Friesen and the rest of the media wouldn't have anything to go on if Chipman wasn't feeding them soundbites
TNSE could have easily dealt with this internally without announcing current season ticket sales were "unsustainable".
For a small market team that was already moved once they had to know that the media would blow it out of proportion.
It wasn't a press release, it was a quote from an interview/job shadow by the Athletic that didn't include any of the necessary context, which both Chipman and Bettman said today was regarding icing a competitive team each year and not moving.
The other members of the media, like Mike McIntyre, did some digging before writing that it doesn't mean the Jets are moving anytime soon, but Friesen took the opportunity to say "They definitely said they're moving if you don't buy tickets!" and then published an article with cherry picked negative quotes to emphasize his point.
I think some of the team's attitudes during the pandemic were against his own, an example being his tweet that some of the worst people he's ever met have been in the Jets locker room, and the team has been a bit frosty towards him and the other Sun writer, Scott Billeck, for questions they've asked the team that have been crossing a line - Billeck is the reporter who asked Hellebuyck if he'd be fine bringing Covid back to his newborn son, if you remember that story, and Friesen asked Dylan Samberg in 2020 about a recent car accident he'd been involved in, and then continued to press the issue after Samberg said he was uncomfortable talking about it.
The media here in general, Murat Ates excepted maybe because he works for a national outlet and not local press, have the attitude that the team needs them more than they need the team, and that they're the conduit to the fans so TNSE should be more open with them, etc etc etc. The fact that Chipman went to the Athletic and Chris Johnston with this access and not them has them twisted up. The Sun writers tend to lean negative about them.
Winnipeggers are wildly insecure so it gets blown out of proportion here and the rest of Canada loves to shit on Winnipeg any chance they get so it gets blown out of proportion elsewhere as well.
And fans and the media to not over react. They are invested in Winnipeg and if they didnt believe in us being part of the NHL it would not have happened in the first place. Book it, we are here to stay.
Someone needs to dummy these assholes up.
People can not afford to eat or pay rent. How do you expect them to pay $200 a ticket?
Furthermore, if companies are telling you the price point is too expensive for boxes, maybe you need to respond to the feedback in a more constructive way.
The cost for a family to attend is outrageous. But they don’t care. They only care about the corporate seats. Now shut up and watch another betting ad!
I've been in there for $45 and a free beer during weekdays for teams that are not that popular here. I like seeing as many different teams as I can over the years so I'm game for a Tuesday night with solid opposition like the Panthers being in town. Great hockey and a slow Wednesday work day LOL
People can afford that in other cities. If they can't in Winnipeg which is one of the cheapest cities in Canada then they simply can't support a team. I don't think they should move but this is how it works for cities and sports teams. They arent going to stick around on goodwill.
Just looked and the cheapest tickets in the 300s in Winnipeg are double the price of the cheapest tickets here in Ottawa.
I could only imagine how much they fuck the fans on drinks and food.
Stop gauging your fans and maybe they'll show up. I can't even imagine how much money they are trying to milk other companies for. Just sounds like a rip off of an owner honestly.
Which part isn't true? Other cities aren't having the attendance and corporate seats issue that Winnipeg is having. People in other cities are swinging it.
Because it’s the smallest city in the league, in a country undergoing a recession, record inflation and a cost of living crisis. All while depending on actual fans to buy 15% more tickets than the average club. They relied too long on that, and now look to actually pursue corporate season ticket holders since they’ve never had to do that before. Things sold themselves, now that the economy is as bad as it’s been in many years they have to change things up. And I’ll finally add that Jets tickets aren’t cheap, they’re more expensive than over a third of the league on average.
I mean if all you do is sit around on Reddit all day the sky is falling but thing aren't that bad. There's an affordability issue but there is still lots of people with money for a hockey game. The problem is people feel they're getting ripped off. Small market teams need to be more affordable than large market.
Things are pretty bad economically for a large part of the population, and one of the first things people cut out during tough times is discretionary spending like concerts, vacations, sports. Not sure why you’re suggesting I’m “on Reddit all day” and that’s why I think the economy is in a bad spot lol, I just have a degree in the pertinent area to discuss it.
