Bettman speaks glowingly of Jets franchise, says Winnipeg fans won't soon forget playoff heroics

The commissioner of the National Hockey League says he has no concerns about the future of the Winnipeg Jets, especially after the team's epic comeback in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

Gary Bettman spoke to media in Winnipeg on Wednesday night, before the start of the Jets' second-round series against the Dallas Stars. 

"I've never worried about Winnipeg long-term," Bettman said.

"Things are great and you have moments like Sunday night. That's going to be in people's minds for a long, long time."

Bettman started his remarks by suggesting everyone was "still recovering" from Winnipeg's heart-stopping 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday, which was decided in double overtime after the Jets tied the game with three seconds remaining in the third period.

"There is nothing in playoff sports like our first round," Bettman said, crediting the NHL's competitive balance and the unpredictability of its games.

"You've got to watch down to the very last tick of the clock in our game to know what's going to happen."

Both the weather and the mood around the hockey club were a lot sunnier for the commissioner's arrival on Wednesday than they were when he came to town back in February 2024. That visit came amid a slump in attendance, which had some fans worrying about the franchise's viability in the NHL's smallest market.

At the time, Bettman described the Jets as "a model franchise" and expressed confidence in their ability to fill the seats at Canada Life Centre. He reiterated that support on Wednesday, noting the club has seen attendance rise this season and is riding a 13-game home sellout streak.

"The organization had to go through a process of transitioning the season ticket base," he said. "It's not the first time I've seen a club have to go through that. It's happened in other clubs where your fan base starts aging and you have to get it younger."

The commissioner was also asked on Wednesday about the potential impact of U.S. tariffs on the league's operations and salary cap, which he described as unpredictable.

When talk of a tariff war first started heating up, Bettman said, there was concern it could affect the seven teams north of the border, due to a possible drop in value of the Canadian dollar. But he noted the dollar has actually risen in recent weeks.

"I don't think anybody knows, and we're just going to have to watch and see how it all unfolds," he said. 

"Canada and the United States [are] great friends, great allies, great countries … hopefully this is just a moment in time."

Whatever the economic future holds for the NHL, Bettman said Winnipeg will remain an important part of the league — a fact he said is underscored by the throngs of white-clad fans he's seen, both in the seats and in the streets.

"Everybody has something in common that brings them together, namely the Jets, and to me, that's all good."