Anonymous says: 2006-03-29 20:47:52
Who is really going to profit from the proceeds of your Bumper Sticker and your T-shirts??????????????? Yeah, I guess this a good gimmick to profit from!!!!!!!!!! Yeah Buddy go ahead. Don't try and say you are a supporter, it is all about the money to make from it. Anyways, When the Jets were here there should of been support then. Salaries have increased. Ticket prices have increased. Even if we did get a team they would play lousy for a few years. Do you really think Winnipeggers will support a team for the next four years until they become competitive????? People give it up already. Would you pay about $60.00+ a ticket to see your team get their asses kicked. The media should just let it die already. When Winnipeg's Population gets to a Million and they tear down the MTS Centre to make room for a 18000+ seating then maybe a team MIGHT make it.

BlackThorne says: 2006-03-29 22:27:48
(BT sighs and rolls his eyes). People like you guys are what's wrong with Winnipeg. The Jets didn't leave because of "lack of support"- they left because we needed a new arena. Truth is we could have sold out *every* game and still lost buckets of money due to lack of revenue sources in the old barn- not to mention Winnipeg Enterprises (landlord of the Wpg Arena), who took a significant chunk of profit. I believe we were the ONLY NHL team with an "arena landlord" that took all the concession/parking revenue! Ridiculous- but hey, that's Winnipeg for ya. Good riddance to them. And why are we selling out all these concerts at the MTS Centre where tickets are $70-$120? Oh, I guess they're all out-of-towners eh? Hockey fans in Manitoba will budget accordingly for NHL tickets if the Jets return. Get a mini-pack or split season tickets with friends/family and spend 1 less week at the lake in the summer or hold off buying that plasma tv. It's not rocket science people...

Anonymous says: 2006-03-30 20:18:37
The same thing is happening with the Manitoba Moose. They were filling up the new arena at the beginning and now it is dwindling down again. Usual Winnipeg support for their teams. If we did get an NHL team again it would be supported big and then would drop to nothing again. Death again! The previous other ranters statements are true. Who is going to support a mediocre team that will play crappy for the next couple years with inexperienced rookies or washed up old timers. I will not pay seventy bucks for a ticket neither will others. People will support the visiting teams and kill the motivation for our hometown team. People dooooo Understand. All the rich millionaires in this city who have a lot of money DID NOT SUPPORT THE JETS. They are the ones who have millions upon millions. The rich moguls could have bought the team, at what type of crappy investment? They did the accounting and knew that an NHL team will not survive here without a loss every year. Right Disney???

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-03-31 13:36:56
The Jets will not return. If they do return, it will last probably about 4 years tops. That is all.

JetPilot says: 2006-03-31 19:12:59
Like I said before, why can't all the rich millionaire families in Winnipeg get together and get an NHL team????? Because they know it is not economically feasible!!!!! Why can't you get that through your dope smoking burnt out brain!!!!! You would spend your money on a $60+ ticket for the Jets, but probably drive a piece of s*** of a car, live in a dumpy house and eat greasy fried chicken....or maybe the government is so kind to take the taxes off my pay cheque to pay your welfare cheque!!!!!

BlackThorne says: 2006-04-01 16:35:33
Ramrod: http://www.jetsowner.com/howmuch.htm That's what you can expect to pay when the NHL returns to Winnipeg. Where's your $140 ticket?! Can't afford it? Fine. Stay home. Myself, and many people I know will gladly pay for the ticket you would have purchased, had it been cheaper. Winnipeg doesn't "like" hockey- it loves it. And you seem to be forgetting what the whole "Bring back the Jets" campaign is all about... moving a current NHL franchise in a struggling market that will never care about the game (such as Nashville, Atlanta, Carolina) and moving it to Winnipeg, where the team will be embraced. The bottom line here though, is the fact that this city needs more people like Darren Ford... people with vision, ambition... instead of the naysayers and doubters who are "perfectly fine" with Winnipeg just being another Saskatoon... Winnipeg deserves BETTER- it's that simple.

Anonymous says: 2006-04-01 17:30:08
There are too many teams in the NHL already. It should of stayed at 21 teams. The trouble with these American franchises, started due to the expansion. Don't even get me started with WPG trying to comeback. Its people like you BlackThorne that will dream up something that will not happen for probably 20 years from now. It will not happen until then maybe? Quit living in a dream world and wake up. This is Winnipeg they say there is so much to do here???? Well there isn't really anything to do here, but thats another story. Maybe try to think or dream of something else for the city, maybe that may come through. Good Luck.

