Browse the JetsOwner.com Archive for a complete history of all postings.

March 24, 2008
Pilot Mound Needs Your Help!

Pilot Mound, Manitoba has been voted in as one of the top 5 finalists for Kraft’s Hockeyville 2008!

Starting March 29, 2008 at 11:59 pm EST the voting is again open to unlimited votes by telephone and on-line. This continues until April 4, 2008 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner is announced April 5, 2008 on CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada.

Remember, this is unlimited so please vote as often as you can to help us achieve the ultimate title as Kraft’s Hockeyville 2008 champions!!

The town is now guaranteed $20,000 but are hoping to win the $100,000 grand prize as well as host a pre-season NHL hockey game in our new complex. This prize would definitely help us to open our doors in the complex by this fall.

To vote by phone dial 1-888-843-5604 and follow the prompts.

To vote on-line go to www.cbcsports.ca/hockeyville and vote for Pilot Mound.

To view their story you may go to www.pilotmound.com/hockeyville.

Spread the word! As JetsOwner.com supporters, any attention drawn to our province is certainly a positive. And the more new rinks the better! Be sure to call or go online to cast your vote for Pilot Mound to be this year's Kraft Hockeyville!

February 15, 2008
E-mail glitch!

Wow. It seems my e-mail server has glitched since I changed to Windows Vista. Since August 30, 2007 I had not received very many e-mails. I figured things had just slowed down and nobody had reported not being able to get a hold of me so I thought nothing of it.

Tonight, after my suspicions, I got it all fixed to the horrifying ring of 271 inbox chimes. That's right, two hundred and seventy one backlogged e-mails that I never recieved!

To all of those who were any of those e-mails, I appolgize and I will try to get to some of them as soon as possible. I missed media requests, Wear in the World photos, questions and much, much more.

One big D'OH!

February 6, 2008
CBC's Mansbridge Talks Jets With Chipman

It's no wonder I've always preferred live interviews whenever I've spoken to the media. You see live interviews can't be plucked, altered, edited or spun into a negative context, a la some local writers we know too well. I refer to a lengthy discussion on tonight's CBC: The National that aired nation-wide from right here in Winnipeg (The CBC is en route to Winkler, MB for this year's "Hockey Day In Canada").

The segment by Mike Beauregard and subsequent interview by Peter Mansbridge with Mark Chipman was a no-bull, straight-up and accurate portrayal of where we stand in seeing the NHL return to Winnipeg. This just days after I've been ranting about how our local media relentlessly spin this topic deep into the negative.

Too much. Too small. Can't do. No support. Right?

Wrong.

It's strictly math. Numbers. And the numbers add up.

Which brings me back to the beauty of the live interview. This type of dialogue lets the speaker get across what he/she wants to relay to the public, in it's entirety. It does not allow for interpretations based on personal, if not mislead, viewpoints.

Tonight's in-depth segment (thankfully YouTubed by P. Bonomo) began with a well done piece on the loss of the Jets and the replacement Moose and moved into a one-on-one between Mansbridge and Chipman. At no point in time were the words "NHL Too Much" ever uttered. Instead, quite a positive reflection was given. This coming from Chipman, a man who is closest to the situation in every regard and a man who sits in a tight circle with every key financial player in this storyline.

I suppose I'm to believe that he looked into the eyes of Mansbridge, us Jets fans and the entire country, and lied through his teeth?

Hey, that might just sell papers.

Maybe this site needs a daily JetsOwner Girl. Wait, don't answer that.

January 29, 2008
Credible Website?

It has come to my attention that certain local media personalities question my credibility. Ironically I cannot rebut this to any lengthy extent in order to maintain the credibility that I already have plenty of.

But what I can say goes something like this.

There is no need to be upset just because for 4 years this website has been keeping people (albeit less of the general public I suppose) in tune much better than the local dailies have. Some of the heaviest hitters from the business sector to the political arena will speak with me openly because they have come to realize long ago that I stand for seeing the highest caliber of hockey back in Winnipeg and for putting our city back on the international stage. Not for 15 miutes of fame that would have ended in the fall of 2003 if that were the case.

You see, I don't receive generic conversation nor generic answers. That's because I am trusted.

Furthermore, my figures and information are accurate and have been verified to be by indivduals I will not name. JetsOwner.com is ironclad and misleads nobody. I do not give the public the generic answer and flip-flop my stance to whatever the vibe of the week is. I understand, "they" are in the business of selling papers. If they figure more subscribers want to hear that tickets are going to be $200 a seat, as ridiculous as we all know that myth is, then that is what they'll get to read.

Me? I am in no busness whatsoever and only aim to a) see NHL hockey return to Winnipeg and therefore b) see Winnipeg back on the map again with a thriving downtown.

I will not, under any circumstance, get into a war with local writers who think they're getting the answers. I am smarter than that and I will keep my eye on the prize.

One day, I'll get my (and all of you will get your) time to smirk.

Now regarding the credibilty of my numbers, which by the way were created a couple years ago now.

When compared to these official Forbes numbers (via RodneyFort.com), you'll see they are more than accurate, and therefore, dare I say...credible? My numbers arrived at $48 million (ticket revenue) + $30 million (other revenue) to form a grand total of $78 million, which according to the latest Forbes numbers fall in line with that of Calgary and Minnesota (markets we can relate to in size and ticket price respectively), and both of which have healthy payrolls plus "other expenses" of also near what my numbers arrived at. This leaves a grand total of break-even, give or take a few million for both my projections and that of official 2006-07 NHL season numbers in the above mentioned markets.

That's why my numbers were given the green light, that's why certain individuals were blown away that I arrived at these before any post-CBA era NHL/Forbes figures were made public, that's why my numbers compare to that of other team's books and finally that's why I have, dare I say....credibility.

