Opinion: Why the Jets Won't Be Leaving Winnipeg Anytime Soon
After the Jets' chairman raised attendance concerns on Friday, Adam Proteau says there are too many great things about Winnipeg as an NHL city to expect to lose its team.
Talks of attendance issues for the Winnipeg Jets must be deeply concerning to the team’s fan base, but there's still a lot to be hopeful about.
Team co-owner Mark Chipman told The Athletic this week that the team’s season ticket-holder base has shrunk by 27 percent over the past three years to just 9,500.
“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.”
Despite the worrisome tone of Chipman’s comments, we’re not anywhere close to convinced the Jets are in imminent danger of leaving. Say what you will about Winnipeg’s icy weather or small-town identity – at least, compared to NHL metropolises like New York City and Toronto. But there’s a reason why stars Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck chose to sign lucrative and lengthy contract extensions in the fall when they had the chance to become UFAs and leave the Jets as soon as they were contractually able to.
Playing for the Jets gives you access to, and the support of, some of the friendliest, most passionate fans in the game. The Jets’ "Whiteout" in the stands and their chants of “true north” make the Winnipeg market one of the most ferocious in all of hockey.
And while there are attendance issues right now, there’s no good reason why the city can’t re-embrace the team in their hour of need. Nobody would want to be around for the team leaving town for a second time, and Chipman’s comments should give the team and fan base all the motivation they need to turn things around. Not to mention, the Jets’ success this season – when many (this writer included) thought they might take a competitive step backward or sideways – should be more than enough for fans to want to continue their support of the team.
We’re not questioning Chipman’s intent in speaking out. As the man who brought the Jets back to the NHL, he’s earned a positive place in Manitoba hockey history. But we’re not nearly convinced the Jets are in danger of relocating. Indeed, if you look at the league’s stance against relocation, you’ll see it bends over backward to try and keep any one team where they are. Of course, the most recent example of that is the Arizona Coyotes. That franchise has had infamous struggles to (a) be a prosperous team on the ice and (b) be a financial success off it, yet here they are, still operating for their fans.
Many big cities are currently angling to bring in an NHL team – including Salt Lake City, Houston, Quebec City and Atlanta – who wouldn’t think twice about plucking the Jets away from Winnipeg if things were to ever get to that point. But can you imagine the optics that would materialize if the NHL allowed Winnipeg to lose their second team? Sales of pitchforks and torches would skyrocket in mid-Canada.
The route ahead could be bumpy for the Jets, but the organization is not headed off a cliff just yet. If the Jets’ attendance hasn’t improved by this time next season, we’d be more apt to think they’re trending toward being in jeopardy. But that’s something that isn’t happening this year. Winnipeggers have every opportunity to reinvest their entertainment dollars in the team in the weeks and months to come, and the Jets have every chance to work with the fans to provide the best and most flexible options for ticket packages.
Hearing the Jets’ troubles this week raises a red flag in many respects, but there are too many good things about Winnipeg as an NHL city to expect a relocation anytime soon.