"Not going to work over the long haul" - Jets chairman issues dire update on team's future 

Mark Chipman, chairman of the Winnipeg Jets, delivered a stark warning about the NHL team's future, signaling concern over declining attendance and ticket sales.

Despite the Jets' on-ice success, with a strong season underway, Chipman expressed deep apprehension about the team's financial sustainability. In an interview with Chris Johnston of The Athletic, Chipman admitted that the current situation, with season ticket sales plummeting from 13,000 to just 9,500, is unsustainable in the long run.

“I wouldn’t be honest with you if I didn’t say, ‘We’ve got to get back to 13,000 (season tickets),'” Chipman told Chris Johnston of The Athletic. "... This place we find ourselves in right now, it’s not going to work over the long haul. It just isn’t.

“We’ve had to reinvent ourselves. For 10 years we weren’t a sales organization, we were a service organization, and I’m not sure we were that good of a service organization to be honest with you.”

Chipman has been actively seeking support from the business community in Winnipeg to boost season ticket numbers, recognizing the need to adapt the team's approach.

He acknowledged shortcomings in the Jets' previous ticket campaign, "Forever Winnipeg," which failed to encourage fans and was perceived by some as a potential threat of relocation, similar to the team's history in 1996 when it moved to Phoenix. Chipman said:

“Because of the history, it’s a bit of a tinderbox. In retrospect, we weren’t trying to be dramatic, but it got people’s hair up. That wasn’t the intent, but our bad. So it is not just the issue of not wanting to appear to be whining about this or evoking sympathy, it’s also the issue of not wanting to appear to be in any way threatening.”

The prospect of the Jets leaving Winnipeg again looms large.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will be visiting Winnipeg to assess the Jets' situation

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman's upcoming visit to Winnipeg signals a heightened level of concern, reminiscent of previous periods (1995 and 1996) of uncertainty surrounding the team's future.

Chipman candidly said:

“It was like a bubble burst on us. We had what I thought was this strength in numbers and that didn’t turn out to be.”

As the team faces these challenges, the support of fans and the business community will be critical in securing the Jets' future in Winnipeg.