Ticket/Attendance Discussion: The Sequel

[KingBogo]

I’m on team buffdog.


What you can do and what you should do are 2 different things depending on what your desired outcome is.

I'm not on any team. I merely added all ST holders had to sign the same contracts. I've been pissed off at TNSE, more than a few times, but that doesn't mean I don't also think they have had to make some difficult decisions along the way, under circumstances none of us could have foreseen.

 

[KingBogo]

Yeah, like what?

Anyway, that's hardly the point. Their attendance is down and they want it to go up. Reaching out to people who have had season tickets in the past and trying to mend the fences.that caused them to not want to attend games (whatever those reasons are) seems like a reasonable step to take

They essentially said to me "what do we have to do to get yplou back in the rink?". I gave them a very specific answer. They outright said that they would not do it. So here we are

It looks to me that TNSE is deciding to push the corporate ST base for a more stable economic future. If that fails, I expect Chipman to cash in big time moving the team. Most individual ST holders have opted out because of financial fatigue carrying the financial load supporting the team, and chasing them around begging for their forgiveness isn't going to change that.

 

[Buffdog]

It looks to me that TNSE is deciding to push the corporate ST base for a more stable economic future. If that fails, I expect Chipman to cash in big time moving the team. Most individual ST holders have opted out because of financial fatigue carrying the financial load supporting the team, and chasing them around begging for their forgiveness isn't going to change that.

Then why is he calling former STH?

I doubt he moves the team. He's still operating at 90% capacity. I doubt TNSE is in the red once you factor in all their revenue streams, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to optimize profits

 

[sipowicz]

Then why is he calling former STH?

I doubt he moves the team. He's still operating at 90% capacity. I doubt TNSE is in the red once you factor in all their revenue streams, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to optimize profits

Running out of options of where to move a team, Buttman hates Canada so QC and Hamilton out..

KC, Houston? Hartford or Atlanta for a second and third go around?

 

[Keystone]

Any chance the Moose are moved to help push Jets attendance upward? Is the cost savings of having them here along with $$ from the usage of the CLC part of the problem. Tough call when the owner is a major real estate developer and owns the arena. A brief google search and it seems like they weren’t really intended to come back to Winnipeg except for some circumstances maybe out of team control.
I’m sure it’s a more affordable option for people to watch, but with Jets offering 1/4 season packages now, I would assume watching the highest level possible would be attractive alternative.
Could AHL team work in Fargo, Grand Forks, or Sioux Falls? Expand the Jets fan base.

 

[bumblebeeman]

Any chance the Moose are moved to help push Jets attendance upward? Is the cost savings of having them here along with $$ from the usage of the CLC part of the problem. Tough call when the owner is a major real estate developer and owns the arena. A brief google search and it seems like they weren’t really intended to come back to Winnipeg except for some circumstances maybe out of team control.
I’m sure it’s a more affordable option for people to watch, but with Jets offering 1/4 season packages now, I would assume watching the highest level possible would be attractive alternative.
Could AHL team work in Fargo, Grand Forks, or Sioux Falls? Expand the Jets fan base.

What about Regina or Saskatoon for the Moose? Or are they too WHL dominated

 

[JetsNut]

I posted earlier some thoughts on what he should be doing. He needs a properly run campaign to the business community. With a message along the lines of “we‘re in this together - here’s our plan on how to fix this. And here is what we need from you.“ Along with goals and positive news on how that plan is working out, as it unfolds.

Threats by themselves won’t work. The average person or business will start out believing they can’t make a difference anyway. With some being pissed off and alienated. This situation is going to take leadership. Which IS NOT throwing around threats.

I’m hoping that Bettman‘s visit is the beginning of a campaign along those lines. Which focuses on the lack of corporate season tickets.

I don’t view him being honest as

Yeah, like what?

