Manitoba Mythbusters: my NHL includes Winnipeg

Winnipeg is primed and ready for the NHL, and hockey fans here are as rabid as ever. If you've witnessed the Winnipeg White Out, then you'll know what I'm referring to!

An NHL team returning to Winnipeg is not the overly ambitious dream that some of the public and media think.

There is too much misinformation concerning a potential NHL team in Winnipeg floating around without being questioned.

How many times have you heard: Winnipeg isn’t a big enough market; The arena is too small; Ticket prices would be too high? These are all myths that are all simply untrue!

Our conclusions are derived by careful study of the numbers and various NHL newsmakers. We’ve run a number of very conservative financial scenarios and can show that a team in Winnipeg would enjoy above league-average revenues while at the same time keeping ticket prices the lowest of any Canadian NHL team.

In a number of US NHL markets, teams are playing to arenas full of empty seats and are resorting to giving away thousands of tickets for free just to have more warm bodies in the stands.

Winnipeg has reason to be optimistic. We want the people of our great city and province to know that there are many respected voices within league circles saying that it is not a matter of “if,” but “when” NHL hockey will return to our city.

Winnipeg may not be a huge market in terms of population, but we are unquestionably a massive hockey market. At some point, we believe these facts and figures will have the NHL and the NHLPA agree that a return to Winnipeg would be in the best interest for both, be it via expansion or relocation. (read less)

Winnipeg is primed and ready for the NHL, and hockey fans here are as rabid as ever. If you've witnessed the Winnipeg White Out, then you'll know what I'm referring to!

An NHL team returning to Winnipeg is not the overly ambitious dream that some of the public and media think.

There is too much misinformation concerning a potential NHL team in Winnipeg floating around without being questioned.

How many times have you heard: Winnipeg isn’t a big enough market; The arena is too small; Ticket... (read more)