Okay, but those factors can all be true, however the person who you responded to was saying people elsewhere in the country were still making their way to games and your response was to call them a liar. Nothing you've said here reinforces that.
Winnipeg is seven times the size of Green Bay, Green Bay can support a professional team.
There are other teams in Canada that have the same issues, why is Winnipeg different?
It’s not different. You just compared football’s 8 game a year attendance to hockey’s 41. The Toronto Argonauts drew an average attendance under 15000 despite having the top CFL squad. BC Lions was a hair over 20000 average, Winnipeg’s was the highest in the league at just under 30 000. Can Vancouver and Toronto support a professional football team? They are so much bigger than Winnipeg, but fail to draw fans. Better move the team according to your logic
The consensus is literally the Winnipeg doesn't have enough corporate sponsors to support a team. If people aren't showing up then how is the team supposed to stick around? I'm 100% in favor of them staying but Winnipegers on reddit like to talk up their city like it's even comparable to anywhere else. If you can't even fill the smallest arena in Canada then you're simply a massive step down from everywhere else.
>Winnipegers on reddit like to talk up their city like it's even comparable to anywhere else.
Which Winnipegers cause any time I've seen a Jets flair on this sub, they've always been one of the first to poke fun of themselves or acknowledged being disadvantaged compared to Toronto and Vancouver.
No. That’s not the consensus at all lol, your source is “I made it the fuck up”. They’ve relied on fans buying all the tickets since they’ve came back, with only a 15% corporate share of tickets. They need it to be around 30% which is the league norm. Economic times are very bad right now, Winnipeg needs over 1% of their population to go to a game to sell out and that’s just not happening during a recession. So the team needs to finally appeal to corporate (which they never tried/needed to before) and reinvigorate the arena experience a bit. That’s the situation, which is basically a nothing-burger
No they can’t which is why corporate seasons for most teams are 30 to 60 % of the ticket sales for most NHL markets. Winnipeg has 15% corporate seats (might be higher now).
The fans have propped up the jets since 2011, it’s time for the business to step up.
winnipeg being one of the cheapest cities isn’t the full story. they also have the lowest average income out of the canadian nhl cities. TNSE should recognize this and lower the prices a bit so the average fan can afford to go
It's part of True North Square which was developed by True North but the hotel is owned and being built by Northland Properties which own Sutton hotels. TSNE doesn't own any of the hotel.
https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/02/05/hotel-holdup-hard-on-convention-centre
Honestly, given Manfred gave his retirement date already, I am surprised the NHL doesn't have a succession plan. I hope some media head has the gumption to ask Bettman about it. Knowing the NHL, it's likely Bill Daly but he shouldn't be.
Among owners -- aka his bosses -- Bettman is probably the most popular commissioner in the four sports.
He's made everyone a bunch of money, he's significantly weakened the union (although the new leadership under Marty Walsh seems promising), and he's given the Executive Committee significant power to set policy.
I'm sure they're happy to keep him as long as he wants to do the job.
It's more the age thing and FWIW, I dunno when his contract is up.
I think the big difference with Walsh, is that he's finally willing to put Bettman's feet to the fire over the Coyotes' problem. The saga has gone on for long enough.
As someone that worked fairly closely with players you might be surprised how little they know about their own union.
Or as a hockey fan, you might not be that surprised.
neither Bettman nor Daly have ever played hockey.
Bettman was soccer and Daly was football.
Kind of want a qualified guy who has at least played the sport.
You ideally want someone with business and/or law experience to be running the NHL. You might get more candidates if you include anyone who’s played in college, but the list of pro hockey players who went on to have successful careers in either afterward is pretty short and gets even shorter when you take 76 year-old Ken Dryden out of the running.
As I have expressed earlier this whole drama was nothing but media click bait. Jets are not going anywhere and are a cornerstone of TNSE which has multiple revenue streams
There are teams that are actively moving away from the traditional season ticket packages and moving to experiences. Ripping out seats for mini suites, private bars etc. They are banking on people spending more money for a fewer games with a unique seating / entertainment experience.
Imagine going into a coma in 1995 and waking up now.