Sorry daily papers, I don't need to wait for the whole world to know and then spew out these numbers as my own AFTER the fact. And us believers don't need another generic interview with generic answers from True North and quotes form Paul Kelly that were read by us days before. That's because we already know what the deal is. Hey, click on JetsOwner.com to stay tuned. Or better yet, pick a stance and stick with it. We're all glad you finally "get it", but we're just sick of the roller coaster of positions you all seem to take depending on what the vibe of the week is. That miserable tendancy is something I call the Pegger Gene, that is the gene that seems to make a Winnipegger want to piss on anything progressive.

None of what is going on in the NHL surprises me. Remember I started this whole thing precisely because this is what I knew was likley to occur. Whenever somebody asks me "did you hear Bettman's latests words, or Paul Kelly's, or various NHL owners or players etc", I always respond...."and?"

That's because none of it surprises me and I only wonder what took them so long. That's also because there still remains the "and" to the story. The "and" is a team back in Winnipeg. Until then, there will always be "and".

But please, please stop with the "can't-do's". They are predictable and just plain misleading.

Thanks for listening. Good to have more people on board...or are they?

December 9, 2007
Quiet Season, Thus Far

Though continuous positive comments keep flowing through the media regarding Winnipeg as the next destination for the NHL, it has been a relatively quiet 2007-08 campaign so far.

When I first began this campaign there was almost daily news or weekly at the least. But that was when we were starting from scatch. So much to prove. So many to convert.

Now the topic has been in the spotlight in every corner of the media circus in this country and beyond. That is the good news. But talk is cheap as we all know. If it wasn't, we'd still have a team with an aging Keith Tkachuk and Thomas Steen as coach!

There is no doubt in my mind that if a team were 100% available right now, we'd have an equal opportunity to grab it. Notice I said 100%. There are so many teams that are "on the brink" but legal logistics keep them hanging from the cliff. Financially it makes no sense to stay where they are. In fact it makes no sense from whatever angle you look at it. Unfortunately sports franchises aren't easy to pluck away from their markets even if they do want to desperately leave.

Inevitably they will cut loose, and we'll be there to snag them. If I said that the timeline for all of this isn't frustrating me, I'd be lying. But like the weather, there is nothing we can do to change that. It's not as if the big money in town is waiting for us to prove we're interested. They know we are. And so ranting about wanting a team will not do anything further to help our cause. What they don't know is how much they have to pay up front for a team or when they'll have the chance to throw that dollar figure at a current "get-me-out-of-this-league" owner.

As fans and supporters we know a few things. We know the dollar is at par and league economics are in favour of a Winnipeg return. We know we have the support of the NHL to return and we know we can sustain a franchise in MTS Centre despite the fact "the average Winnipegger earns $661 per week" (sorry Scotty T, but I can't get over that stat). Here's where I get off track a little...

Firstly, for Manitoba $661 was the figure three years ago. It stood at $677 for 2006 and is likely closer to or past the $700 mark for 2008.

Secondly, should it not be mentioned that while Albertans earn over $100 more weekly on average, Manitobans don't have to pay the $70,000 more on average for a new house, in most cases much more than that. Why wasn't cost of living taken into account when mentioning our weekly income.

Thirdly, and most importantly, who cares!? What the average person earns means little to a sports franchise (besides, a $1400 bi-weekly earning can still leave you plently of disposable income to catch some NHL action). But the real key is are their enough people that earn more than $700? That answer is...of course there are. If there are 30,000-40,000 Manitobans that earn more than $700, and by definition of the word "average" for the labour force in Manitoba there easily that many, then everything is just fine.

I don't feel like researching every current NHL city for weekly incomes but I would suspect that the Nashvilles and Columbus' are in the same average income boat. After factoring in the cost-of-living index, I'd bet even big markets compare. And so what does this stat mean. Again nothing.

Thanks for letting me rant a fill some space. News? No. Fact tracker. Yes.

September 24, 2007
Another Successful Blitz

Thanks to all of you that helped hand out campaign magnets last Wednesday night before the NHL game. We got 8,000 of them out to fans attending the game. Also worthy to note, there were two excellent colour banners, professionally made courtesy of some loyal supporters, to hang up in the seating bowl area. As of yet, I have not received cofirmation that those banners saw the light of day, or in this case the lights of MTS Centre. I sincerely hope this was not due to True North staff dis-allowing them to be hung. At last year's game there were several extensive banners displayed. We will stay tuned for that news.

As for the game, to be honest I left in the second period. A bunch of Leafs fans getting their rocks off and flashing logos of old Jets rivals to get the crowd to cheer wasn't my cup of tea. To be honest, I can't believe we continue to support this game as much as we do considering the profits go to the franchise that took our team to the desert and since then have had nothing much better to do than sue colleges for the use of the "Whiteout" term and fire the best play-by-play announcer in pro hockey. I mean really, the Coyotes should focus more on winning games so they can actually get to the point where they even need to use the term Whiteout.

The fact is, this city is so hockey hungry that it repeatedly shells out any price tag for any form of hockey that visits that building. From women's junior hockey to NHL pre-season-going-through-the-motions hockey.

Thanks to The Fan 590 in Toronto for having myself and Lauren Robb on the air the day of the game. Good questions, good response time. I love that because I always have so much to say. Also thanks to Global TV for covering the magnet handout. Most importantly...thanks to Trackitback for their continued support of this campaign!

September 17, 2007
Hand-out Helpers To Meet Before Game

Those who wish to help hand out campaign magnets before the game on Wednesday should meet at 6pm SHARP outside the main entrance to Tavern United directly across from MTS Centre. We will aim to begin handouts at 6:30pm and run up until game time, or 45 min - 1 hour of handout time.

Please Contact me now if you wish to help out. This will be straight forward and take hardly any time to carry out.

September 10, 2007
Campaign Fridge Magnets: Newest Stunt!

Another NHL Exhibition game, another stunt. JetsOwner.com is pleased to announce that it has struck a deal to produce 10,000 fridge magnets for distribution prior to the NHL Exhibition game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes on September 19th at MTS Centre. That's right...10,000!

We have already received the green light from MTSC brass to go ahead as we did last year and man the doors before the game to give out the magnets. Last year we did more elaborate flyers, this year straight forward magnets. They will merely include a slogan, the website name and the sponsor, Trackitback, one of Winnipeg's up-coming business success stories.

