The Winnipeg Jets are having a good season this year as they are currently 34-15-5 on the year and they are in third place in the Central. The Jets are having success on the ice, but there haven't been very many fans there to see it. Winnipeg fans haven't been coming out to games, and their season ticket numbers have dropped a lot in recent years.

Back in 2019, the Jets had around 13,000 season ticket holders, and they are now down below 10,000, according to Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Jets owner Mark Chipman knows that the numbers need to increase.

“I wouldn’t be honest with you if I didn’t say, ‘We’ve got to get back to 13,000,’” Mark Chipman said. “This place we find ourselves in right now, it’s not going to work over the long haul. It just isn’t.”

In an attempt to get Jets fans back to the arena, Chipman has been on the phone with season ticket holders and offering them invites to a game.

“They’ve been really very friendly,” Chipman said of the calls. “When I first started making them, I wasn’t sure what I would encounter, but they weren’t hard calls. They were, ‘Look, I want to come back, but I’ve got two kids, 9 and 11. They’re playing hockey. I can’t come to that many games.’ And I get it. We understand. Had another guy annoyed over the fact that we had a discounted ticket and beer offering last year. Fair enough. You’re a full-season ticket holder. Somebody in your section got in on a promotion we did. Our bad. It’s a whole range of stuff, but pretty much everyone I spoke to today is coming back to a game.”

The NHL is taking the notice, and they see that the Jets aren't doing as well as other teams. That could present an issue down the road.

“They pay attention,” Mark Chipman added. “They see the numbers. They see where the league’s at and where we’re at. And we’re an outlier right now. So, rightfully, they want to know, what are you doing? What’s going on? What happened and what are you doing about it?”

Perhaps getting to the playoffs will help the Jets get more people in the stands. However, Chipman knows that attendance is important in achieving the long-term goal of winning, and right now, they aren't keeping up with other teams.

“What we try to convey to those people is, we’re trying to win,” Chipman said. “And in order to win or be competitive, we’ve got to keep up. We will never match the Leafs’ gate. It’s really remarkable. We can’t match that. But Edmonton really outperforms us, and that’s harder to accept, right? Because we think of ourselves as equals. I know Edmonton is a bigger city and they have that pedigree of all those Stanley Cups, but I think most people in Winnipeg and most people in Edmonton look at one another (with) a healthy respect.”

The Jets should find their way into the postseason this year if they keep playing good hockey. Maybe that will help a little bit, but finding something to work long-term remains an obstacle.