Anyway, that's hardly the point. Their attendance is down and they want it to go up. Reaching out to people who have had season tickets in the past and trying to mend the fences.that caused them to not want to attend games (whatever those reasons are) seems like a reasonable step to take

They essentially said to me "what do we have to do to get yplou back in the rink?". I gave them a very specific answer. They outright said that they would not do it. So here we are

Ok well we don’t if your request was reasonable or not. Therefore we can’t hold that against them.

Any chance the Moose are moved to help push Jets attendance upward? Is the cost savings of having them here along with $$ from the usage of the CLC part of the problem. Tough call when the owner is a major real estate developer and owns the arena. A brief google search and it seems like they weren’t really intended to come back to Winnipeg except for some circumstances maybe out of team control.
I’m sure it’s a more affordable option for people to watch, but with Jets offering 1/4 season packages now, I would assume watching the highest level possible would be attractive alternative.
Could AHL team work in Fargo, Grand Forks, or Sioux Falls? Expand the Jets fan base.

That’s a good point. Having the team in one those nearby markets could actually serve to extend fan base.

 

[KingBogo]

Then why is he calling former STH?

I doubt he moves the team. He's still operating at 90% capacity. I doubt TNSE is in the red once you factor in all their revenue streams, but there's nothing wrong with wanting to optimize profits

He called 3 people. More like a media stunt. If it was a real effort you'd have a team of professional sales people doing it, with the freedom to make the customer happy. Just my opinion, but I think there is an end game here. Ether corporate Winnipeg steps up and Chipman gets long term financial stability or we will gradually see the we tried to make it work in Winnipeg spin before Chipman cashes out to a new owner in a big US market (maybe holding on to a share of the team). My guess that also comes with a long term agreement to operate the Moose as the farm team to make sure his building in Winnipeg generates revenue as well.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

What about Regina or Saskatoon for the Moose? Or are they too WHL dominated

They are too Riders dominated. Most people there wouldn't support any team with a connection to Winnipeg...

... and the ones that did show up would cheer for the opposition.

 

[Buffdog]

I don’t view him being honest as

Ok well we don’t if your request was reasonable or not. Therefore we can’t hold that against them.


That’s a good point. Having the team in one those nearby markets could actually serve to extend fan base.

As I pointed out, my request was to refund my $1500 deposit from 2012 and I'd turn around and immediately use it to buy 1/4 season ticket package. Not sure how unreasonable that is, especially consorldering that it was their policy which disqualified me from walking into the rink, and I'd have rather not broken my contract

 

[Keystone]

What about Regina or Saskatoon for the Moose? Or are they too WHL dominated

That would be my concern

 

[KingBogo]

Running out of options of where to move a team, Buttman hates Canada so QC and Hamilton out..

KC, Houston? Hartford or Atlanta for a second and third go around?

I would say Salt Lake City Utah would be to front runner. The Owner of the Utah Jazz has stated a desire for a NHL expansion team and has said they are able to host a NHL team immediately. The longer play looks to be building a new arena for the 2034 Winter Olympics which they are in final negotiations to host. Nice and close to the West Coast teams and LV.

 

[Walkingtalkingeye]

As I pointed out, my request was to refund my $1500 deposit from 2012 and I'd turn around and immediately use it to buy 1/4 season ticket package. Not sure how unreasonable that is, especially consorldering that it was their policy which disqualified me from walking into the rink, and I'd have rather not broken my contract

Just to be clear though, they offered your deposit back if you used it for season tickets, right? Essentially the equivalent of "store credit"? Cause that's a pretty well established business practice.

 

[roccerfeller]

Because I'm lazy as f*ck and don't want to read pages and pages of what to me is a depressing situation I am wondering " do we take this whole situation seriously"? Is there a legitimate chance that I might see the Jets leave for a second time in my lifetime?

With the way things are in Arizona where the team isn't even playing in an NHL adequate arena how can bettman possible try to force a move by the Jets if that is his intent? I had season tickets for awhile for Jets 1.0 but didn't get for 2.0 mostly because we are 2 hours outside the city now and the logistics of the drive in and back don't make sense.