Just like last year, we will need a dozen helpers to assist in handing out these magnets prior to the game. All that is required is about 45 minutes of your time, something I know you all are willing to give. Grab a friend and come down a little early to help give these magnets to people as they walk into the game.

"Here ya go, enjoy the game" Simple as that!

Please e-mail me your pledge to help with contact info as soon as possible! Serious inquiries only please. You'll be in your seat by the time the puck drops. Although I know most of you don't care about that but rather about the cause and continuing to push the message to anyone and everyone.

Contact me now!

July 13, 2007
Asper Weighs-In On NHL Talk

As if we haven't heard this before (but some choose to keep forgetting), David Asper clearly stated on CJOB radio that he is there for Mark Chipman if he can prove that a team is viable in this market and in MTS Centre. When asked by a caller about whether getting so involved with the CFL's Blue Bombers and a new stadium hinders the chances of involvment with bringing the NHL back Asper simply replied "no". He went on to joke that his now teenage sons have made it clear that he is absolutely to be part of bringing the NHL back to Winnipeg, if given the chance. Listen to the clip on the CJOB Audio Vault. Choose July 10, 7:00pm, 14:20 mark.

This website has always maintained that that chance will come. It has never led anyone astray and remains a solid, level-minded source for direction with regards to the Jets coming home. It is quite a process but the progress that has been made is quite positive. Just this year alone has seen small leaks of "official" information from key local investors as well as excellent vibes from the NHL with regards to Winnipeg as an option for the league again.

The size of MTS Centre has repeatedly been verified as a non-issue (though that never seems to stop people from debating it) and we are taking the right approach by keeping a low profile and following the steps the NHL has laid out.

In a nutshell:

Teams struggling: check.

Financial viablilty: check.

NHL's approval of Winnipeg: check.

Verification of MTS Centre: check.

Money in place when opportunity arrives: check.

Overwhelming coast-to-coast support (ie polls): check.

Cost to bring team here: unknown.

Timeline: unknown.

That sure beats when the list ended with "unknown" in almost ever category 3 years ago.

June 28, 2007
Balsillie Out, Boots In?

It is difficult to determine what the deal falling through with Jim Balsillie means to us. It may sound strange on the surface, but I believe this is good news for several reasons. Don't take it as the NHL not wanting a team in Canada. It is more of an issue of them not wanting a team in Southern Ontario. You see, the league wants to grow in fan base and the Golden Horseshoe is already more than secure in that category. In other words it does nothing for the NHL to have another team in that region, they still would have the same number of fans. In Winnipeg, granted, we also have a great fan base already but the difference being we don't already have a team in the region to cater to those fans. We also fall well outside the Maple Leafs 80-kilometre buffer zone.

So here are the reasons this is good news.

1) A major competitor has been removed from the list, Kansas City. However much we know this experiment will fail, KC was being considered for expansion in the future.

2) A major owner has been taken off the list of potential buyers. This is the second time Balsillie has failed at gaining membership into the NHL and that likely means he is now black-listed in the Board of Governors minds. Although you have to hand it to him, he did fight for Canada through Hamilton and to that I say "cheers". It would be great to have him champion a team here in Winnipeg. In fact I almost gaurantee that it would go smoothly if it were here he was wishing to place a team. However, his tactics thus far have ticked too many key people off and his destination plans only soured the deal.

3) It proves the NHL will never go into Hamilton, removing yet another candidate. It's not like we scratched one competition and left another remaining. These cities are both gone from the list. If a billionaire like Jim Balsillie, however rebel-like he was, can't get a team into Hamilton with a $100 million over-bid then it doesn't look good for this city ever again.

4) The cost of a franchise has come half-way back down to actual levels. By halfway I mean it still needs to drop to the $140 million-ish range to be even at the high end of what these failing teams are worth and to be at levels any group from Winnipeg is going to cough up. Luckily, the $190 million Boots DelBiaggio is still considered to be an over-bid.

We will have to see if any of this story proves to be true or if it is just a tactic to get Balsillie to offer a binding agreement to purchase the Predators. You can't blame him for not jumping at finalizing anything, especially when the league seems so intent on nixing any movement to Hamilton. What warm-blooded Canadian who has turned himself into a billionaire wants to be forced to own a hockey team in Kansas City, Missouri?

June 15, 2007
Where Are We At?

I have deleted some content from the prior post because it came across too negative for the liking of many people. That's not how intended it to sound.

Okay, as for today...where do I start?

Firstly, I have to call out The Fan 590 in Toronto and others like them who we have to learn not to rely on. They speculate aimlessly and get "facts" from multiple "official" sources whose information ends up contradicting itself. They keep discussing Vegas like it is some sure shot market (yeah I'm in Vegas for four nights and I'm from Little Rock, Arkansas and I'm going to spend one of them at a hockey game that the casino left tickets to on my bed) and then spend 3.5 seconds trying their best to dismiss Winnipeg. Only some of their guests via telephone ever have anything grounded to say, like putting a team in either Kansas City or Las Vegas over Winnipeg is absurd. Do you think the NHL feels those markets are more viable long-term than Winnipeg is? Not a chance. But the fact remains that there are guys like

Jerry Bruckheimer who want into "the club" bad enough that they'll pay whatever it takes to get in. And that's not the kind of recklessness anyone from Manitoba is used to taking part in.

This is about money. All sports are. It was about money when the Jets left in 1996 and it's still about money now. If two billionaires are prepared to throw a total of $400 million at 30 owners to be part of their gang, that is where the final two teams will end up. When I say final I mean final expansion (we've heard that before).

Just remember one thing, if those two cities are to land expansion teams, even if that timeline is uncertain they will know they are likely to get one and therefore be out of the running for relocation. There are only a handful of cities interested in being part of a league that boasts a 1.1 television share during the most important time of the season. Winnipeg, for one. Then light interest from the likes of Houston and possibly Seattle or Hartford.