JetPilot says: 2006-04-01 17:51:16
You believe........You believe........Pittsburgh was for sale??? I don't see Winnipeg business people doing anything. Do not start involving any of the people you mentioned as interested. Aspers are going to Toronto (they have there own personal business problems) The Richardson Group (they are not interested, I do have contact with them) Chipman??? (he's involved with the MB Moose). Don't start making up some bull-s*** stories.

JetPilot says: 2006-04-02 09:51:16
That is funny!!!!! BLACKTHORNE is probably a 15 year old snot nosed punk who works as a squeegee kid in Osborne Village during the day and spends his feminine nights dressed as a cross-dresser under a bridge somewhere.

Anonymous says: 2006-04-06 14:57:20
Manitoba Moose attendance 301,654 38games average of: 7,938 Moose havent died down since the new arena last year for their attendance #'s really... Winnipeg can and will support an NHL team, and it will be mostly through corporate support and Winnipeg's youth. The main thing today is so many of the city's older people (not all...) are so negative towards everything, I mean look at the backlash from trying to build a ballpark which everyone whined and complained about. FOrtunately now we have a mayor with vision, however I think its time city council gets some new members with some vision for the city otherwards Sammy's good ideas will be shot down. NHL support for most cities now is from young adults in their 20's going out for a good time to a game, and I know tons of people that do want season tickets. This may seem strange to the elders, but the youth movement in Winnipeg seems fairly promising as some of us have some vision for the city and dont just sit around complaining about things. I dont have a doubt we would sell out every night, especially in the first years. Would attendance drop off after a few years? Perhaps... if we have one of the worst teams in the league. But this happens in any city, such as the Oilers of the mid /late 90's, the Canucks, etc... Even if we had a mediocre team I would still go just for the fact that it's still hockey and I get to see the best level of it in my hometown, and I believe many others would as well. All you guys have really stated is you think Winnipeg is cheap coupon clippers who cant afford hockey, with some mistated ticket prices by some folks, and Im sure many of you dont know the approximate costs needed to run a team either? so let's here why you think it cant happen with some real arguments, and I will argue it. -JP

BigB says: 2006-04-12 19:00:23
Enough with the "save the Jets" BS! When you children were playing marbles us true fans were at the save the jet's roots campaign (or whatever it was called). We all made donations in hope of saving the Jets. Had rallys, drank beer, sang songs and all that good stuff. Nothing happened. Winnipeg was a great NHL hockey town. We invented the 'white house'. And kept the organ around longer then most arenas. But we lost them, suck it up and move on! the law has spoken.

Anonymous says: 2006-04-13 14:59:01
Well Mr Pot Smoking anonymous. I dont care about you, you will become a loser anyways if all you do is drink and smoke up all the time. Most people I know would go to games, and have money for it, Im in a middle class area too, nothing too fancy or anything. If you dont like hockey thats your opinion, but I\'ll take expensive beer at an NHL hockey game instead of hanging out at some losers basement where they smoke up 24/7 anytime. You\'re obviously not a hockey fan.

JetPilot says: 2006-04-13 21:41:30
Finally got rid of BlackThorne, now we have another Jackass who making fun of a pot smoker. It seems that the pot smoker does whatever he feels and is happy. He probably does a lot more than you anyways. Not like you anon. Your Daddy probably would drop you off at the front of the arena and wait until you get in safely, so the beggers wouldn't violate you inappropriately! Hey pot smoker count me in. It looks like Ramrod is in. Wow, we have three people now. More attendance than a Jets game.

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-04-14 10:36:54
We can watch old Jets videos if you guys want. Or we could just play checkers. It's all the same to me.

Anonymous says: 2006-04-14 11:51:09
I guess maybe I should start selling social tickets along with the pot profit. If we make enough everything will be free. POT SMOKER speaketh.

BalthazaarRamrod says: 2006-04-14 20:34:43
What's idiotic about having different Priorities? You like to spend your hard earned money watching grown men on skates (paid entirely too much money) chase a small rubber object. I prefer to get high and play checkers... to each their own. Get a screen name so I can make fun of you properly.