The salary cap was installed in large part because of the fact small markets were not sustainable when the big dogs could spend through the roof to acquire and sign players but the economy and the contracts IMO have gotten out of hand as owners will spend ridiculous amounts on players since winning is the only option for running a succesful franchise, which is not wrong but at the same time I hear expansion talks when the NHL should be striving to have the current member franchises on solid footing, some of which are not. Bettman may well be coming here in an attempt to help the Jets but he's a weasel in a chicken coop, a fox in the henhouse if you will who cares diddly squat about the Jets and certain other franchises.

We could go to a few games, maybe purchase a mini pack but unless there are a couple thousand out there willing to do the same then all is lost anyways. I remember the "Jets aren't going anywhere statement made by Chipman, paraphrasing the actual words a little but now I wonder with the "threat" of moving if things don't improve, what kind of timeline are we talking about?

The downtown of this city has become awful in the last decade and likely was never the best location but there is a constant attempt to make the "SHED" a "must go" destination for Winnipegs and travellers alike. But really the downtown especially in the area of the arena is like a backed up toilet that can't seem to be cleared. I hope I die before I have to see the jets leave, yet again.

IMHO:
There is no real threat right now. It’s a lot of media hype, its creating a negative echo chamber. Is there an issue? Yes. Is True north working on addressing it? Yes. Will it be fixed? I do believe so, and I mean that; it’s why I am not too worried myself.

This media stuff is getting taken way out of context. Just go to the main boards, or on social media, (don’t actually do it) some of the posts - oh boy. Makes one wonder how these impressively poorly informed junk keyboard warriors function as human beings and got to the point of coordinating their fingers to type on a phone or a keyboard. Twitter is particularly cess-like about this news. Seriously there is some dumb trash floating out there and it creates a dumb trashy echo chamber, don’t let it get to you or scare you.

What is currently coming from TNSE and Mark Chipman, take it at face value, and nothing more, don’t read into it "too much". When he says something like “this isn't sustainable long-term“ he means from the perspective of a healthy business. 13000 STH, guaranteed revenue is different than 9500 STH. Have you seen all those new towers, the fact that they’re spending to the cap, the fact that they have everything paid for (arena), massive billion dollar projects in the pipeline, etc. etc.? This is not an SOS scenario. I do think he meant what he said in October that there is no threat of the moving or anything like that "under his watch". This is basically identifying an issue and putting it front and centre through the media that it needs to be addressed. I bet the next steps are going to be some thing, akin to perhaps another ticket drive (mini packs, new offerings, new options), with the behind-the-scenes focus on respecting the current and future season-ticket holder and providing good service and benefits for the people who provide the foundation/the backbone for the Winnipeg Jets exist (not taking them for granted, which seem to have been the case). I’m sure there will also be behind-the-scenes stuff that we will not be privy to regarding corporate community / sponsorship building and helping to make something work out for next year.

Bettman coming here - it is being positioned as a "fire side chat", not a news conference.
Consider that likely that this news of Bettman simply coincides with his regular annual visit, how many of those last year or the year before was such media frenzy trumpeted about it? I think the cause for alarm is more that true North's intentions are to get back to a stable and predictable season-ticket holder base as quickly as possible.

Bettman will likely make some matter-of-fact statements similar to what he said in 2011 that the building needs to be full; I ask you to accept that mentally and prepare for those words to happen. Despite that, it does not change anything that I believe in this post - I think people need to take a breath. If you read the Athletic article, it's a pretty solid read without anything glaring. There is intent to say "hey we messed up and we know that and we are working on it". Some of the quotes are being interpreted from a perspective of "doom"

So some things I believe:
The original Jets had years and years of losses before they left, without a new rink or concession $ or ownership of building or any of the other advantages TNSE currently has.