I know this has gotten more complex, but that is something we have no control over. We have an ideal building that can generate ample revenue. We have hockey crazed fans. We have the support of the NHL to have us back. But they cannot control how much people are willing to throw at them. Frankly, I having a hard time believing ANYBODY is willing to pay ANYTHING. I must admit, I never saw this coming. But our time will come because there are far too many teams in trouble and they can't all find a Jim Balsillie to pay $100 million over the appraised price of their franchise. Leipold got lucky because he was the first one willing to jump ship and the first one with the convenience of having an out-clause in his lease agreement.

Finally, speaking of Balsillie, it will be interesting to see if he even gets the blessing of the NHL Board of Governors. He has rocked the boat far too much already, and is showing signs of being a rebel in a club that is used to being very much in control and very much a tight family. Clearly he has overpaid for the Preds in order to win over the other owners by raising their franchise values, in theory anyway. But when a guy hasn't even gotten his membership card yet and already has had negotiations with a city and arena for plans to move a team he doesn't even own yet, it ruffles a few feathers. Those are key feathers. Afterall he needs 75% (not 51% Fan 590) or 23 teams to vote in favour of his purchase, now well knowing he intends to move the team on his terms. That means if 8 teams dislike his vibe, it's at no-go. Stay tuned, Hamilton could be in for a real let-down once again. If he doesn't get accepted, he could back-out or look at Kansas City as an option. Whatever the case, it has become very apparent the NHL doesn't want a team in Hamilton and neither do the Leafs, who are essentially the league anyway. We know this because of the Penguins ordeal where the NHL placed tight stipulations on keeping the team in Pittsburgh, mostly because they knew Balsillie wanted to do the very same thing he is doing now, despite telling the league otherwise just weeks ago. Balsillie has also played the "challenging the competition laws" angle which sends the message that he is the type to take on the NHL at every turn. Looks like he may have showed his hand a little too early. Now the decision for the Preds sale has been bumped back in light of all of this maneuvering. If this sale also falls through (a la Penguins) Balsillie will not be taken seriously anymore and would likely fade away. This is about to be an ugly game of chess.

Truthfully I kind of admire how ballsy (no pun intended) he is being but either way it won't have much effect on Winnipeg's chances. If this guy were from Winnipeg, we'd have a team today. The corporate support would be put to the test and once it passed along with the fan support, we'd have an RIM Centre sign being made for the outside of our arena. The NHL wouldn't have an issue because we're not in the Golden Horseshoe's TV market (hell we're not in anyone's TV market!). Winnipeg money would only have to buy in as a minority and the building would be paid for and ready to roll.

Sound too good? Well Mr. Balsillie, ask Gary Bettman where he might want to put a team in Canada. He'll hook you up with the right people.

You'll be "intrigued" too.

Checkmate.

June 9, 2007
Bizarre Times

With rumour that the purchase price for the Nashville Predators is now approaching $240 million, it has become time to be concerned. While that price does not necessarily raise the next purchase price, it does increase those odds and also likley raised any expansion fee significantly.

The mere mention of expansion is bad enough considering this league needs to re-shuffle where teams are as it is, but to Kansas City and Las Vegas?! This is an absolutely ridiculous concept and it is destined to follow the same failed path as Phoenix, Miami, Nashville and on and on. I can't imagine how true fans, most of whom are Canadian or old-school American fans, would react with anything but disgust and resentment. These fans are all the NHL has left, after TV contacts have repeatedly failed to gather new ones and the hockey novelty always wears off in whatever non-tradtional markets they have put teams into. Now they want to add two more?

I am nearly beside myself here at the thought of this. Yes, Jerry Bruckheimer would be a good addition to the owners circle, but we've seen this story play out before. Bad hockey markets are bad decisions...every time.

The scary part of all of this isn't the rumoured expansion cities, but rather the fact that the price tag, that was already a stretch, has now likely gone way up thanks to Jim Balsillie and his agenda to gather NHL Board of Governors' support by raising their respective team value by over 50% over night.

The first thought that came to my mind was, great, KC and Vegas get in through expansion, making a clear path for us to land a relocating team. But now with the surprising purchase price of the Predators, we are up against steeper odds. Even through expansion the fee has skyrocketed into the price range of what was very recently the ballpark range of a relocation price. Somehow, someway (spelled Jim Balsillie) the NHL has managed to increase their memebership value, despite falling far off the radar in the United States...so far that re-runs of The West Wing have got it beat.

If we are ignored after all the pro-Winnipeg talk from journalsits to the league itself, there will be a bashlash from this sports fan. If there is soon teams with the names Hamilton, Las Vegas and Kansas City in the title while we still have the Moose, you should be part of that backlash as well.

Myself, I'd like to think this is all hocus-pocus, and that stations like the The Fan 590 in Toronto are self-absorbed and mis-informed and that they report stories without concrete proof to back them up. Myself, I feel Winnipeg has taken the correct steps to staying patient and following the NHL's route for getting "back in". I feel we are looked upon as beneficial to the league again and that our market is repeatedly praised for its passion for hockey in any form. That's why none of this expansion talk adds up. We will have to keep close tabs on the situation and as I mentioned before, it may be time for the big money in town to break from their silhouttes and become faces in media.

The vibe is still good, but things are certainly getting interesting if not bizarre.

June 7, 2007
Congrats to Teemu!

Congratulations to Randy Carlyle and Teemu Selanne for their Stanley Cup victory. We all wish Teemu could retire here with the new Winnipeg Jets one day.

June 5, 2007
Bettman RSVP

There should no longer be any doubt that Winnipeg is considered a hot spot to put a struggling, or shall we say horribly failing, NHL franchise. That part we have all proven and need not be concerned with waving the Winnipeg flag to gain attention. We don't even need our heavy hitters to make headlines (but read on). That's because we make headlines on our own, without even trying. And the media, thank their always-beneficial souls, have kept on Bettman relentlessly for 3 years now. This website for four years, as of June 1st may I add.

