When it comes to attendance in the NHL the Winnipeg Jets rank 27th on the list with an average attendance rate of 15,037. One of the theories (my theory) behind why the Winnipeg Jets rank so low on the attendance charts is lack of brand recognition; however, many Jets fans have responded with a theory that I believe to be the most accurate. In the spirit of Fansided we hold part II of the Winnipeg Jets Attendance from the POV of our viewers and our fellow Winnipeg Jets fans.
To rehash, my original theory on why the Winnipeg Jets attendance rates are so low was from the team’s lack of brand recognition. Many Jets fans on twitter and on the Fansided network weighed in on why they thought the Winnipeg Jets attendance was in fact 27th in the NHL.
“The reason Winnipeg has one of the lowest attendance figures is we have the smallest building in the league while Chicago, Montreal, and Detroit have the biggest. A better way to analyze this would be by capacity percentage. If you check the figures, Winnipeg is 100.2% at capacity at home and we are tied at 17th (94.9% on the road). Our overall percentage is 97.3% of capacity or 12th best in the league.” -Mike
After reading Mike’s comment I re-examined the figures the NHL attendance rate charts and noticed that the Jets in fact average a higher attendance on the road then at home (smallest building in the league) of 17,407. The Jets road attendance rate ranks at 14th on the NHL attendance chart and their combined attendance rate (road and home) ranks at 27th on the overall attendance charts.
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets do in fact have one of the smallest buildings in the league and they are currently upgrading the MTS centre to add more seating throughout the rinks. Fellow Editor Brendan Macgranachan pointed this out in an article he wrote about upgrades to the MTS centre earlier in the week (you can read this article below).
Another interesting fact was pointed out by A Real Fan.
“We have the 3rd highest brand among canadian teams behind only Toronto and Montreal.” -A Real Fan
He also showed an article supporting his statement here.
The fellow fans of the Winnipeg Jets showed their enthusiasm and insight about their team to help us further understand the reason behind the Jets’ low attendance numbers displaying the power of the voice of the fan, true to the spirit of the Fansided network. Please comment below and continue to join in on this discussion!
Next: Renovations Continue at the Home of the Winnipeg Jets
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