NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2024
Recaps of Friday’s game, concern over the declining attendance at Jets games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Kyle Connor gave the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Jets took the lead on two goals by Nikolaj Ehlers but the Blackhawks forced the extra frame on goals by Colin Blackwell and Tyler Johnson. Josh Morrissey collected three assists while Connor Hellebucyk made 33 saves for the 35-15-5 Jets, who sit second in the Central Division with 75 points. Petr Mrazek stopped 28 shots for the 15-39-4 Blackhawks.
Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg and the Colorado Avalanche have the same amount of points but the Jets have three games in hand.
The Minnesota Wild doubled up the Edmonton Oilers 4-2. Matt Boldy scored twice while Filip Gustavsson kicked out 41 shots (including 23 in the third period) as the Wild improved to 27-24-6 (60 points) to sit two points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Oilers captain Connor McDavid picked up two assists to extend his home points streak to 21 games. With a record of 33-19-2, the Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division with 68 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild played without defenseman Zach Bogosian as he’s out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton’s first goal of the season was the game-winner in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Zemgus Girgensons also scored while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 25 shots for the 26-27-4 Sabres. Daniil Tarasov made 35 saves while Dmitri Voronkov tallied for the 18-28-10 Blue Jackets.
HEADLINES
THE ATHLETIC: Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman sounded the alarm over his club’s declining attendance, pointing out their season-ticket base is under 9,500 after being at 13,000 three years ago.
Chipman stressed the urgency of returning to 13,000. “This place we find ourselves in right now, it’s not going to work over the long haul. It just isn’t.”
The club’s average attendance this season is 13,306. That’s 87.4 percent capacity of the 15,225-season Canada Life Centre. That’s the third-lowest in the league this season, with just four sellouts thus far.
Chipman said the Jets are trying to win back its fans. He admitted that their “Forever Winnipeg” market campaign last year upset people by raising concerns over the club’s future. “Because of the history, it’s a bit of a tinderbox,” he said, referring to the relocation of the original Jets to Arizona in 1996.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The situation has become so serious that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is traveling to Winnipeg next week to stump for more corporate support for the Jets.
Chipman’s remarks have some observers concerned for the Jets’ future in Winnipeg while others remain steadfast that this city won’t lose its club a second time. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Murat Ates believes the franchise not only needs to do a better job attracting corporate support but also that of individual fans who’ve felt the club has taken their goodwill for granted.
I raised concerns about these issues and more facing the Jets back when they relocated to Winnipeg from Atlanta in 2011. I’ve reposted that article in the Soapbox section as I believe most of the points I brought up remain valid today.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the original Jets, the president and CEO of the Arizona Coyotes insists the team will not be sold. As the club continues to seek a new location in the Phoenix area for a new arena, Xavier Gutierrez said team owner Alex Meruelo has no plans to sell the team.
“We are committed to being here, and every action we have taken has shown that”, said Gutierrez.
ARIZONA SPORTS: While on the topic of the Coyotes, they placed forward Adam Ruzicka on unconditional waivers on Friday for the purpose of terminating his contract. This move arose after Ruzicka posted a video to Instagram showing a white substance that appeared to be cocaine on a plate beside a credit card. He also showed off a vial of the substance.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Ruzicka makes use of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program to get the help that he needs.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: On Thursday, the Blue Jackets traded Emil Bemstrom to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for minor-league forward Alex Nylander and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals placed center Nic Dowd on injured reserve and called up forward Hendrix Lapierre.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils placed forward Nathan Bastian on injured reserve.
CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (upper body) is also on IR.
TSN: Former NHL defenseman Jean-Guy Talbot passed away at age 91. He spent 17 seasons in the league with the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota North Stars and Buffalo Sabres from 1954-55 to 1970-71.
Talbot spent 13 seasons with the Canadiens, winning seven Stanley Cups, including five in a row from 1955-56 to 1959-60. He had 43 goals and 285 points in 1,056 career regular-season games and 30 points in 150 playoff contests.
Talbot also served as a head coach with the Blues from 1972 to 1974 and with the New York Rangers in 1977-78.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Talbot’s family, friends and former teammates.
I wonder how much longer the league can afford to allow the fiasco in Phoenix to continue, especially now that the Jets may be experiencing fatal difficulty.
I know. It’s like everything Winnipeg touches is doomed. 😝
Winnipeg Jets decline in attendance – maybe due to the economy or maybe trading star players sell tickets ?? Attention Captain Obvious – Sidney Crosby sells tickets for the Penguins.
As a season ticket holder of the Jets the issues have been the same for 10 years. They have taken the fans for granted to the point that there’s better ways to spend your money elsewhere.
Chipman has to look in the mirror at his own performance. The on ice product has been mostly above average the last 5 years and as a fan I like the teams makeup.
True North hasn’t listened to the fans ideas for entertainment improvements ever. We still after years have to watch the same crappy contests on the scoreboard game after game.
The marketing dept has to become more creative. Fans, especially younger ones want to be entertained by just more than a hockey game when they go. When you take a friend that’s not the biggest hockey fan to a game to check it out we want them to say they had some fun besides just the game itself.
Just look at the Bluejays spending Millions to enhance the outside the actual game experience with the stadium upgrades. Fans want more.
Many don’t buy a corporate box to watch the game. There trying to impress clients that they have something special to share with them.
Drop the Hoser cam and change up your sponsor adds at least. Show some imagination. Just copy what some other teams might be doing that fans enjoy. There has to be something out there that’s fun and entertaining that they can adopt.
Thanks for the input, Isotopes. Good to see a Jets season ticket holder weighing in on this topic.
Well Said Isotopes…👌
You should send a letter in to the Jets..
Propose a Round Table with there Sales and Marketing Team VP, The President and the Jets Ownership Group
Bring some Jets fans who Smart business Sales leaders and maybe ( Box Owners)
to help improve there product….🤔
Houston and Quebec and Salt Lake City
They are All Desprate for an NHL Team’s,
maybe thats where the ownership is coming from if you guys dont buy Season Tickets lots of other places will…..😲
With the passing of Jean Guy Talbot, only one of the twelve players who played on all five of the Habs consecutive Cup winning teams from 1956-60 is still alive. Donnie Marshall.