The national coverage on the recent comments made by Gary Bettman about Winnipeg were overwhelming. Referring to a return to Winnipeg as "intriguing" and "righting a wrong" are huge steps toward not only a franchise coming back to Winnipeg, but to the NHL admitting defeat in its footprint across America plan. They followed the footsteps long enough only to find out they led back to Winnipeg anyway, like ET following Reeses Pieces.

It is nice to have the NHL on our side, or at least speaking highly of us, but there is still loads of work to be done. Like finding another team willing to officially part ways with their NASCAR-crazed environment and the dough to buy it. While I do not feel the benchmark for an NHL team is set at $220 million just because Jim Balsillie paid that for his ticket into "le club", it is probably closer to that range than zero. I'd have to say that for the first time I may have to call out the heavy hitters in this city. No vague comments via Mark Chipman, no more "Mark has my number", no more "we are in close contact with the NHL". I understand the process and quite frankly feel that carrying it out underground is the way to go. But giving the public some sort of indication as to where the process stands would be nice. We all understand that a team needs to become available but we need to know what ballpark the big money in this town are willing to play in. No need to worry about the emotional rollercoaster, afterall, we are already on one.

We know MTS Centre works, we know there is the fan support, the corporate support and the right financial team to do this. We know the NHL is clearly in favour of Winnipeg over the blue leaf-controlled southern Ontario and we know a current team will eventually follow Craig Leipold's lead. So how much is too much? What deal is right? How much does the NHL really like us?

Those questions are anyone's guess but it might be about time we got some further concrete answers instead of "possibilities" or "conceivables".

One thing I believe is crucial is something a few of you have e-mailed me over the past few days. That is to invite Gary Bettman and a national audience to witness MTS Centre during this fall's exhibition game between the Coyotes and Leafs on September 19th. Though it won't be the playoff atmosphere we had in the past, it would still be full of energy, especially if Bettman attends. Imagine the noise and signs in the crowd if we were using the game to showcase our own cause. I know what mine would say..."We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto" or "NHL footprint leads to Winnipeg!"

And for a meaningless exhibition game at full prices. Sounds like just the right sales pitch to me.

Note: I apologize to the many radio and TV stations that requested to speak with JetsOwner.com after Bettman's comments. I was overseas and could not participate. Thanks to Rob Kerr of The Fan 960 in Calgary for having me on, yet again. His stance is always fair and from both points of view and his desire to promote the cause is always strong.

May 24, 2007
Chalk One Up For Canada

The new era has begun.

The dream of the United States gleaming with NHL hockey from coast to coast has officially died. "Bet"tman's hand has been dealt a 2 and a 7 and has now folded. We have known this day would come for some time, perhaps since the day the dream began, but we are finally no longer in the "if" era but now into the "when" era. When is now.

For the first time, the NHL has admitted defeat and come to the realization that Dixieland isn't the place hockey will thrive, but rather Dairyland (aka southern Ontario) or anywhere in Canada, where hockey is king. There are endless conclusions that can be drawn from this newest development regarding the sale of the Nashville Predators, but one thing is for sure; Canada is the new "cool" in the NHL and it's about time.

The sale of the Nashville Predators to a Canadian spells northbound. Especially considering

Instead of rambling on about of the pros and cons of this deal for Winnipeg, let me just address some major issues by taking the negative and spinning a positive on it:

The Waiting List

While Winnipeg may still be on the waiting list, what the sale of the Predators has done is dis-lodge a huge piece of timber from the log jam that has been building up for years now, just waiting to burst. The flow of water is finally trickling through the gates and more logs should follow soon. If teams begin to feel their time is now to get out while anyone wants them, it will send a ripple effet throughout the league and arena leases will begin to crumble along with franchises. As I said, the new era has begun. This next one will see several teams pack it up and look for better places to call home. We've got a home. We've got fans. We've got corporate support. What we don't have is $200 million US to throw at the first person that wants it.

The Price Tag

Spending $200 million US certainly seems outrageous but take into considerationn that Balsillie has boatloads of money and some people will do what it takes to get into a prestigous club, even if they have to build a brand new clubhouse as well. In Winnipeg, it would be a stretch to come up with $200 million US knowing that money will never be re-couped. It is up-front cost, never to been seen again, gonzo. Now for the spin. The bright side is that this $200 million that has seemingly set the new market value for an NHL franchise isn't necessarily the new benchmark. That is because Balsillie didn't outbid anyone, he simply gave Leipold what he was asking. Period. This doesn't mean that anyone else was willing to pay that and it means the next team is only worth what someone is willing to pay. If there is another Balsillie out there, then there is nothing we can do about it. But remember, that money man/woman would have to be a good fit for the NHL and have a plan to benefit the league. Balsillie is one of those people, but it's not like there's many of them to go around, not for this league.

The Destination

Moving to southern Ontario may be the desired location for this franchise, but the NHL has certainly warmed up to Winnipeg as of late and no doubt has allowed our business leaders inside the loop much like they have kept Balsillie in the loop recently. There are still other suitors for Winnipeg. Cross your fingers that Kansas City gets the SuperSonics of the NBA so we can scratch them off the waiting list. Should they still be on the waiting list in the future, don't count Winnipeg out as equal contenders for the next team to pack up. Bettman and other NHL officials have been, all of the sudden, very pro-Winnipeg in various media outlets as of late. They now see us as a profitable market, especially when compared to where they reside now. This is something we have never seen and it bides well for how they feel not only towards our city and market, but what they think of our group of potentials investors. You're not in the loop if you're a joke and we are most certainly in the loop.

May 23, 2007
Predators Sold! Moving to Canada?

Channel 5 News out of Nashville and Bloomberg.com have reported that the Nashville Predators have been sold to Canadian Billionaire Jim Balsillie. Terms have not yet been disclosed but this development can be good news or bad news for Winnipeg.

Bad...because the sale price is said to be near the $220 million USD mark. This is the ballpark former owner Craig Leipold was looking for and he got it which sets the market value for an NHL team very high. This is NOT a good figure for Winnipeg.

