NHL commissioner Gary Bettman calls on Jets, Winnipeg fans to find solution to falling attendance

FILE - NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman talks during a news conference before Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series between the Colorado Avalanche and the St. Louis Blues in Denver, Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Bettman has said fighting has a place in keeping down the temperature of games. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey, File) (Jack Dempsey, Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

WINNIPEG, MB – NHL commissioner Gary Bettman called Winnipeg a strong market where “hockey matters,” and said he believes the team's falling attendance will be resolved.

Bettman spoke Tuesday, before the Jets hosted the St. Louis Blues.

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The Jets say Winnipeg’s season-ticket base has decreased 27% in three years, from approximately 13,000 to just under 9,500.

The Jets have averaged the second-fewest fans per game in the NHL this season. Bettman, however, says he doesn’t view the situation as a crisis.

Bettman said there needs to be a collaboration between the team, the community and the fans to find a solution.

Bettman’s comments come days after Jets chairman Mark Chipman said in an interview with The Athletic that current attendance numbers are not sustainable.

The Jets say Winnipeg’s season-ticket base has decreased 27% in three years, from approximately 13,000 to just under 9,500.

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