The NHL board of governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers, paving the way for the club to move to Winnipeg for next season.
The NHL is giving up an American market that has more than five million people in the metro Atlanta area and heading to Winnipeg, which will be the league's smallest market with the smallest arena.
15,000 seats may be the smallest, but it's only 1,000 fewer than the Colesium in NY. And for the last three years at least, the Islanders have failed to fill 1/4 or more of their seats each season. They actually have a dismal percentage of capacity attendance averaging just 61.1% over the last 3 years. With the salary caps in place that were non-existent during the original Jets years, someone with cash and commitment to providing a quality product can have a successful franchise in Winnipeg.
I'm just glad the league approved the sale because there are still a few markets in the US that could easily support an NHL franchise.
"martin14" said Looks like.... they better call the team the Jets
IIRC, Phoenix still has ownership of the Jets name. They'd be real dickheads not to let Winnipeg use the name again if they do still retain the rights to it.
"PublicAnimalNo9" said Looks like.... they better call the team the Jets
IIRC, Phoenix still has ownership of the Jets name. They'd be real dickheads not to let Winnipeg use the name again if they do still retain the rights to it.
Actually the NHL has the rights to the Jets name. Either way I agree that the league should let them go back to being the jets. It would be a dick move by the league to not let winnipeg use the name.
15,000 seats may be the smallest, but it's only 1,000 fewer than the Colesium in NY.
And for the last three years at least, the Islanders have failed to fill 1/4 or more of their seats each season. They actually have a dismal percentage of capacity attendance averaging just 61.1% over the last 3 years.
With the salary caps in place that were non-existent during the original Jets years, someone with cash and commitment to providing a quality product can have a successful franchise in Winnipeg.
I'm just glad the league approved the sale because there are still a few markets in the US that could easily support an NHL franchise.
After all these years of rumors... hard to believe it's actually happening!
Quebec City next?
Looks like.... they better call the team the Jets
IIRC, Phoenix still has ownership of the Jets name. They'd be real dickheads not to let Winnipeg use the name again if they do still retain the rights to it.
Looks like.... they better call the team the Jets
IIRC, Phoenix still has ownership of the Jets name. They'd be real dickheads not to let Winnipeg use the name again if they do still retain the rights to it.
Actually the NHL has the rights to the Jets name. Either way I agree that the league should let them go back to being the jets. It would be a dick move by the league to not let winnipeg use the name.