Good...if Winnipeg is a place Mr. Balsillie is considering moving the team. This would assume that he wants it north of the border and that hamilton is out of the question. It also assumes that Kitchener-Waterloo was just a whacky dream.

Early polls have 80% of fans in Nashville believing the team will relocate to another city under the new ownership.

We will have to stay tuned for further developments.

May 7, 2007
Political Arena Not Necessarily Good Building

The morning began with a phone call from Hugh McFadyen. He wanted to invite me to come down to his grand announcement regarding a way to help with the purchase cost of an NHL franchise. All I could think was...here we go. Personally, I would prefer this topic not be debated in an election campaign only because that leads to the media, which in turn leads to mis-communication and far too much generalization. On the other hand, it does put it in the headlines again.

The reason I have reservations about using the political arena as a platform is that it carries a lot of fluff with little substance. To be honest, I was quite content with the way things were going behind the scenes.

Then the other phone calls poured in, the media and the private sector, trying to find out what just went on this morning. As my day was busy enough, remember I have a regular job, I had to turn down most interview requests. For those who care to listen, here is what I told the few stations I did speak with (Global and CBC).

McFadyen's theme of "Friends Don't Let Friends Move To Alberta" was effective in my mind and his focus on halting the out migration of our youth rang well with me too. All in all, I think it was a good message and outside-the-box thinking. Then again, it is an election campaign which could just mean inside-the-box political manoeuvring. Smart to lure Thomas Steen to the gig.

Enter Gary Doer tomorrow who will likely rebut that he has been involved with many behind the scenes talks with key players in this fight to get our NHL team back. He will be telling the truth too. He has been well in the loop throughout the process. Stay tuned for his thoughts.

The real story may stem from the price tag of $145 million for the Edmonton Oilers (or $130 million USD). This is not the $175 million that has been thrown around and may not sound like news, but it is. This squashes the belief by some that NHL teams are worth x-amount of money just because Forbes Magazine appraises them so. The truth is, teams are worth what someone is willing to pay for them and the Penguins were worth $175 million WITH A BRAND SPANKING NEW ARENA ATTACHED TO THE DEAL. The Oilers, who are successful on and off the ice, have been offered $130 million USD. The number is going down and this is good news for Winnipeg. What is a team worth that is unsuccessful and in dire need of a new place to call home? $110 million? $120 million?

Time will tell. Lets just hope that time is sooner than later. The waters remain very warm...with or without political campaigning.

May 5, 2007
Winnipeg Fans Still Legendary

It seems that not only does Winnipeg still find itself included in current NHL polls with current NHL teams, but we also win those polls!

When polled regarding the richest playoff fan participation, Winnipeg fans took the win over Detroit, Calgary and Edmonton....and we haven't been in the league for 11 years! Sad that nobody could strip us of this title in all that time. Imagine MTS Centre packed to the roof trusses with white clad fans and white shakers at playoff time. The noise in that intimate building would be overwhelming for any opponent. Can't wait.

April 10, 2007
The Real Record Setting

The NHL announced this week that it set league records for attendance in 2006-07. The words "set records" brings a few other things to mind. Like record setting give-aways.

For instance, the Montreal Canadiens matched their league record season attendance of 872,193. Wonderful. Too bad the NHL had already given away more tickets by January 31st, only a little more than half way through the 2006-07 campaign. 881,135 freebies to be exact. That's on pace for 1.4 million complimentary tickets given to "fans" to come out to NHL buildings. Wow, no wonder their smashing attendance records!

All of this mind-boggling data can be found in this ticket report courtesy of The Globe & Mail (and retreived by supporter "Wagner3") which analyses complimentary tickets and gate revenues over the past two seasons. Notice where the Canadian clubs rank in give-aways.

Edmonton, dead last, only feels they need to part with 207 tickets per game on average. Meanwhile, Atlanta and Florida need to give away over 2,800 per game. And that doesn't include tickets that are significantly reduced in price.

What this says to all of us, and especially to those who STILL insist on debating MTS Centre's capacity, is quite clear. Once you tally up the freebies, the discounted tickets and the empty seats that still remain after those incentives, what you are left with is a figure far less than MTS Centre capacity anyway. 17,000 seats less 2,800 freebies, less 1,000 half priced seats (equivelent to 500 paid), less 2,000 empty seats equals 11,700. Now who has the AHL market?

The report also further validates the numbers that JetsOwner.com has come up with in regards to gate revenue per game. $930,000 for a Winnipeg team still sits nicely with Calgary ($991,252) and Edmonton ($1,020,499). Notice in the chart how the Canadian clubs now sit high in the rankings when revenue is the focus.

Quite simply, we're holding this league together. That will show even more when they realize the TV ratings with Montreal and Toronto out of the playoffs, the league's two largest TV markets in real numbers.

As for the Coyotes honouring Dale Hawerchuk? Sad. Sad because they are desperately trying to pull any stunt to get people out to Glendale for anything other than shopping. Unless of course the Cardinals are playing. Trouble is, they don't know who Dale Hawerchuk is. They don't know what he did, when he was drafted or why his number is being hung to the rafters along with those other guys that wore #25 and #9. Welcome to Coyote country, home of the longest trail of red ink around.

"Ahhh-ooooo
Werewolf in London
Ahhh-ooooo!"

April 3, 2007
Dangerous Idea (That We All Like)

The Winnipeg Free Press recently posed the question of whether you would support the raising of the PST by 0.5% for two years in order to raise the capital to purchase an NHL team. Here's the scary thing with a proposal like this...

Now the private sector has a taste of not paying a cent to get a team here and when the idea gets overwhelmingly shot down (and it will) they can use that as an excuse to back away from moving forward, even though we all know that those responding "no" to the tax idea poll are nearly all non-hockey fans and therefore have no real impact on the sustainability of a team anyway.

Would I pay another 0.5% in PST for an NHL team?.....heck yeah. But the Free Press should know better than to give CJOB an entire day worth of negative phone calls to air. To be honest it's irresponsible. At a time when health care has so many issues there is NO WAY any government is going to pass raising the PST to fund the purchase of an NHL team. If it were that easy, it would have happened 11 years ago. And if it did happen...where was that plan 11 years ago?