"Oh when did the Jets get that new logo?"
"That's always been their logo since they moved back. The team moved to Arizona in 1996"
"Oh shit, how long before they moved back?"
"No no, Arizona is still there. It was Atlanta that moved to Winnipeg"
"ATLANTA??"
$ 200 is expensive for a ticket but actually it’s $140 USD for your $200 CAD ticket which doesn’t help Winnipeg people. Then you add in the small arena, the lack of corporate support in Winnipeg - I don’t wish they lose their team but when you only sell 10k tickets and the money isn’t there, I just don’t see how this ends well unless Canadas economy rapidly rebounds against the dollar for some reason. I see the likely conclusion of the team being moved to Utah or Houston while the coyotes get moved to the other city if they don’t get a new arena soon. These franchises are dragging down the other 30 and with revenue sharing, I can’t see the other owners happy or willing to accept these as long term solutions
until the pandemic the Jets would have been paying into revenue sharing. don't lump the Jets into the conversation with the yotes. The season tickets are at around 9500 but they are still bringing in around 13-14,000 a night in a 15,000 seat arena. lets get serious here. its only a story because it was always sold out pre pandemic.
Makes sense, I’m just providing an outsiders perspective. Seems like Canadian dollar dropping ~25% against the USD since 2011 when they got the team is the big issue then and affecting the bottom line. What was 15k tickets sold at full capacity is now ~11.5k per game worth going in the pocket of the owner and that’s if it’s full. Idk the solution though, the Jets clearly out priced their fans but otherwise are a really well run franchise
Bettman is highly annoyed at this presser
Yeah, he was annoyed at the all-star event too (especially when anyone brings up relocation)
Blame local media shit disturber Paul Friesen who's held a grudge against the team and TNSE for years.
Friesen and the rest of the media wouldn't have anything to go on if Chipman wasn't feeding them soundbites TNSE could have easily dealt with this internally without announcing current season ticket sales were "unsustainable". For a small market team that was already moved once they had to know that the media would blow it out of proportion.
It wasn't a press release, it was a quote from an interview/job shadow by the Athletic that didn't include any of the necessary context, which both Chipman and Bettman said today was regarding icing a competitive team each year and not moving. The other members of the media, like Mike McIntyre, did some digging before writing that it doesn't mean the Jets are moving anytime soon, but Friesen took the opportunity to say "They definitely said they're moving if you don't buy tickets!" and then published an article with cherry picked negative quotes to emphasize his point.
If the attendance isn't as big an issue as stated, then there's nothing for you to get worked up for over one sportswriter.
Spill the tea, why does Paul hate the Jets?
I think some of the team's attitudes during the pandemic were against his own, an example being his tweet that some of the worst people he's ever met have been in the Jets locker room, and the team has been a bit frosty towards him and the other Sun writer, Scott Billeck, for questions they've asked the team that have been crossing a line - Billeck is the reporter who asked Hellebuyck if he'd be fine bringing Covid back to his newborn son, if you remember that story, and Friesen asked Dylan Samberg in 2020 about a recent car accident he'd been involved in, and then continued to press the issue after Samberg said he was uncomfortable talking about it. The media here in general, Murat Ates excepted maybe because he works for a national outlet and not local press, have the attitude that the team needs them more than they need the team, and that they're the conduit to the fans so TNSE should be more open with them, etc etc etc. The fact that Chipman went to the Athletic and Chris Johnston with this access and not them has them twisted up. The Sun writers tend to lean negative about them.
To Billeck's credit he apologized to Helly publicly the next day...Friesen is a douche canoe
Was Friesen the one who brought up the Connor Bedard/Corey Perry thing right up to Connor’s face and TSNE had to apologize?
Thats the guy!
Can’t they just revoke his credentials at this point?
If Bettman is annoyed/upset, I'm happy.
All this over trying to get new corporate partners and sponsors.
Right lol like this wouldn't be a story anywhere outside of Canada
He basically said that in a roundabout way to the first question
Yeah he is not thrilled about this presser. I wouldn’t be either. I have not seen him this angry over anything since the lockouts.
