Winnipeg Jets: 11,226 Attendance tonight, cause for concern? What's going on in the 'Peg?

[Melrose Munch]

Wow the NHL is doing ok right now eh? Glad we have all those TV contracts.

 

[John Price]

that's pretty sad especially fora Canadian team. step it up, peg

 

[Melrose Munch]

Seriously, it's october, let's wait until the Holiday season.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

The crazy thing for me is wasn't this PLD's return? This feels like it should be a hot ticket, even for an October Tuesday night game.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I can't remember what entity it was, but it was some sort of competition bureau here in Canada. They're advocating for significantly more competition in the grocery sector. Right now, we basically have two dominant companies - Loblaws and Sobeys. Walmart's grocery section is available in select stores. Loblaws and Sobeys bought up the last competitive big chain - IGA - and split them up. Loblaws got the brick and mortar. Sobey's got the in-house product line. We the customer get bent over.

This is what happens when important sections of the economy operate in
an oligopoly state.

 

[tacogeoff]

People in Winnipeg are also broke, it’s been bad since COVID hit. Rent has gone up massively, and for homeowners with mortgage renewals, those have taken another $500/mo out of people’s pockets and food another couple hundred. None of my friends in their 30s are doing super dandy, at least not well enough to be dropping a couple hundred bucks a night to see a hockey game, and in an economy of scale, we don't have enough citizens doing well enough to show up on a nightly basis, so there will be empty seats. The arena being empty for COVID was indeed a major mental event that somehow flipped a switch for people on going out. I’d like to go to a few games myself but my housing costs have skyrocketed since moving back and it’s just not a good use of funds.

I agree with this take 100%. I imagine games are a no go with families as well now after mortgage rate hikes, grocery hikes and general inflation. imagine taking a family of four to a game. For good seats that could be close to a 700$ outing not including snacks/drinks. Its more sensible to head out to a Moose game as you can get the Me and Three package which gives you 25% off your ticket prices. Sure its not the NHL but it is an affordable night out for a family under 100$ for seats and a fun experience/atmosphere.

I do think there is some not going due to the team itself but I also think a lot are not going due to cost of living/prioritizing their funds and this can be seen easier in a smaller population in regards to entertainment spending.

 

[Tufted Titmouse]

This is what happens when important sections of the economy operate in
an oligopoly state.

Capitalism without meaningful restraints or regulations.

 

[Puckclektr]

Absolutely embarrassing. Please Canadian fans never talk shit about Dallas market again. TY

I get its a hockey town, but comparing markets is laughable. Dallas metro is about 9 times the size of Winnipeg. Winnipegs "metro" is smaller that the city of Fort Worth all by itsef.

 

[GrumpyKoala]

Make ticket prices lower and you'll have more people attending.

Oh, I wait, the owners don't understand what "supply and demand" means.

The highest profit margin you get by making sure the house's full, and then additionally selling overpriced foods, drinks, and merchandise.

Yea its fly over the head of so many that jets ticket are more expansives avg than 15 others teams and the owners don't want to flinch on price to get full house.

Meanwhile you can get below 50 buck ticket in florida.

 

[KeyserSoze81]

Nothing against the Jets, but yeah NHL, pump the brakes on expansion.

When you can't generate enough revenue to support the owners, try to capture it from other billionaires in the form of expansion fees. They are basically a pyramid scheme at this point. Instead of having a garage full of expiring Herbalife products, some billionaire gets to watch his AHL level players skate around in Salt Lake City.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Yea its fly over the head of so many that jets ticket are more expansives avg than 15 others teams and the owners don't want to flinch on price to get full house.

Meanwhile you can get below 50 buck ticket in florida.

That's still supply and demand at work though. Winnipeg is a wayyyyyyyyyyyy
deeper hockey market per capita than Florida and Dallas combined, like easily.

 

[Viqsi]

Don't just pump the brakes, throw 'er in reverse. The league has way too many teams right now. Drop it to 28 and I'd be happy

Let he or she who would take a team away from fans first volunteer his or her own. No exceptions or excuses.

Because that's the only way to make it inarguable that the claimed concern really is the issue and that it really is that important to y'all, as opposed to the far more common approach of "I don't like those teams and think they're useless so I'll mindlessly sacrifice them for my own benefit". Don't go there unless you directly have skin in the game.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

Gary should relocate them to a real market like Houston or Atlanta

Ya, why they have never tried Atlanta is beyond me.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

The crazy thing for me is wasn't this PLD's return? This feels like it should be a hot ticket, even for an October Tuesday night game.

He was here for two seasons and never once endeared himself to the fans. Jets traded a massive fan favourite in Laine for him so lots never liked him to begin with. Its not like he was some franchise legend

 

[MDCSL]

Inflation rate dropped to 3.8% in September. It's just over half the current global inflation rate Inflation isn't the problem. Corporate greed, especially in the area of food costs, the housing market; those are the issues for many.

Thousands of season ticket holders officially cancelled because of federal, provincial, or arena vaccine policies?

Did you get a 3.8% raise in September? I sure as hell didnt. Things have gotten insane in Canada with 3 years of inflation piling up, me and my wife make what should be considered excellent money and yet it feels like a struggle to buy food let alone hockey tickets. Taking your family to any Canadian nhl team game is going to cost the better part of 1000$+ and people aren’t putting up with it anymore, you just see the sentiment faster in a smaller market like winnipeg.

 

[BKIslandersFan]

I don't think one bad attendance game in Winnipeg eliminates all the bad attendance games that happen in the US every year, but go off.