This is a private sector venture and while I think government should give breaks to help out a future franchise, there is no hope of raising taxes for one. That is the death wish for any project.

We'd all do it in a heartbeat though...wouldn't we.

Now for new streets, a new stadium and a domed St. James all we need to do is raise the PST 3%.

March 20, 2007
One Week Strike on "Got Fans" Section

Why? It's as simple as this. Apparently I am to believe that on a Tuesday night in Raleigh the Hurricanes drew 18,639 paying customers to watch them play the Panthers. And then I am to believe the same paying crowd came out two nights later vs. the Devils despite the No. 1 ranked Tar Heels playing their first match in the NCAA Final Four Tournament that night.

Runner-ups?

Tampa Bay consistently claiming that 21,300 people pay and attend their games.

Atlanta and Florida telling us that they have over 18,000 paying and attending nearly every game

I feel bad for picking on the same teams week-in and week-out simply because they provide REAL attendance figures. Hence my strike for one week.

March 15, 2007
Buffalo Duo On Our Side

You may remember Andrew Kulyk and Peter Farrell from their visit to our city during one of their many voyages to critique pro and amateur sports facilities. Their critique of MTS Centre can be found on their website www.thesportsroadtrip.com. Recently they have launched a different kind of website that includes a range of blogs and articles. Their latest installment of their theme Puck Stop is a focus on Winnipeg and includes interview clips from myself and Teppo Numminen. Good of these guys for continuing the push in the US. They get it in Buffalo.

I'd also like to take the time to thank all of the radio stations that have had me as a guest over the past couple months. I don't report on all of them. That includes stations in London, Calgary, Montreal, and Halifax. I will soon be appearing on Saskatchewan radio and I'll try to up keep you in the loop on that one.

If you haven't yet purchased a t-shirt, be sure to grab one online! They are in home and away formats and come in all sizes. For a limited time beginning March 16th, they will be $5 off. Lets get more of these on the streets!

February 11, 2007
The Numbers Add Up

Not that my calculations haven't already been validated, but something struck me as I read Mark Spector's exclusive report in the National Post regarding the NHL's true attendance and revenue figures. The detailed report spent some time discussing Nashville's current revenue situation, among others, strictly regarding gate revenue. It revealed that the Predators pull in an average of $525,000 US per game from the gate (ranked 23rd in the NHL), mostly due to many tickets being given away for free or vastly reduced in price. What might be scarier is the fact that there are seven other teams that pull in less! While that shouldn't come as a surprise to any of us, it did indirectly reveal key information about our six Canadian teams. The real interest I took came from Mr. Spector's simple breakdown of percentages. The article states that the Predators pull in $525,000 US per game and that was roughly 50% of what four Canadian teams (which included Edmonton) pulls in every night and close to 60% of Calgary and Ottawa's gate. That would mean Calgary pulls in roughly $875,000 US per game (60% = Nashville) and Edmonton at least $1,050,000 US per game (50% = Nashville). It was assumed that Edmonton was the lesser of "the four" Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Either way, the figure is close.

My calculations have a Winnipeg team pulling in $931,000 (CDN) per game WITHOUT luxury suite seats. That's nearly $1 million a game from approx. 14,220 seats. Add luxury seating per game and you would add $163,000 (CDN). That's a total of $1,094,000 (CDN).

Making the currency conversion at 0.85...that's $930,000 US per game, assuming sellouts, which is what both Calgary and Edmonton enjoy every game. Surely if they can draw 19,000 and 17,000 respectively to each game then Winnipeg could draw 15,000, albeit at slightly higher prices to compensate for less capacity.

Seems to me that my numbers fall right in between, and therefore in line with, Calgary and Edmonton. It also looks like my figures just got that much more credible.

Per Game Average Gate Revenue by Canadian City

Calgary and Ottawa - $875,000 US
Winnipeg* - $930,000 US
Edmonton - $1,050,000 US
Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto - over $1,100,000 US

And remember...this is only revenues from tickets alone, not the many other sources of revenue that can be drawn from. Examples include concessions, merchandise, TV, radio, Pay-per-view, advertising, parking, VLTs, lottery tickets and non-hockey events at MTSC like concerts. It also does not account for additional luxury/regular seating that may or may not be added to MTSC.

Another interesting fact recently discovered was that the six Canadian teams pull in 33% of overall NHL revenue (source: The Toronto Star). That's 1/5 of the league accounting for 1/3 the ticket revenue, most of whom are paying the highest prices for tickets. 

I will assume that American revenues aren't helped much from Nielsen ratings of 0.01 which is what a Devils-Panthers game produced a few weeks back. Just in case you're wondering, that is a whopping 736 households! In a local TV market of over 20 million people (source: New York Times).  

January 29, 2007
For The Record

To Nayersayers who claim that $150 average ticket price:

The average ticket price in the NHL right now is exactly $43.13. The highest average ticket price is Vancouver with $58.96. The lowest, you guessed it, Phoenix, which is $25.41...only $1.59 less than the Jets average ticket price in their last season, over 11 years ago!! (source: Team Marketing Report)

To Rob Warren (Asper School of Business):

How do you arrive at $210 million for a team? The Penguins are trying to fetch about that much (CDN) and they are absolutely the most highly talented team out there. You are also assuming that Winnipeg purchases 100% of a franchise. How do you come up with $50 million for player salaries? That would be the absolute upper end of the salary cap. And finally, how do you include that salary figure with start-up costs, bringing the total to $260 million? That's like saying that since the club can gross over $75 million a season, that the Jets will make $75 million net. You can't include year-to-year costs as part of start-up costs...or take the absolute highest case scenario for every monetary figure.

Unless, of course, you are trying to skew the issue far in the direction of negativity. I think I just answered my own inquiry.

I can play that game. I'll go the other way. Tickets are going to cost $21.50 on average, a team will cost $85 million and players salaries will only be $31 million....oh and all figures are in Yen!

