In the early morning hours, True North Sports and Entertainment and the Atlanta Spirit Group finally signed off on a deal that will see the Thrashers move to Winnipeg, returning NHL hockey to the Manitoba capital for the first time in 15 years.
The announcement was met with euphoria by hockey fans in Winnipeg. Thousands gathered in the downtown area to celebrate today’s announcement – the majority of them decked out in Winnipeg Jets garb.
The inked had barely dried on the transaction when True North launched into their sales pitch for season’s tickets. An aggressive season ticket campaign is underway as you read this, cleverly titled “Drive to 13.” The goal is to sell 13,000 season tickets before the puck drops next fall. Manitoba Moose season ticket holders will have first access to tickets and the rest of the population will be able to secure season’s seats beginning on Saturday.
Ticket prices will be comparable to the other Canadian franchises. Single-game tickets start at $39 and will sell for $129 at the top end. With tickets being on par with other markets, it makes it even more important that every ticket for every game is sold. Commissioner Gary Bettman, almost throwing cold water on the deal, suggested rather emphatically that the NHL in Winnipeg won’t work without the sale of the 13,000 season tickets, which amounts to 87 per cent of all seats in the MTS Centre.
Today’s announcement came without one important element – the actual name of the franchise. There have been rumblings that the ownership group is hesitant to bring back the Jets moniker, preferring instead to go in a new direction. Possible names include the Moose or Falcons. There is no question, however, that public support is strongly behind the Jets name. Nostalgia is in fashion these days. Just take a look at the number of teams who cash in with retro sweaters and other memorabilia.
It’s a bit of a stretch, then, to suggest that fans in large numbers will invest thousands of dollars a year in tickets without actually knowing if they’ll be supporting the Jets. True North would be foolish to underestimate the attachment to the name in Manitoba. The Jets, after all, won three Avco Cup championships in the World Hockey Association back in the 70s, led by the great Bobby Hull. An entire generation of Prairie kids grew up worshipping the iconic Jets logo. These are the same people whose hearts were crushed when the moving trucks pulled away in 1996.
NHL hockey has returned to Winnipeg 15 years later. There’s a new CBA in place, the Canadian dollar is much stronger, the provincial economy is humming, there’s a new (albeit undersized) building. True North has done everything possible to bring NHL hockey back to The Peg. And now, as The Commish pointed out, it’s up to the community to get behind this thing.
Manitobans are thrilled to get an NHL team back, but they would like to have their cake and eat it too. They want the Jets. True North and the NHL should make it happen.
Source
The announcement was met with euphoria by hockey fans in Winnipeg. Thousands gathered in the downtown area to celebrate today’s announcement – the majority of them decked out in Winnipeg Jets garb.
The inked had barely dried on the transaction when True North launched into their sales pitch for season’s tickets. An aggressive season ticket campaign is underway as you read this, cleverly titled “Drive to 13.” The goal is to sell 13,000 season tickets before the puck drops next fall. Manitoba Moose season ticket holders will have first access to tickets and the rest of the population will be able to secure season’s seats beginning on Saturday.
Ticket prices will be comparable to the other Canadian franchises. Single-game tickets start at $39 and will sell for $129 at the top end. With tickets being on par with other markets, it makes it even more important that every ticket for every game is sold. Commissioner Gary Bettman, almost throwing cold water on the deal, suggested rather emphatically that the NHL in Winnipeg won’t work without the sale of the 13,000 season tickets, which amounts to 87 per cent of all seats in the MTS Centre.
Today’s announcement came without one important element – the actual name of the franchise. There have been rumblings that the ownership group is hesitant to bring back the Jets moniker, preferring instead to go in a new direction. Possible names include the Moose or Falcons. There is no question, however, that public support is strongly behind the Jets name. Nostalgia is in fashion these days. Just take a look at the number of teams who cash in with retro sweaters and other memorabilia.
It’s a bit of a stretch, then, to suggest that fans in large numbers will invest thousands of dollars a year in tickets without actually knowing if they’ll be supporting the Jets. True North would be foolish to underestimate the attachment to the name in Manitoba. The Jets, after all, won three Avco Cup championships in the World Hockey Association back in the 70s, led by the great Bobby Hull. An entire generation of Prairie kids grew up worshipping the iconic Jets logo. These are the same people whose hearts were crushed when the moving trucks pulled away in 1996.
NHL hockey has returned to Winnipeg 15 years later. There’s a new CBA in place, the Canadian dollar is much stronger, the provincial economy is humming, there’s a new (albeit undersized) building. True North has done everything possible to bring NHL hockey back to The Peg. And now, as The Commish pointed out, it’s up to the community to get behind this thing.
Manitobans are thrilled to get an NHL team back, but they would like to have their cake and eat it too. They want the Jets. True North and the NHL should make it happen.
Source
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