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Gary Bettman Releases Surprising Statement on Winnipeg Jets Attendance Issues

Originally posted on Hockey Latest | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated May 8, 2025 1:05 PM ET

The Winnipeg Jets have been really filling their barn during this playoff run, and Gary Bettman has taken notice, as the NHL Commissioner praised the fanbase.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman continues to see big things for the Winnipeg Jets market, insisting he never thought that the attendance issues of the team were a long-term problem.

He went on to say the recent fan popularity surge is no surprise, now that the team began to fight the issue more aggressively through the middle of the season.

Concerns intensified during the 2023-24 season, and both Bettman and Jets co-owner Mark Chipman agreed that something had to be done.

Although the problem wasn't entirely solved, the Jets played much better. Fan attendance rose by nearly 1,000 per game during the season to a season-high average of 14,366, a post-COVID-19 pandemic high, up from 13,490 last year.

The team also performed well on the ice, going 56-22-4 and winning the Presidents' Trophy.

Winnipeg had 16 sellouts this season

Fan support has grown throughout the season. Winnipeg had sellouts for the final eight regular-season home games and had 16 overall sellouts. Playoffs were sold out as well, with five straight full houses.

Season ticket holders have also grown to around 10,000, up about 500, though the organization continues to work toward pre-pandemic levels of 13,000.

Corporate sponsorship is a top priority for the Jets' management. Bettman asserted that it was never as much about ticket sales, but rather about evening out the makeup of the season ticket base.

He pointed to fan-based activities like the Whiteout street parties as proof of fan interest and left open the door to Winnipeg as the location for another NHL Global Series game.