Except the argument that’s being constantly thrown out for relocating every team from South to Canada is attendance and how Canada will sell out every game. Don’t move the goal post now.

I am not suggesting Jets should move either. They will be ok.

 

[EdmFlyersfan]

Winnipeg to Quebec

 

[Heldig]

It has been a few years now of constant rumours about players wanting out + division in the locker room, a coach quitting his job, stripping the captain of his C all combined with just an OK product on the ice, an OK product off the ice, and embarrassing playoff losses.

Understandable some fans are tuning out. Trouble is Winnipeg is a small market and dont have the population to fill the newly vacated seats.

 

[Viqsi]

I can answer the question. The fans have gotten tired of them doing nothing. And by that I mean NOTHING. Year after year.

They're the only franchise in sports that gets treated like a crock pot of food that had the knob set to cook 12 years ago and somehow that was supposed to be enough. And it's not even that good. But the asshole who made it insists it's perfect just the way it is and everyone sits there starving while he says the food still isn't ready. True North and Chevy have watched bad coaches and toxic culture run everyone out of town for like the last 6 years and have done nothing to improve the team. They just pluck out pieces of food and say "Well that's no good!" and don't even season it or add food. If I was a Jets fan I would be losing my mind that a team like the Panthers can go through like 3 rebuilds and make the finals (with Paul Maurice to boot) while the Jets just sit there doing nothing like if make the wrong move, they won't be good anymore. Nevermind Vegas winning it all. I won't even touch that. The Jets haven't been good in years. Their insistence on being the most milquetoast and mediocre team in the league is actually driving away fans that lost their team already.

Jets fans are some of the most loyal in hockey. No one save for Minnesota (who knows what it means to lose their team and are the butt of jokes because they're basically the nicest, most patient people in the northern hemisphere) would deal with this beyond making "Mild" jokes

All this is entirely fair and I don't think Jets fans deserve to go through that. I'm reasonably confident, at least, that the Jets aren't at real risk of moving anytime soon (not unless True North gives up on owning the team as opposed to having done so on merely administering it).

The problem (not claiming that you're contesting this, just putting this out there) is that there were plenty of fans of other hockey teams also with entirely fair reasons for downturns that also had to go through heavier waves of toxic derisive and dismissive comments and attention for years and years, and a lot of it was driven by folks who claimed loyalty to the pre-return Jets (plus the Nordiques and Hamilton). Said attitudes were so persistent and so vicious that some kind of backlash would be kind of inevitable. The point is supposed to be les "lol winnipeg" and more "this sort of thing happens to everybody and it's valid for everybody".

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

Winnipeg to Quebec

They both can't handle a team , stop putting NHL teams in small rural villages

 

[WarriorofTime]

Tiny market, team that is spinning wheels and heading nowhere, Canadian economy with housing too high and incomes too low.. it's not a great recipe. Winnipeg is likely to be a bit of a moneypit franchise for their ownership group for the foreseeable future.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

They’ve been extremely toxic team and team without direction.

That’s the worst for a fan

You should either be a contender or try to build a contender. Jets haven’t been and haven’t even tried to be. Just in the hunt for a playoff spot has been enough and the results show

Yeah agree. It's tough times and that's when you need owner with deep pockets willing to go through the rebuild. Otherwise it's tough to survive. It's not only Jets fans though, I think attendance drops basically everywhere when the team isn't doing well or is mediocre for too many years. Of course outside of few places where demand is insane. Makes sense to me. Fans don't want to waste their time watching terrible product. Today you have million other options to spend your entertainment money.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

I think you're reinforcing their point that the big cities should have NHL teams.

That's not what poster said at all. THey were patting themselves on the back for their team's attendance. And some BS about Canadian fans talking shit about Dallas.

 

[jgimp]

Did you get a 3.8% raise in September? I sure as hell didnt. Things have gotten insane in Canada with 3 years of inflation piling up, me and my wife make what should be considered excellent money and yet it feels like a struggle to buy food let alone hockey tickets. Taking your family to any Canadian nhl team game is going to cost the better part of 1000$+ and people aren’t putting up with it anymore, you just see the sentiment faster in a smaller market like winnipeg.

Agreed. I’m in the trades and make great money but with the price of food and whatnot, my kid in college along with his rent, there isn’t a lot of money to go around. We should be flourishing but it’s harder and harder to get ahead.
NHL tickets are the last thing on my mind.

 

[Buffdog]

Please stop this BS. A significant portion of inflation has been due to corporate price gouging, so just GTFO with your theory of Corporate Greed having little to do with inflation. It has PLENTY TO DO WITH INFLATION.

Before COVID a bottle of Kroger Ginger Ale was .79 cents. The average cost
since 2021 has been between 1.00 and 1.25. Do I need to do the math for you
for the increase? I guess I have to, so that's basically a 41% PRICE INCREASE
on a ****ing bottle. News flash buddy it isn't limited to Ginger Ale.

OK, so we're gonna use Kroger ginger ale as the way we measure inflation. If only there was something better, like the consumer price index, etc

So clearly you're not a professor of economics. Here's a graph of the total value of the money circulating in Canada. Notice the huge spike and when it happens... the vast majority of all dollars that have ever circulated in Canada have been introduced in the past 5 years

When that much money is introduced into circulation (in addition to the ability to borrow money cheaply over the past decade), the value of each dollar decreases. This is why prices rise... see Venezuela

Thats the reason central banks hike rates - they make borrowing harder, which reduces the amount of money in circulation. That leads to people having less disposable income, which in turn makes them spend less money - thus reducing the demand for goods and services (like your Ginger ale). Lower demand equals increased supply, which (in theory) should lower prices