Winnipeg Jets Are At Risk Of Losing Their Franchise As Gary Bettman Monitors Attendance Situation

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Dawson McKenzie
February 23, 2024 (2:32 PM)

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It has been revealed that the Winnipeg Jets are at risk of losing their franchise to relocation if they can't fix the decline in attendance, and Gary Bettman is monitoring the situation.

Bettman Monitoring Downwards Trend in Ticket Sales in Winnipeg

With the NHL actively looking at new cities to expand to, it is troubling to hear when a franchise is having difficulty selling tickets. This is the case for the Winnipeg Jets, as they have seen a decline in year-over-year ticket sales. Now, Gary Bettman is closely monitoring the situation, hinting at a potential relocation if they don't get it together.

Chris Johnston on Insider Trading says NHL is monitoring the situation in Winnipeg, they have seen an above 30% drop in the last 3 years in their ticket base. Gary Bettman will be in Winnipeg on Tuesday to meet with some of the team's important corporate sponsors.

This has sparked some discussion on whether or not Bettman is playing favourites with the Coyotes, since they haven't been able to sell out a College Arena while they look for a new place to call home, which has been a struggle in itself.

Jets Owner Realizes Things Need to Change to be Sustainable

Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman has commented on the situation, saying that he recognizes things need to change in Winnipeg if they want to have a sustainable business.

"I wouldn't be honest with you if I didn't say, 'We've got to get back to 13,000,'" Chipman said. "This place we find ourselves in right now, it's not going to work over the long haul. It just isn't."

This is definitely a situation that will need to be monitored as expansion talks heat up.

As seen on Maple Leafs Daily - "Gary Bettman pushing to move another NHL franchise out of Canada?"