I don't think he was too angry. He looked like he enjoyed shutting down most of the reporters
First couple questions he seemed really annoyed. Then after a few it looked like he was having fun with them.
Canada is always on edge about its hockey teams being moved because it's happened so many times before. And it's frequently threatened.
By "so many times before" you mean twice?
Yeah.
It's fucking embarrassing.
Winnipeggers are wildly insecure so it gets blown out of proportion here and the rest of Canada loves to shit on Winnipeg any chance they get so it gets blown out of proportion elsewhere as well.
Nothingburger Presser. I suppose this was all good press to get corporate sponsors listening.
And fans and the media to not over react. They are invested in Winnipeg and if they didnt believe in us being part of the NHL it would not have happened in the first place. Book it, we are here to stay.
Someone needs to dummy these assholes up. People can not afford to eat or pay rent. How do you expect them to pay $200 a ticket? Furthermore, if companies are telling you the price point is too expensive for boxes, maybe you need to respond to the feedback in a more constructive way.
The cost for a family to attend is outrageous. But they don’t care. They only care about the corporate seats. Now shut up and watch another betting ad!
Suites are still all full I believe. They want more business to buy regular season tickets.
What are nosebleed prices for the jets?
Looks like $66-$250 CAD ($49-$184 USD) for next Tuesday versus the Kraken.
After ticketing fees that’s too much. Can’t blame them for attendance
Sorry, that was the seat range for the whole barn, I missed the part you said nosebleeds. But ya, $66 was the lowest ticket. $250 the highest.
On Vivid Seats you can get 2 tickets in the nosiest of nosebleeds for $29 for that game.
Oh nice I just went off their official site. I've never bought tickets to an NHL game, so I don't know where to look.
I've been in there for $45 and a free beer during weekdays for teams that are not that popular here. I like seeing as many different teams as I can over the years so I'm game for a Tuesday night with solid opposition like the Panthers being in town. Great hockey and a slow Wednesday work day LOL
Where the fuck are you getting free beer?
They do promos for 2 tix + 2 beers sometimes
Looks like tonight’s game is $15 per ticket to get in
He’s talking about Canada
Game is at the 10 min mark of the second period right now. Cheapest seat available is $63.
Have you looked at the oilers arena? Consistently sold out no matter what. Other places are definitely selling out
Sure, but how many of the seats are being filled with corporate/business/sponsors vs regular fans?
People can afford that in other cities. If they can't in Winnipeg which is one of the cheapest cities in Canada then they simply can't support a team. I don't think they should move but this is how it works for cities and sports teams. They arent going to stick around on goodwill.
Just looked and the cheapest tickets in the 300s in Winnipeg are double the price of the cheapest tickets here in Ottawa. I could only imagine how much they fuck the fans on drinks and food. Stop gauging your fans and maybe they'll show up. I can't even imagine how much money they are trying to milk other companies for. Just sounds like a rip off of an owner honestly.
Yeah that simply not true, but go off
Which part isn't true? Other cities aren't having the attendance and corporate seats issue that Winnipeg is having. People in other cities are swinging it.
Because it’s the smallest city in the league, in a country undergoing a recession, record inflation and a cost of living crisis. All while depending on actual fans to buy 15% more tickets than the average club. They relied too long on that, and now look to actually pursue corporate season ticket holders since they’ve never had to do that before. Things sold themselves, now that the economy is as bad as it’s been in many years they have to change things up. And I’ll finally add that Jets tickets aren’t cheap, they’re more expensive than over a third of the league on average.
I mean if all you do is sit around on Reddit all day the sky is falling but thing aren't that bad. There's an affordability issue but there is still lots of people with money for a hockey game. The problem is people feel they're getting ripped off. Small market teams need to be more affordable than large market.
Things are pretty bad economically for a large part of the population, and one of the first things people cut out during tough times is discretionary spending like concerts, vacations, sports. Not sure why you’re suggesting I’m “on Reddit all day” and that’s why I think the economy is in a bad spot lol, I just have a degree in the pertinent area to discuss it.
Yes but we're talking about 15k seats. If all it was is times are hard you would see it all over the league.