The entire situation is different now, lets remind ourselves:

For one, the city itself is larger, and we have a generation of children growing up with the Winnipeg Jets as "their" club; as they move forward in their own lives and professional lives, those bonds and opportunities to become new STH will be there.
Last I checked, Winnipeg is the fastest growing city by raw numbers under 1 million people in Canada (when the Jets left the city was around 629,000, and the CMA was under 685,000; this year the city is around 800,000 and the CMA is around 900,000 (a 170k and 215k increase respectively)… by the end of the decade the city will be approaching 900,000 and the CMA will be approaching 1 million if not around there. At that point, Winnipeg will still be the smallest market in the NHL, but that "effectively doubles" it’s population in 3 to 4 decades and relatively/proportionally speaking that is a pretty big increase for any city. The point being is it is not a shrinking but a growing pool of people who could attend games moving forward. I accept that people moving to Winnipeg from other parts of Canada/USA probably aren't Jets fans and have allegiances elsewhere, but that is still "a" new person who could go to CLC and pay to see their team live.

Second economy wise, yes things are hard for many folks right now: The dollar has taken a hit against the American dollar, but fortunately Manitoba's economy continues to be relatively stable, there is an advantage for new adults ( either from the city, from abroad or from elsewhere within the country) that the cost-of-living is low, and although wages aren’t the highest in the country, they are very competitive, especially in welling fields, combined that with the cost of living, when people aren’t battling interest rates and all those other things they will have more disposables come to spend. There is turbulence in the economy right now, that is just the reality, the interest rates are really a burden for a lot of people - I see it in the greater Vancouver area every day. The country just had an airline shut down - all these costs are real, and they do add up, and they can make viable businesses no longer viable. That said, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, I think we will have to wait a few a few years for the economy to turn back around but at least Manitoba self has not been hit hard to the extent other places have been. Steady as she goes bodes well for the future. Its not like suddenly the economy is in the state where things will never reverse and people will never have disposable income ever again to see the Jets live

Third,
Corporations...lots about the corporate support. I believe there are more than enough corporations in Winnipeg to support an NHL team... The TLDR as to why TNSE find themselves in the current predicament is because early on during the ticket drive, commitments were made by individuals and people, not corporations. That effectively blocked out a lot of the corporate pool, now that there are other economic realities, those corporate pools may be less interested or have their expenses responsibly placed elsewhere at this time. They need to be won over or their STH base needs to increase. What corps you ask, well start with the major national ones that don't have much of a presence providing seasons tickets right now and go from there


Fourth,
You have ownership. On one hand, the richest owner in the NHL and on the other hand, a solid person in Mark Chipman who embodies the hard-working nature that Winnipeg prides itself on. Ownership is committed to keeping the Jets in Winnipeg. People can overall be down on true north if they would like, but it is commendable and in keeping with what we know of Mark Chipman, that he is personally calling people and former season-ticket holders, it sounds like he genuinely wants to improve and work towards a stable foundation. I presume he is not alone in calling folks - there is likely a team of people "higher up" because 3500+ calls to make for one person is not realistic lol.


Fifth,
there is so much in the downtown and city itself that is tied up with the Jets and the Jets ownership that "relocating them" in the next few years just is not a reasonably plausible scenario. There is a mutually beneficial relationship with the team and the massive positives for the city

....

As long as you have committed ownership, they are never leaving. They just need to rebuild and strengthen the foundations. They’re saying “the building is not caving in, that’s not the situation, but there’s some leaks and we need to address these leaks. And it’s our fault and we’re working to fix that.” But people are really taking things out of proportion and context. "Doomsday" - it is not.

Sorry man, lots of side stuff there in a lengthy post, but to answer your question if you want to skip ahead: No, I don’t think there’s a legitimate chance of the moving.
I’m as confident in making that statement now as I was making a statement in 2009 that the NHL would be viable in Winnipeg

I don't think the team is in imminent danger of relocation. That said, selling 13,000 seats per game (many of them discounted) isn't sustainable. A sufficient number of people have to support the Jets or they'll move eventually.

A lot of people take offense to this for some reason, but it strikes me as simple business reality.

Oddly enough, I'm less concerned about the team than I am for what it says about Winnipeg and the Province overall. I want so badly to believe we have something going for us.