BlackThorne says: 2006-08-26 21:52:34
Well the NHL exhibition here Sept. 17, 2006 is SOLD OUT a month before the game. 15,015 tickets sold- at triple the cost of Moose tix- for an exhibition game featuring 2 teams that aren't even from Manitoba- and on a Sunday night. Amazing. I guess we ARE interested in NHL hockey, DO have enough fans, and CAN afford it after all! :-P

BlackThorne says: 2006-08-27 16:32:28
(sigh). Boy I love Winnipeg.... alright, in a way I understand your way of thinking. But to me, this proves the interest in NHL hockey is still there, and if 15,000 people will be an avg. of $60 a ticket to see the 2 NHL teams Winnipegger's probably hate the most, that tells me that our OWN NHL team would probably do just fine. And please, no more with the "NHL tickets are soooo expensive" talk. The people that want to go to games will go- and budget accordingly. I know I will.

IJustWannaSayThis says: 2006-08-28 08:09:12
No one is questioning Winnipeggers interest in NHL hockey. I'm sure per capita we're one of the biggest viewing audiences. But watching hockey on TV, following it in the newspapers, etc. is one thing. Even forking over $60 to watch an exhibition game is still only one game. As I said, anyone can budget money for that one game. But when you've got 80+ home games to spend money on, all of a sudden people aren't quite so willing to make a commitment. No NHL hockey franchise is going to be awarded based on single seat ticket sales. They will want a large percentage of the arena seats sold by subscription. As for NHL tickets being so expensive, I'm not saying they're particularly outrageous compared to other similar major league pro sports, but there's the catch, right? This would be our only major sports team. We certainly wouldn't be paying Moose prices to see an NHL team. All I was trying to say is don't simply say "I'll budget my money." You'll budget for what? A season subscription? Great, now go find about 10,000 who are committed to doing the same and only then can you even think about looking into the idea. Because of course ticket prices are only one part of the equation.

Rigel says: 2006-09-04 16:26:35
I can't believe people are still babbling away about the return of the Jets. I'm not saying it's impossible, but if I had to bet, I'd put my money elsewhere. I don't care how great and knowledgable Winnipeg fans are because I don't disagree, and I don't care how convincing the various web sites listing the reasons why this city deserves/will get an NHL franchise. THe people providing these arguments have the strange idea that as soon as a US team decides to move, the league will automatically want to shift it here. The fact is that the NHL doesn't learn so fast. Sure it adopted a few rules changes and a salary cap, but those new rules, which resulted in a faster game, did nothing to attract any major US television contract. As for the salary cap, the league is allowing it to creep up again from $39 million to $44 million, a 13% increase. If it continues even at 10% annually, it'll be $53 million by the 2008-09 season, and many teams will be facing the same financial crunch as they were two years ago. It's a big deal that CTV is offering double the amount as the CBC because double of next to nothing still amounts to peanuts, so where's the extra revenue coming from? The NHL still hasn't done anything to address the problem of an overly-long season as its critics recommended. The Stanley Cup finals wound up on June 19, and the 2006-07 season is slated to begin Oct. 4! Who needs 8 1/2 months of hockey for God's sake? If and when teams like Florida or Atlanta or Phoenix call it quits, the league will try to shift them to a city of similar size such as Houston, Kansas City or Seattle because it would sound like a lateral move. By contrast, Winnipeg has a bush-league ring to it sort of like say Omaha, Toledo, Syracuse, etc. In addition, with income levels low here and economic viability in question, these would be other reasons to avoid the place regardless or how much hockey tradition and no-how might exist.In fact, the league would probably downsize first since this was another recommendation the experts also made. So any return of the NHL here is a longshot no matter how many T-shirts are sold or how good the arguments might be.

Rigel says: 2006-09-09 16:06:57
Nice try BlackThorne, but your comparisons are invalid. When the CFL gave up on its venture into the US, it didn't shift the teams in Shreveport, Baltimore, or Birmingham to places like Halifax, Quebec City or Victoria because fans in those cities would appreciate the Canadian game better. It just folded/disbanded the teams and maybe established some sort of dispersal draft. Sports analysts have been more likely to recommend the same sort of downsizing for the NHL rather than moving the teams to another city. If it were merely a case of just finding another city with good fans who understand hockey better, Winnipeg would be the obvious choice. But when you start looking at the economic factors, it's another story. Not only are income levels low here, but also Manitoba's GDP is among the five lowest of the 60 states and provinces in the US and Canada. Then there's the lack of any gate equalization formula due to an absence of any decent American television contract, and one is unlikely to be forthcoming for many years if ever. And as I've already pointed out, the NHL really doesn't want Winnipeg; in fact Gary Bettman said as much about a year ago when he claimed the league didn't have anything to offer Winnipeg. That's what the owners instructed him to say. So all the recommendations of Don Cherry and all the bumper sticker and T-shirt sales are unlikely to make any difference.