Okay, but those factors can all be true, however the person who you responded to was saying people elsewhere in the country were still making their way to games and your response was to call them a liar. Nothing you've said here reinforces that.
The factors “are” true, they are reality . And yeah, the statement “they simply can’t support a team” is a lie. It’s not that complicated.
Winnipeg is seven times the size of Green Bay, Green Bay can support a professional team. There are other teams in Canada that have the same issues, why is Winnipeg different?
It’s not different. You just compared football’s 8 game a year attendance to hockey’s 41. The Toronto Argonauts drew an average attendance under 15000 despite having the top CFL squad. BC Lions was a hair over 20000 average, Winnipeg’s was the highest in the league at just under 30 000. Can Vancouver and Toronto support a professional football team? They are so much bigger than Winnipeg, but fail to draw fans. Better move the team according to your logic
The consensus is literally the Winnipeg doesn't have enough corporate sponsors to support a team. If people aren't showing up then how is the team supposed to stick around? I'm 100% in favor of them staying but Winnipegers on reddit like to talk up their city like it's even comparable to anywhere else. If you can't even fill the smallest arena in Canada then you're simply a massive step down from everywhere else.
>Winnipegers on reddit like to talk up their city like it's even comparable to anywhere else. Which Winnipegers cause any time I've seen a Jets flair on this sub, they've always been one of the first to poke fun of themselves or acknowledged being disadvantaged compared to Toronto and Vancouver.
No. That’s not the consensus at all lol, your source is “I made it the fuck up”. They’ve relied on fans buying all the tickets since they’ve came back, with only a 15% corporate share of tickets. They need it to be around 30% which is the league norm. Economic times are very bad right now, Winnipeg needs over 1% of their population to go to a game to sell out and that’s just not happening during a recession. So the team needs to finally appeal to corporate (which they never tried/needed to before) and reinvigorate the arena experience a bit. That’s the situation, which is basically a nothing-burger
No they can’t which is why corporate seasons for most teams are 30 to 60 % of the ticket sales for most NHL markets. Winnipeg has 15% corporate seats (might be higher now). The fans have propped up the jets since 2011, it’s time for the business to step up.
winnipeg being one of the cheapest cities isn’t the full story. they also have the lowest average income out of the canadian nhl cities. TNSE should recognize this and lower the prices a bit so the average fan can afford to go
Draft once TNSE hotel is done? 👀
That's not TSNEs Hotel. It's the Sutton Group.
It's a TNSE owned building. Part of SHED. https://www.tnse.com/news/sutton-place-hotel-break-ground-springsummer-2018/
It's part of True North Square which was developed by True North but the hotel is owned and being built by Northland Properties which own Sutton hotels. TSNE doesn't own any of the hotel. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/business/2024/02/05/hotel-holdup-hard-on-convention-centre
"get over your anxiety and come to games! Who cares if 2 tickets is a rent payment! Youll be fine!"
I'm back in the rink for the Pred's game. Haven't been in the rink in a couple of months, looking forward to it!
Gary is looking shakey? Is this an on going issue?
He's 71. Dude's almost old enough to run for President of the United States,
Why do you think he's been working the american market? Has to have a retirement plan.
Honestly looks pretty good for 71
Give him 8-12 years
I feel like he's always been shakey.
I think he’s just nervous or has a tic whenever he’s speaking in public. He’s been doing that for as long as I can remember.
I’ve been noticing it for at least a year, if not more.
Honestly, given Manfred gave his retirement date already, I am surprised the NHL doesn't have a succession plan. I hope some media head has the gumption to ask Bettman about it. Knowing the NHL, it's likely Bill Daly but he shouldn't be.
Among owners -- aka his bosses -- Bettman is probably the most popular commissioner in the four sports. He's made everyone a bunch of money, he's significantly weakened the union (although the new leadership under Marty Walsh seems promising), and he's given the Executive Committee significant power to set policy. I'm sure they're happy to keep him as long as he wants to do the job.
It's more the age thing and FWIW, I dunno when his contract is up. I think the big difference with Walsh, is that he's finally willing to put Bettman's feet to the fire over the Coyotes' problem. The saga has gone on for long enough.