I don't think all hope is lost though. TNSE is working to do what they have to, I believe Manitobans will as well. There was a lot of negativity in the offseason that impacted ticket sales this year. I think there is a good chance TNSE and the fans can right the ship.

Agree, I think there is no legitimate threat. At this point, this media stuff is to ensure attention is refocused back on the Winnipeg Jets. It’s to sound a “type of an alarm” that hey don’t anyone sleep on buying tickets! It’s to bring the issue of STH loss to the spotlight. Not a "hey we are at danger of moving"...not even close. What TNSE said in October still holds true.

It’s a shame that whatever egotistical agents that went on a power trip and left bad tastes in hundreds of season-ticket holder mouths, did more damage to the organization and to the team then they probably realized. But it all starts and ends with True North. With their engagement, their Customer Service, and not taking their fanbase for granted.

I Hope Chipman (or a team of high ups as 3500+ phone calls is a lot of phone calls for one person (and unrealistic)) gets to talk to everybody that gave up tickets to get an informed opinion as to what needs to be done to go from the worst customer service to the best customer service. If it’s life, you can’t really do anything about that. But anything related to customer service complaints, those need to be addressed and changed.


Maybe one day the NHL can get a TV deal that takes a lot of this gate driven revenue pressure off of NHL teams.

 

[roccerfeller]

He called 3 people. More like a media stunt. If it was a real effort you'd have a team of professional sales people doing it, with the freedom to make the customer happy. Just my opinion, but I think there is an end game here. Ether corporate Winnipeg steps up and Chipman gets long term financial stability or we will gradually see the we tried to make it work in Winnipeg spin before Chipman cashes out to a new owner in a big US market (maybe holding on to a share of the team). My guess that also comes with a long term agreement to operate the Moose as the farm team to make sure his building in Winnipeg generates revenue as well.

Don’t go down the rabbit hole my guy! Don’t do it! Haha

They are too Riders dominated. Most people there wouldn't support any team with a connection to Winnipeg...

... and the ones that did show up would cheer for the opposition.

For what it’s worth, I’ve actually met a lot of Saskatchewan Jets fans

(Anecdotally, “a lot”)

 

[RestlessYoungZero]

As I pointed out, my request was to refund my $1500 deposit from 2012 and I'd turn around and immediately use it to buy 1/4 season ticket package. Not sure how unreasonable that is, especially consorldering that it was their policy which disqualified me from walking into the rink, and I'd have rather not broken my contract

Did you not say that they offered a credit of $1,500 on your Jets account and you're holding out over the semantics of getting the the money in a cheque or deposit form into your back account?? Its the same thing. This screams like a giant excuse that you wouldn't actually turn around and buy seasons again

 

[robertocarlos]

Did you not say that they offered a credit of $1,500 on your Jets account and you're holding out over the semantics of getting the the money in a cheque or deposit form into your back account?? Its the same thing. This screams like a giant excuse that you wouldn't actually turn around and buy seasons again

It's a trust exercise.

 

[Buffdog]

OK, so quick update on my account. Enough people here have suggested that I'm being unreasonable (all y'all are starting to sound like my wife lol) that I thought I'd go back through my emails to see if I'd missed something.

Turns out, I reached out to TNSE prior to the 2021 season (where they had their vaccine policy in place) about how to handle my account... I had forgotten about this.

Here's the reply I received:

As you can see, a reasonable person would think it was TNSE initiating the cancellation of the policy, not me (had it read "YOU can go ahead and cancel the the TPA early, I'd be feeling differently). So when I came back and asked for my deposit and was told that it was ME that initiated the cancelation, I'm not completely unreasonable to disagree.

In complete fairness and to be transparent, I did not share this with the rep that contacted me about using the $1500 on my account because it had been two years and the details had slipped my mind.

I'll re-contact TNSE with this and see how they respond. Hopefully some people can now see why I dug my heels in on this

The fact that I'm one of the most stubborn son a bitch in the world might have played a role too lol

 

[jungles]

People complain about Friesen, but he is bang on with this:

"Why, when the team is backed by the wealthiest man in Canada and one of wealthiest on the planet in David Thomson, do two down seasons after a pandemic threaten the very existence of this franchise?"