Rigel says: 2006-12-21 20:01:54
Now that there's a stronger possibility that the Pittsburgh Penguins may be moving after all, no one in Winnipeg should think that this city's chances of attracting them have improved very much. Evidently one of the leading cities in any bids to lure them is Kansas City, and if anyone wants to see why, just check the Kansas City Sprint Center's website. This new facility is scheduled to open next October, and if I had to bet where the Penguins will be located next, provided they aren't kept in Pittsburgh, this place would be it. It's a $276 million, 18,500-seat facility that makes the MTS Center look distinctly out-of-date. Kansas City is also allegedly making overtures to get the NBA's Orlando Magic to shift operations as well, so the new arena would be guaranteed 80-90 dates for pro hockey and basketball in addition to college basketball because the 2008 Big 12 tournament is already scheduled there. Remember also that the NHL really doesn't want to move any teams to Canada. That's one of the unstated reasons that it was giving James Balsillie the runaround in his recent efforts to buy the Penguins. The fact is that Canadian teams, regardless of how well they're playing, aren't good draws in American arenas, so the league will do all it can to shift current US teams to other locales within that country regardless of how much more knowledgeable and appreciative Canadians might be of the game. Another factor will probably be the asking price for the team. I don't know any numbers yet, but I'd bet Winnipeg wouldn't be able to compete.

24roughing says: 2006-12-23 08:17:18
Everybody knows that Winnipeg would make a great NHL city. But the sad fact of the matter is that Betman is only interested in growing the league in the US. Everything he's done has been to try and get that TV deal (that will never come). Sorry, but the fact is that as long as he's in charge, we get screwed.

IJustWannaSayThis says: 2006-12-26 23:00:32
To all those people who continually claim that Winnipeg is the natural site for the next NHL franchise and that we are the logical choice. I am willing to bet a season's subscription that if the Penguins do move it will be to Houston, KC or another U.S. market. There is no way on earth the NHL will be coming back to Winnipeg. The fact is we (actually you, I wasn't here when the Jets left) blew it. For whatever reason they weren't viable here and up they moved to greener pastures. Don't think for a moment we'll get a second chance any time soon. In fact I'll tell you when the NHL comes back to town: when the NHL is a pale shadow of the league it is now and they are willing to put up with bringing more teams back to Canadian cities like Winnipeg and Quebec City. Feel free to label my comments as negative or down on the city. The fact is what I'm saying is the harsh reality that some people don't want to face. When the climate is right I'll be willing to jump on the bandwagon, but I'm not going to climb on some sort of make-believe pipe dream simply because people can't accept Winnipeg and their owners couldn't make a team work not that long ago.

24roughing says: 2006-12-27 01:24:07
Hey Blackthorne. I hope this question doesn't make your head pop or anything. But what proof do YOU have exactly? All it sounds like you have are gut feelings, which aren't really proof.

Rigel says: 2006-12-27 16:24:54
BlackThorne is right about Phoenix being a bad hockey town despite a brand-new arena, but the problem there is the team. Since the Jets moved there, it has made the playoffs about 3-4 times and has gone down promptly in the first round every time. During the last few years it can't even make the playoffs which isn't difficult in a league like the NHL which is hardly renowned for its quality control, and this year probably won't be an exception. In addition, it's been competing with a regular contender in the NBA's Phoenix Suns, so it's no wonder there's little hockey interest there. The NHL is considering Kansas City because it hopes it will turn out to be a repeat of Dallas. When the Minnesota North Stars moved there, people were ridiculing the move into an area where football, baseball and basketball were king, and very few knew much about hockey. Yet because the Stars have been a regular contender and have even won the Stanley Cup on one occasion, they've carved out a niche in the area, and as long as they stay competitive, they'll remain there. That's what the league would be gambling on in K.C.where there's an entertainment vacuum between late December (unless the Chiefs make the playoffs) and the beginning of April when the Royals' season begins.And since the Royals haven't made the playoffs in years, hockey and the NBA might have a shot well into the spring because their only source of competition in Jan-March would be the University of Kansas basketball team which plays only about 15-18 home games per season and is finished by late March. That's why the NHL and Kansas City think they can make a go of it, that's why it's trying to lure the Charlotte Bobcats there and that's why the 18,500-seat Sprint Center is being built. Hockey may turn out to be a bust there, but don't be surprised if the NHL wouldn't try another American city before considering Winnipeg, and it'll do the same if and when it has to move Florida, St. Louis or any other franchise.