C'mon. How dumb do these people think we are.

You want the facts? Average ticket prices in the NHL are one-third of what is claimed so recklessly by so many people that are too lazy to do the research or want to scare the public into thinking that NHL hockey is WAY out of their budget. As for Winnipeg, we would likely need to fall among the higher end of ticket prices, but that would still be less than half of the $150 price tag that the skeptics throw around. Yes there might be a ticket worth $110, but they'll also be a ticket for $34 or less. If average tickets were $150, let me tell you, this new Winnipeg franchise is going to make a fortune!

You want the facts? Simply check out the "How Much?" section of this website to get an accurate picture of the economics of a Winnipeg NHL franchise. How I arrive at the bottom line could fluctuate in one or more categories but the end result remains consistent.

And no, my figures are not ill-founded or without merit.

How do these people keep getting on television?

January 27, 2007
NHL Gives 'Peg Green Light: But We Must Be Ready

The recent comments made by Gary Bettman on Hockey Night In Canada during the All-Star Game in Dallas were monumental. There is no question. The voice of the league has never so much as even hinted that Winnipeg is on their radar. In fact that comment was made at the 2004 All-Star Game. "Winnipeg is not on our radar". Fast-forward to this year and oh, how things change. Now it's "I believe, in an ideal world under the partnership we have with the players and the salary cap, that Winnipeg probably could support an NHL team". Good on Ron MacLean to pressure that response out of him, but at the same time, he never would have said it if it weren't true. Gary Bettman knew the headlines such a comment would generate hence being sincere when he said it.

This website has always led you in a realistic and responsible direction. It will turn out to be correct in all capacities so long as it remains grounded. We all must remain grounded but prepared. We must be ready to step up and open our wallets with very little notice because in the event a team comes calling for help, the likelihood that particular team will need to relocate here quickly is very high.

On an advice note, do yourselves a favour, don't listen to CJOB. Their brand of journalism is counter-productive and only spins the negative without substance. I am not here to bash anything or anyone (and I never have), but enough is enough with that station's ongoing disregard for realism, not to mention community spirit. They don't get it. They likely never will. If they bring you down don't listen to them. Fortunately for all of us, what CJOB and their don't-change-a-thing listeners think have no bearing on what our business leaders feel. The demographic an NHL franchise in Winnipeg wants to tap are not those of CJOB's demographic. If their listeners want to buy into the claim that a pair of average tickets are going to cost you $10,000 a season and that apparently you have to buy an entire season in the first place, then sobeit. That's all I'll say with regards to that topic. It's down right bizarre but, we move on.

As noted many times, we don't need 15,000 Winnipeggers to purchase 42 games a year. Afterall, that many people don't have the time nor money, granted. We need 170,000 Winnipeggers (or Manitobans) to purchase one game or one ticket pack every year, a scenario much more realistic for any market, not just Winnipeg. Obviously any breakdown within this framework works just as well and a breakdown of something along these lines would probably be most realistic:

6,000 season tickets (including suite seats)

6,000 people/corporations buying a season

6,000 season ticket equivilents

6,000 people/corporations buying a 22-game pack

12,000 people/corporations buying an 11-game pack

3,500 single game tickets/walk-ups

3,500 people buying random seats

That's 24,000 bodies that need to support the team per year at one of those 3 levels plus another 147,000 bodies that need to come to one game per year. There is an affordability at every level for NHL hockey. Really. I suppose we just won't be able to take our family of six to 42 games a year and buy a jersey, program and a pizza for each of them every game. Shucks!

Putting sarcasm aside, the way the NHL budged this week was encouraging, not because we needed them to budge, but because it puts to rest so many of the skeptics' belief that Winnipeg wouldn't be welcomed back in to the league. Or that we can't afford it. Or that our arena is too small. All aspects that JetsOwner.com has repeatedly declared to be false. They will be proven false.

Keep your hopes on high, but keep your feet on the ground.

When the time comes, then we leap.

January 19, 2007
Whether Pens Stay Or Go, 'Peg Still Sitting Pretty

The most recent developments out of Pittsburgh indicate strong last ditch efforts to keep the team there. Scare tactics like visiting Kansas City's new Sprint Center only fuel the bargaining fire between Mario Lemieux and city officials in Pittsburgh. It's looking more and more like Penguins really can't fly and therefore won't be headed outside of Pittsburgh. That's not to say they may still not move because, as we well know, anything can fall through. Very quickly.

Some feel the Pens staying put hurts Winnipeg's chances because Kansas City will still remain a front runner for the next team that becomes available. That point has validity but consider this; there is a good possibility that Kansas City will land an NBA team before that time comes, especially since they have so successfully advertised a virtually free building (and practice facility) to any frachise that wants to call it home. This has raised the eyebrows of more than one team from both the hockey and basketball realms. If successful in landing an NBA team for the Sprint Center, expect Kansas City to quickly fall out of love with NHL hockey.

Without knowing for sure, I feel the NHL is skeptical about Kansas City as a market for reasons discussed many times on this website. Most notably the fact that after the Chiefs, Royals and a handful of NCAA sports, there isn't much of a supply of people left for hockey at any level to draw from. Let alone 18,000 of them 42 nights a year. Even from within they are skeptical. This from David Martin of The Pitch in Kansas City,"On a per-capita basis, Kansas City is actually overserved by professional sports, which is a significant reason that no NBA or NHL team owner has agreed to move a team to the Sprint Center".

In fact, this same problem exists in a dozen current "NHL markets". Heck, television ratings alone can spell that out, a 1.1 rating for last week's season debut on NBC. A desperate landlord wishing to lure a tenant for his building in a city with no proven track record for hockey hardly seems like the right direction for a league already up to their ears in troubles with their non-traditional markets.

Oklahoma City bowed out suspiciously at the last minute, leaving the speculation that they realized that they were being used as a bargaining chip for leverage with the city of Pittsburgh.

Despite rumours regarding cities like Seattle, Portland and Hartford, none of these cities have made any real effort to bring the NHL to their neighbourhood.