 

[robertocarlos]

At least you'll be at the front of the waiting list.

 

[nobody imp0rtant]

People complain about Friesen, but he is bang on with this:

"Why, when the team is backed by the wealthiest man in Canada and one of wealthiest on the planet in David Thomson, do two down seasons after a pandemic threaten the very existence of this franchise?"

f***en A. I would also like to know how many other NHL owners have pulled this "ooh, you better start buying more tickets or we could be out of here" bullshit. It's not like we're the only city with sub-capacity crowds. But I guess this is taking its toll on Chipman. He feels unappreciated and unloved for his sacrifice every time he looks out at a less than full house. I'm starting to think he's the Al Franken of the NHL. Clearly, the Mark Chipman Decade is over, and he now wants us to know, "how all this is affecting me.... Mark Chipman".

 

[tbcwpg]

People complain about Friesen, but he is bang on with this:

"Why, when the team is backed by the wealthiest man in Canada and one of wealthiest on the planet in David Thomson, do two down seasons after a pandemic threaten the very existence of this franchise?"

Friesen took a quote and took it as a guarantee/threat the team is moving without increased ticket sales, because it's what Friesen does, and the rest of the article leads from that. Chipman could've very well meant that it's not sustainable to spend to the cap for a competitive team every year with his long haul comment but Friesen went as negative as possible, as per usual.

 

[Gm0ney]

Friesen took a quote and took it as a guarantee/threat the team is moving without increased ticket sales, because it's what Friesen does, and the rest of the article leads from that. Chipman could've very well meant that it's not sustainable to spend to the cap for a competitive team every year with his long haul comment but Friesen went as negative as possible, as per usual.

The implication is clearly there. And after the fiasco of last year's tone deaf campaign, they should've learned to tread very lightly around that topic with Jets fans.

 

[ThinIce61]

IMHO:
There is no real threat right now. It’s a lot of media hype, its creating a negative echo chamber. Is there an issue? Yes. Is True north working on addressing it? Yes. Will it be fixed? I do believe so, and I mean that; it’s why I am not too worried myself.

This media stuff is getting taken way out of context. Just go to the main boards, or on social media, (don’t actually do it) some of the posts - oh boy. Makes one wonder how these impressively poorly informed junk keyboard warriors function as human beings and got to the point of coordinating their fingers to type on a phone or a keyboard. Twitter is particularly cess-like about this news. Seriously there is some dumb trash floating out there and it creates a dumb trashy echo chamber, don’t let it get to you or scare you.

What is currently coming from TNSE and Mark Chipman, take it at face value, and nothing more, don’t read into it "too much". When he says something like “this isn't sustainable long-term“ he means from the perspective of a healthy business. 13000 STH, guaranteed revenue is different than 9500 STH. Have you seen all those new towers, the fact that they’re spending to the cap, the fact that they have everything paid for (arena), massive billion dollar projects in the pipeline, etc. etc.? This is not an SOS scenario. I do think he meant what he said in October that there is no threat of the moving or anything like that "under his watch". This is basically identifying an issue and putting it front and centre through the media that it needs to be addressed. I bet the next steps are going to be some thing, akin to perhaps another ticket drive (mini packs, new offerings, new options), with the behind-the-scenes focus on respecting the current and future season-ticket holder and providing good service and benefits for the people who provide the foundation/the backbone for the Winnipeg Jets exist (not taking them for granted, which seem to have been the case). I’m sure there will also be behind-the-scenes stuff that we will not be privy to regarding corporate community / sponsorship building and helping to make something work out for next year.

Bettman coming here - it is being positioned as a "fire side chat", not a news conference.
Consider that likely that this news of Bettman simply coincides with his regular annual visit, how many of those last year or the year before was such media frenzy trumpeted about it? I think the cause for alarm is more that true North's intentions are to get back to a stable and predictable season-ticket holder base as quickly as possible.

