WINNIPEG — It's not Gary Bettman's presence in Winnipeg that has Jets fans worried. It is his purpose.
The NHL commissioner visits most markets over the course of a typical season. Last season, he addressed the media in Winnipeg and opened his speech by saying he didn't need to address an emergency or make any news.
This season's visit came with the notion that higher stakes were at stake, but Bettman was clear in his support for True North as an ownership group and Winnipeg as an NHL market.
“I think there was a lot of speculation about why I was here today,” Bettman said Tuesday in Winnipeg. “This is a place where hockey matters. I believe this is a strong NHL market. I believe the owners have made extraordinary commitments to the Jets, this arena and downtown, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. I’m not sure why people are speculating that (the NHL) somehow won’t be here.”
Jets chairman Mark Chipman told The Athletic last week that season ticket sales in Winnipeg had dropped 27 per cent over three years, from about 13,000 to just under 9,500.
“I wouldn't be honest with you if I didn't say, 'We need to get back to 13,000,'” Chipman said last week. “This place we are in right now is not going to work in the long term. That’s just not it.”
Bettman said in 2011 that in order for the NHL to function in Winnipeg, the Jets needed to fill their building every game. On Tuesday he qualified this statement in view of the declining season ticket obligations.
“I know that Mark Chipman and David Thomson are not just interested in surviving in the NHL. They want to thrive,” Bettman said. “That will be sorted out. I don't see this as a crisis, but I believe that like any team in any market, there needs to be collaboration between the community, the fanbase and the club, and I believe that ultimately that will be the case.”
Bettman expressed similar optimism during his visit to Winnipeg last season. According to Hockey Reference, the Jets were at 93.6 percent capacity in the 2022-23 season, but that number has dropped to 87.3 percent so far this season.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Bettman downplayed fears that the franchise faces an impending move if season ticket numbers don't increase soon.
“Obviously attendance needs to improve,” Bettman added. “I have confidence in the organization and, more importantly, I have confidence in this community.”
Chipman recently took matters into his own hands, calling former season ticket holders to better understand why they gave up their seats. He's even made home visits: Chipman was recently joined by star players Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele on a visit to the home of a former season ticket holder. This is part of an overall strategy to improve True North's customer service and sales, which Chipman admitted weren't very good when the team sold out its entire supply of season tickets in minutes and then its building for the better part of eight seasons was sold out in a row.
“For ten years we were not a sales organization; We were a service organization, and to be honest, I’m not sure we were that good of a service organization,” Chipman told The Athletic.
Chipman expressed similar contrition in his address to fans gathered at the Canada Life Center before Tuesday's game. Speaking alongside Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, Chipman apologized for past customer service failures, particularly regarding a lack of flexibility with season ticket packages. Customer service was cited by some former season ticket holders as a reason for their departure.
Earlier in the day, Morrissey expressed his excitement at the opportunity to visit with Jets fans with Chipman and Scheifele.
“In my opinion, it couldn’t be more Canadian. “An outdoor rink across three front yards with trees in the middle of the ice,” Morrissey said. “I think that's something I've always appreciated about the Jets organization and Mr. Chipman is their commitment to the city of Winnipeg, their love for the city of Winnipeg.
“I think this is just another example of him trying to put players in a position to interact with some of the great fans and be part of that community.”
True North's investments in the Jets are deep and ongoing: Winnipeg acquired former captain Blake Wheeler this offseason before signing to acquire Gabriel Vilardi in July and signing long-time stars Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck to respective seven-year AAV extensions in October Worth $8.5 million. Winnipeg re-signed Nino Niederreiter to a two-year contract shortly thereafter and acquired Sean Monahan from Montreal earlier this month to bolster its playoff push. True North also unveiled $13 million in renovations to the Canada Life Center in September.
Here are more notes and quotes from Bettman's availability on Tuesday at Winnipeg Media.
About the pandemic and why the Jets are having trouble filling the arena
Bettman ran through a long list of reasons why Winnipeg might be struggling, concluding his message by saying it doesn't matter how the Jets got here – that he believes in True North to carry them forward.
“Some people say people don’t want to come downtown at night. Some people say the team's performance should have been better – even if it was pretty darn good. Some people say the season ticket promotion wasn't good at first. Some people say it was the pandemic. All of our clubs have overcome the pandemic. It may have affected some markets more than others, but we are back where we are. Our focus is that we believe in this market and that the owners believe in this market.”
About Business Support in Winnipeg
A key theme of discussions in Winnipeg was the relative lack of business support compared to other markets. The Jets sell 15 percent of their season tickets to corporations.
Bettman and Daly met with local business people as part of their trip to Winnipeg. Bettman was asked if he needed to see a specific threshold for corporate season ticket commitments.
“It’s not what I need to see. “What you want to achieve is a franchise that has solid support from all quarters that the support comes from, be it the business community that buys tickets, be it the business community that advertises and advertises around the club,” Bettman said. “In that regard, I think the club has received very strong support.”
Bettman also acknowledged that it would have been wise to reserve “four or five thousand tickets” for corporate use if True North could go back to 2011, when it sold its first season ticket packages.
“They didn’t do that, but that’s history,” Bettman said. “We are where we are, so let’s keep going.”
On the way to good health
Bettman said neither he nor True North would provide any ultimatums or deadlines. Instead, the focus is on ensuring the fan base is “maximally engaged.”
“We are not operating under the sword of Damocles or on a knife’s edge,” Bettman said. “This is part of the evolution of what franchises sometimes go through. For example, I remember a number of other Canadian franchises, some of which were considered small markets and others whose season ticket base was outdated. And they had to rebuild it with younger fans. It happens. Let's be clear: I believe this is a strong NHL market. It will adapt.”
Jets as a model franchise
Bettman expressed that he was confused given fans' concerns about a possible move. He pointed to True North's “hundreds of millions” invested in the team, arena and downtown.
“So it’s silly for anyone to suggest that the property agenda is focused anywhere other than in Winnipeg.”
Daly added to Bettman's praise.
“What I would say is that this is a team that is widely considered a model franchise in the league,” Daly said. “Running well from top to bottom, putting a competitive hockey team on the ice, spending up to the cap. But she also invests, as Gary said, in the community and all of her charitable initiatives and her investments in the city. We wish we had 32 of them.”
Winnipeg receives a revenue share
Bettman confirmed that the Jets have received and will continue to receive payments under the NHL's revenue sharing system. When asked if there was pressure from the league's Board of Governors for Winnipeg to improve its hockey-related revenue (HRR), Bettman answered unequivocally.
“If your question somehow suggests or implies that there are board-level concerns about this franchise, the answer is absolutely none.”
Required reading
(Photo by Gary Bettman: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)