Bettman calls on Jets, Winnipeg fans to find solution to attendance issues

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA >> NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says he doesn’t think the Winnipeg Jets’ attendance issues are a red flag for the team’s viability.

Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly spoke Tuesday, before the Jets hosted the St. Louis Blues.

“I don’t view this as a crisis,” Bettman said. “But I do believe, as with any team in any market, there needs to be collaboration between community and the fan base and the club. And I believe ultimately it will be here.”

Bettman’s visit came days after Jets co-owner and chairman Mark Chipman

said in an interview with The Athletic that current attendance numbers are “not going to work over the long haul.”

Bettman said he wasn’t in Winnipeg to address a particular need or concern, although he met with some business leaders.

The Jets say Winnipeg’s season-ticket base has decreased 27% in three years from approximately 13,000 to just under 9,500. Canada Life Centre is the league’s smallest permanent arena with a capacity of 15,225 for hockey games.

When Bettman visited Winnipeg in 2011 to announce the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers and the team’s relocation, he talked about the city’s smaller rink and the need to fill seats.

“I was quoted in 2011 saying for this to work well the building’s gotta be full, and that’s true,” Bettman said Tuesday.

“I know that Mark Chipman and (co-owner) David Thomson aren’t interested in just surviving in the NHL, they want to thrive along the lines of how the team is playing this year. And this will get sorted out.”

After meeting with reporters, Bettman and Daly joined Chipman on the ice to talk to about 500 fans in the stands and answer some of their pre-submitted questions.

Chipman recognized the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recession on fans, but said the organization is trying to be strong and healthy for everyone.

“It’s not something that we can do it on our own,” he told the fans. “There are very few levers that we can pull. But one is the number of people that come to games, so that’s why it’s so important to us.

“It’s long-term health so that we can be competitive, so that you can be proud of our team.”

Winnipeg is battling for top spot in the Central Division, and the Jets have the second-lowest average attendance at 13,098. Only the Arizona Coyotes, who are temporarily playing at 4,600-seat Mullett Arena in Tempe, draw fewer fans.