Any chance Winnipeg will get the Jets back?

@Cameron, Winnipeg is second in AHL attendance, I don't know where that "500 people" number came from.

TSN has recently put up a "Jets Metre" on their website, which is really signal that we are probably closer to Winnipeg getting a team back then anytime since the Jets left in 1996.

There are three possibilities that exist:

1) Atlanta: Terrible attendance, terrible TV ratings, and losing $25 million/year according to recent court documents. The owners have been trying to sell the team since 2005 and their 7-year non-relocation agreement with the league comes to an end this year. However that does not mean the team will leave for Winnipeg. It is important to note that although they are not bound by anything (Ex. an arena lease), according to NHL by-laws the owners must exhaust ALL local options before selling the team for relocation. That, arguably, has not been done yet. Latest news has them talking to 5 potential owners, 3 of which presumably want to relocate the team. Where? Winnipeg is a front-runner but I certainly wouldn't count out a city like Kansas City or Hamilton or Quebec.

2) Phoenix: I have been saying this since 4 or 5 months ago: Phoenix will be playing in Winnipeg next year.

Now of course, that is just a presumption or a guess on my part. I don't have any inside information on the situation or anything of the matter. What I do know though is that the team is in EXTREME financial distress. Before the bankruptcy, it was losing $25 million/year. This year it is projected to lose $40-45 million. I also know that the deal worked with Hulsizer could very well be deemed illegal by the court system in Arizona.

The person from Phoenix above me claims it is some "bs" that Goldwater is pulling. I don't agree with that statement. GWI is there to protect the taxpayers of Glendale and while their cause is certainly debatable, what I don't see as debatable is the fact that Hulsizer is getting $200 million in subsidies to make it work in Phoenix. Now... that does not mean they win the court case if there is one. I believe that it is a violation of Arizona law but there are ways to disguise these things and that is what Glendale has tried to do.

We should know within the week, according to Darren Dreger, whether Phoenix moves back home or stays put.

3) Winnipeg doesn't get a team from any of those possibilities.

Their are some teams that just don't work at the location they are currently in.

Possibilities are:

Florida Panther- A couple of weeks ago, the Blues(my favorite team) were in Florida. When I was watching the game, their was hardly any fans at all their. It honestly made me cringe to see the pathetic amount of people their. I couldn't tell you how many empty seats there were. As far as I know, they also aren't in the best financial position either. However, if you ask me, this team doesn't even deserve that. Any sports team deserves plenty of fan support, so it wouldn't surprise me if the Panthers were to be on the move within the next couple of years.

Phoenix Coyotes- Now, I know this is the strongest possibility(and why wouldn't it be). It is time for Gary Bettman to say I have made a huge mistake and it is time for me to fix it. Lets face it, this team is an absolute mess. They are owned by the NHL, the Hulsizer isn't looking good. They aren't making any profit. Hockey in the desert? That sounds asinine in itself, the fact that it is actually happening is even more horrible. EVERY SPORTS TEAM NEEDS FAN SUPPORT. Hockey in Phoenix, the support just isn't their, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. So this team should be the earliest of my possibilities to leave town.

Atlanta Thrashers- At the rate they are going, they will be just as bad as Phoenix in the next few years. They are losing 25 million dollars a year. Why were they even put in Atlanta? The Flames didn't work the first time around, so why would you try a second time? This team is on the move sooner than later if you ask me.

So will Winnipeg, and even Quebec get their beloved teams back? I think yes.

Right now Atlanta isn't supporting their team. The Thrashers could be first in the league and still would rank as one of the worst teams in the league attendance wise. Simple fact of the matter is that Atlanta can't have a NHL team. The Atlanta Flames moved to Calgary and the Thrashers aren't getting support from the community. Same with Dallas which is losing a good amount of money. And my biggest beef is Phoenix. Why have a team in a city that hasn't seen snow since the days of the great depression? It makes no sense. People aren't interested in Phoenix. I hope Winnipeg gets a team back but we'll have to see.

I'm from Winnipeg, and although I would love to have an NHL franchise here, I don't think that we're quite ready, however, the building blocks are in place for it to happen.

The first issue is the MTS Centre, it's not quite big enough by NHL standards. It would need to be expanded, and we would most definitely lose the Moose, as we have no other arena for them. People argue that we wouldn't be able to sell out games, but I have a feeling that we would have some help from our neighbors in North Dakota, as well as Wild fans coming in to see games. On that note, people from Regina and Northwestern Ontario may venture in for games too.

I don't think that downtown is ready yet, the U of W is doing great things at expanding and funding urban renewal, but downtown still needs to be a more comfortable and happening place(and NHL team would help, but it wouldn't completely fix the situation.)

On a positive note, the Moose are run really well, and I hear that whoever owns/runs them do have the capabilities of bringing an NHL team to Winnipeg, it's just going to take time.

As a Winnipegger(I assume) what you can do, is get out there and do your part. Go to Moose games, go downtown, support your city, and in time we will be ready to show the NHL what we have to offer!

That would be interesting...

Right now we have the "Jets/Coyote Franchise"'

what would this new Thrashers history go by? "Thrashers/Jets Franchise"?

Coyotes are almost bought, it is some law firm trying to fight some bs. Word is they are just stalling the whole process.

It is not easy being a fan of the Coyotes, and being raised in Michigan. I wish people out here in Arizona could love hockey as much as I do.

I honestly don't want to see any teams relocate. I am not against expansion through additional teams though. I am all for Canada having more teams, just not the one (Phoenix Coyotes) that I love.

In all honesty i would love that, but lets be realistic, unless they get more than 500 people coming to games trying to make a statement to the league its probably not going to happen. However, it is a much better hockey market than some of the teams in the league.