Rigel says: 2007-01-04 20:15:42
Maybe I missed it, but when Mario Lemieux and his entourage just visited Kansas City to inspect the partly-completed Sprint Center and talk with city officials about moving the Penguins, did he make a secret side trip to Winnipeg to check out our facility and any incentives? K.C. is offering the team free rent for the first year and a few other deals that I'd be amazed if Winnipeg could match. Now he might have made the trip just to egg on Pittsburgh to either make the team a new proposal to stay or start waving bye-bye. Regardless, it would seem that the Bring-Back-the-Jets crowd hasn't been displaying their T-shirts and bumper stickers enough to attract his attention. The real facts are that if Winnipeg is even being considered for any transfer, it's at the bottom of the list. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if we're not even on the paper.

Rigel says: 2007-01-05 20:11:19
BlackThorne might be right about the need for "vision", "hometown pride" & "optimism", but these have to be tempered by reality. As GreatFlatLand noted a few days ago, an NHL team in Kansas City won't be the primary attraction at the Sprint Center. It'll be the NBA franchise and any NCAA invitational, regional, or Final Four tournaments that will bring in the crowds. NHL games will be loss leaders so the arena bosses won't mind 5000 empty seats. The Royals continue to survive with weak teams that often draw only 12,000 or less in a stadium with a capacity of about 43,000. And as IJustWannaSayThis pointed out, if the NHL comes back here, it'll likely be in greatly restructured and downsized form when it may have thrown in the towel in the US, particularly in the absence of any big US television contract. So regardless of how negative any of us sound, I'd bet the reality is that the league will continue to look to other US centers first, especially places that already have NBA teams and arenas with plenty of open dates; e.g., Houston, Seattle and Portland. If they can't make it there, then they'll downsize and/or come back to Canada, but it won't happen overnight. I'd bet a minimum of five years and more realistically about ten.

IJustWannaSayThis says: 2007-01-06 10:57:41
I suggest everyone go about their lives and leave BlackThorne to his pipe dreams. You can have all the spirit and drive in the world but reality has a nasty way of getting in the way. Maybe one day there will be another NHL franchise in Winnipeg, but like I said before it will only be in a very different NHL. But saying it will happen because you want it to despite all the evidence and reasons why it won't happen is just wasting everyone's time - yours included.

24roughing says: 2007-01-07 16:01:45
Blackthorne, I ask you again to back up your claims. Proof? Link? Anything other than a feeling you have?

24roughing says: 2007-01-07 19:55:42
All I'm asking for is a quote, a link, a story, an interview, something with which you can prove that this is going to happen. Why is the burden of proof on the "naysayers". That's like asking someone to prove the sun's going to come up tomorrow. It's the person with the opinion that the sun is NOT going to come up tomorrow that has to prove themselves. That would be you. Again...prove your opinion. Because until you do, that's all it is...an opinion. Personal attacks are not proof by the way. So...again...link? Source? anything??

24roughing says: 2007-01-07 21:06:40
Of course I don't care about hockey. My nick is only 2 4 roughing. So...no proof then?

IJustWannaSayThis says: 2007-01-08 16:42:54
BlackThorne, for every link giving a reason why Winnipeg might be able to host an NHL team, I can give you 5 more why we can't. And for what it's worth it's pretty poor logic to assume that the people you're arguing with here don't like hockey or wouldn't support an NHL team if one came. But short of every single seat in the MTS Centre being sold on a season subscription basis - and for at least 5-7 years - no one is going to move a team to Winnipeg. Why should they? Look at a team like the Ottawa Senators. Before the strike it was a real possibility they would be moving, despite having a fairly new area, an amazing team and being one of the last 6 Canadian teams. Accept it: the NHL doesn't give a rat's ass if Canada ever gets another team. There are no big markets in Canada (1 million+) without a team. That's why no other Ontario city will ever get one, either. I can almost guarantee that if another Canadian city ever gets a team it will be Hamilton, even though the Leafs are only an hour or so away. They have the population base to support a team, plus they are close enough to the U.S. Winnipeg is in the wrong place and "the new NHL model" notwithstanding there are just too many factors against it. But I've said enough. Every day that goes by simply proves all of us so-called "naysayers" right.