Bettman will likely make some matter-of-fact statements similar to what he said in 2011 that the building needs to be full; I ask you to accept that mentally and prepare for those words to happen. Despite that, it does not change anything that I believe in this post - I think people need to take a breath. If you read the Athletic article, it's a pretty solid read without anything glaring. There is intent to say "hey we messed up and we know that and we are working on it". Some of the quotes are being interpreted from a perspective of "doom"

So some things I believe:
The original Jets had years and years of losses before they left, without a new rink or concession $ or ownership of building or any of the other advantages TNSE currently has.

The entire situation is different now, lets remind ourselves:

For one, the city itself is larger, and we have a generation of children growing up with the Winnipeg Jets as "their" club; as they move forward in their own lives and professional lives, those bonds and opportunities to become new STH will be there.
Last I checked, Winnipeg is the fastest growing city by raw numbers under 1 million people in Canada (when the Jets left the city was around 629,000, and the CMA was under 685,000; this year the city is around 800,000 and the CMA is around 900,000 (a 170k and 215k increase respectively)… by the end of the decade the city will be approaching 900,000 and the CMA will be approaching 1 million if not around there. At that point, Winnipeg will still be the smallest market in the NHL, but that "effectively doubles" it’s population in 3 to 4 decades and relatively/proportionally speaking that is a pretty big increase for any city. The point being is it is not a shrinking but a growing pool of people who could attend games moving forward. I accept that people moving to Winnipeg from other parts of Canada/USA probably aren't Jets fans and have allegiances elsewhere, but that is still "a" new person who could go to CLC and pay to see their team live.

Second economy wise, yes things are hard for many folks right now: The dollar has taken a hit against the American dollar, but fortunately Manitoba's economy continues to be relatively stable, there is an advantage for new adults ( either from the city, from abroad or from elsewhere within the country) that the cost-of-living is low, and although wages aren’t the highest in the country, they are very competitive, especially in welling fields, combined that with the cost of living, when people aren’t battling interest rates and all those other things they will have more disposables come to spend. There is turbulence in the economy right now, that is just the reality, the interest rates are really a burden for a lot of people - I see it in the greater Vancouver area every day. The country just had an airline shut down - all these costs are real, and they do add up, and they can make viable businesses no longer viable. That said, there is some light at the end of the tunnel, I think we will have to wait a few a few years for the economy to turn back around but at least Manitoba self has not been hit hard to the extent other places have been. Steady as she goes bodes well for the future. Its not like suddenly the economy is in the state where things will never reverse and people will never have disposable income ever again to see the Jets live

Third,
Corporations...lots about the corporate support. I believe there are more than enough corporations in Winnipeg to support an NHL team... The TLDR as to why TNSE find themselves in the current predicament is because early on during the ticket drive, commitments were made by individuals and people, not corporations. That effectively blocked out a lot of the corporate pool, now that there are other economic realities, those corporate pools may be less interested or have their expenses responsibly placed elsewhere at this time. They need to be won over or their STH base needs to increase. What corps you ask, well start with the major national ones that don't have much of a presence providing seasons tickets right now and go from there


Fourth,
You have ownership. On one hand, the richest owner in the NHL and on the other hand, a solid person in Mark Chipman who embodies the hard-working nature that Winnipeg prides itself on. Ownership is committed to keeping the Jets in Winnipeg. People can overall be down on true north if they would like, but it is commendable and in keeping with what we know of Mark Chipman, that he is personally calling people and former season-ticket holders, it sounds like he genuinely wants to improve and work towards a stable foundation. I presume he is not alone in calling folks - there is likely a team of people "higher up" because 3500+ calls to make for one person is not realistic lol.


Fifth,
there is so much in the downtown and city itself that is tied up with the Jets and the Jets ownership that "relocating them" in the next few years just is not a reasonably plausible scenario. There is a mutually beneficial relationship with the team and the massive positives for the city

....