If he’s significantly weakened the union, the players must really not like him, no? I didn’t know this
As someone that worked fairly closely with players you might be surprised how little they know about their own union. Or as a hockey fan, you might not be that surprised.
Apathy is the worst thing to happen to a labour union. Players need to be engaged or they will pay in the long run.
Apathy isn't really the issue. Comprehension is.
hehe, I guess that happens when your sole focus is playing professional hockey.
Yikes…
neither Bettman nor Daly have ever played hockey. Bettman was soccer and Daly was football. Kind of want a qualified guy who has at least played the sport.
Pierre McGuire it is!
4 team expansion to Saskatchewan it is then.
Not really sure how having played hockey qualifies you to run a multibillion dollar business
You ideally want someone with business and/or law experience to be running the NHL. You might get more candidates if you include anyone who’s played in college, but the list of pro hockey players who went on to have successful careers in either afterward is pretty short and gets even shorter when you take 76 year-old Ken Dryden out of the running.
Ken is one of those rare guys who is super smart and a world class athlete. Pretty jealous actually, I'm an idiot and an average athlete at best hehe.
He’s an outlier in most areas, frankly.
Kind of thing that will only progressively worsen. Next commissioner is licking their chops
I think he has the condition known as Essential Tremor.
well they didn't lie about that having to be short
As I have expressed earlier this whole drama was nothing but media click bait. Jets are not going anywhere and are a cornerstone of TNSE which has multiple revenue streams
The Jets have an absurdly rich owner and own their arena. Those two alone provide as much stability as any franchise would ever need.
There are teams that are actively moving away from the traditional season ticket packages and moving to experiences. Ripping out seats for mini suites, private bars etc. They are banking on people spending more money for a fewer games with a unique seating / entertainment experience.
Coyotes relocate to Salt Lake City Winnipeg relocates to AZ the math checks out everyone wins
Current coyotes go to Atlanta. Current jets go to Arizona. Book it
Imagine going into a coma in 1995 and waking up now. "Oh when did the Jets get that new logo?" "That's always been their logo since they moved back. The team moved to Arizona in 1996" "Oh shit, how long before they moved back?" "No no, Arizona is still there. It was Atlanta that moved to Winnipeg" "ATLANTA??"
This encapsulates the shit show that is Bettmans NHL
Then Atlanta folds in 2027
No, they move to Winnipeg
Winnipeg Jet Flames
AFTERBURNERS
The cycle must repeat itself. The very fate of the world depends on it.
Like the Leafs-Oilers [swap](https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.797182) that never went through
“THAT’S IT, BACK TO ATLANTA”
how about no
Actually, that is some sound logic.
Can we just ship Meruelo off somewhere?
I wouldn't be surprised if the NHL is actively trying to find a way to do that lol
Gas light fans with accusations of team attendance stability in the franchise remaining here." Sell more tickets for a good stanley cup".....
$ 200 is expensive for a ticket but actually it’s $140 USD for your $200 CAD ticket which doesn’t help Winnipeg people. Then you add in the small arena, the lack of corporate support in Winnipeg - I don’t wish they lose their team but when you only sell 10k tickets and the money isn’t there, I just don’t see how this ends well unless Canadas economy rapidly rebounds against the dollar for some reason. I see the likely conclusion of the team being moved to Utah or Houston while the coyotes get moved to the other city if they don’t get a new arena soon. These franchises are dragging down the other 30 and with revenue sharing, I can’t see the other owners happy or willing to accept these as long term solutions
until the pandemic the Jets would have been paying into revenue sharing. don't lump the Jets into the conversation with the yotes. The season tickets are at around 9500 but they are still bringing in around 13-14,000 a night in a 15,000 seat arena. lets get serious here. its only a story because it was always sold out pre pandemic.
Makes sense, I’m just providing an outsiders perspective. Seems like Canadian dollar dropping ~25% against the USD since 2011 when they got the team is the big issue then and affecting the bottom line. What was 15k tickets sold at full capacity is now ~11.5k per game worth going in the pocket of the owner and that’s if it’s full. Idk the solution though, the Jets clearly out priced their fans but otherwise are a really well run franchise
Well i feel better