Jets turn to business leaders to help sell tickets

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This article was published 14/12/2023 (664 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

True North Sports and Entertainment is looking for an assist from the local business community in an effort to help fill the seats in the downtown arena.

Within a broader strategy and execution plan to grow the number of Winnipeg Jets season ticket memberships, the Winnipeg Jets Team Builders Program was formally launched earlier this week, True North spokesperson Krista Sinaisky said in an email Thursday.

“True North’s Chief Revenue Officer Norva Riddell presented the program to a cross-section of Winnipeg and Manitoba business leaders who were invited to promote Season Ticket Memberships to their respective business and personal networks.” said Sinaisky, noting that Jets co-owners Mark Chipman and David Thomson were in attendance and provided brief comments at the event.

The Jets are off to a 17-9-2 start this season and are battling for top spot in the Central Division, but have yet to record a sellout through 14 home games, heading into Saturday’s matchup with Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche.

Recent visits by Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (a season-high crowd of 14,189) and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (13,611, the second-highest crowd) resulted in a spike in attendance numbers, but the Jets are averaging 80.8 per cent capacity this season. That leaves them just ahead of the San Jose Sharks (75.8 per cent, 13,320).

Last season, the first full campaign coming out of the pandemic without any restrictions, the Jets averaged 14,045, a signfinicant drop from the 2018-19 season when attendance was just shy of full capacity at 15,276.

A drop in attendance isn’t limited to Winnipeg, as seven NHL teams are currently playing at less than 90 per cent capacity, including the Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres – and the aforementioned Sharks and Jets – according to hockeyreference.com.

That number doesn’t inlcude the Arizona Coyotes, who are averaging 4,600 at Mullet Arena.

The Jets have four more home games before the arrival of the holiday break, including visits from the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins, two Original Six teams that generally draw big crowds.