As long as you have committed ownership, they are never leaving. They just need to rebuild and strengthen the foundations. They’re saying “the building is not caving in, that’s not the situation, but there’s some leaks and we need to address these leaks. And it’s our fault and we’re working to fix that.” But people are really taking things out of proportion and context. "Doomsday" - it is not.

Sorry man, lots of side stuff there in a lengthy post, but to answer your question if you want to skip ahead: No, I don’t think there’s a legitimate chance of the moving.
I’m as confident in making that statement now as I was making a statement in 2009 that the NHL would be viable in Winnipeg



Agree, I think there is no legitimate threat. At this point, this media stuff is to ensure attention is refocused back on the Winnipeg Jets. It’s to sound a “type of an alarm” that hey don’t anyone sleep on buying tickets! It’s to bring the issue of STH loss to the spotlight. Not a "hey we are at danger of moving"...not even close. What TNSE said in October still holds true.

It’s a shame that whatever egotistical agents that went on a power trip and left bad tastes in hundreds of season-ticket holder mouths, did more damage to the organization and to the team then they probably realized. But it all starts and ends with True North. With their engagement, their Customer Service, and not taking their fanbase for granted.

I Hope Chipman (or a team of high ups as 3500+ phone calls is a lot of phone calls for one person (and unrealistic)) gets to talk to everybody that gave up tickets to get an informed opinion as to what needs to be done to go from the worst customer service to the best customer service. If it’s life, you can’t really do anything about that. But anything related to customer service complaints, those need to be addressed and changed.


Maybe one day the NHL can get a TV deal that takes a lot of this gate driven revenue pressure off of NHL teams.

Thanks for the well thought out responses. With all the money True North has pumped into the infrastructure in and around Canada Life centre it is difficult for me to believe the team and everything connected to it would be moved at the drop of a hat. The fiasco that led to Jets 1.0 has me naturally concerned and the reading I did on here(I don't ever go on twitter or Snap Face or any of the other medias available out there and while I know better reading some of the stuff on the Main Boards here very nearly gave me testicular cancer, lol. No idea how long I'll be on this mortal coil, I'm certainly not going to be the immortal one who will lead the flock to the promised land but I'd like the Jets to be here up until that fateful dail I spin off theis mortal coil.And beyond. I want to have future genrations watch Connor Hellebuyck the third lead the Jets to their record breaking 25th Stanley Cup before the Maple Laffs ever win their next one.

 

[tbcwpg]

OK, so quick update on my account. Enough people here have suggested that I'm being unreasonable (all y'all are starting to sound like my wife lol) that I thought I'd go back through my emails to see if I'd missed something.

Turns out, I reached out to TNSE prior to the 2021 season (where they had their vaccine policy in place) about how to handle my account... I had forgotten about this.

Here's the reply I received:
View attachment 824887

As you can see, a reasonable person would think it was TNSE initiating the cancellation of the policy, not me (had it read "YOU can go ahead and cancel the the TPA early, I'd be feeling differently). So when I came back and asked for my deposit and was told that it was ME that initiated the cancelation, I'm not completely unreasonable to disagree.

In complete fairness and to be transparent, I did not share this with the rep that contacted me about using the $1500 on my account because it had been two years and the details had slipped my mind.

I'll re-contact TNSE with this and see how they respond. Hopefully some people can now see why I dug my heels in on this

The fact that I'm one of the most stubborn son a bitch in the world might have played a role too lol

I think you were being a bit pedantic by reading it as they were canceling the ticket policy - the other alternative was that they keep billing you for tickets and you sell them or don't go. The choice to cancel the agreement is ultimately the ticket holder's unless there is some breach of the agreement - the agreement is separate from your ability to actually get into the building in this case. So I do think that you were digging your heels in over something that you were ultimately incorrect about. I'm not a lawyer but I imagine that the argument would be pretty easy to make that, despite the wording there, you are ultimately deciding on canceling. Especially given that that option clearly ends with "Or;" and not "this is your only choice".