Justice For Winnipeg Jets Fans?

In a new article examining the sports industry's most unprofitable teams, Forbes Magazine speculates that the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes are one of the franchises most likely to relocate, possibly back to their original home in Winnipeg.

A little history: The Jets joined the NHL in 1979 but had been one of the founding franchises of the short-lived World Hockey Association in 1972. Out of the WHA's seven seasons, the Jets made the finals five times, making it the most successful team in the WHA. Under the NHL, the Jets made the playoffs 11 times in 17 seasons, but only won two playoff series due to sharing the same division as the formidable Flames and Oilers, who they routinely would have to face on their way to Conference Finals. For all but their last season, the Jets were the second-smallest market in the NHL and their home, the Winnipeg Arena, was amongst the tiniest in the league. These factors, despite several attempts to keep the team in Canada, led to the team being purchased in 1996. The Jets became the Coyotes after a "name-the-team" contest.

As the Coyotes, the team made the playoffs every year but one during their first decade, but were plagued by an unsuitable arena and an unfavourable lease with the city. The team has never made it past the first round of playoffs and the franchise has not won a playoff series since 1987, when they were still the Jets. In 2003, the Coyotes got a new municipally-owned arena and in 2005, Wayne Gretsky, a part-owner of the team and head of operations, became head coach.

The Coyotes are currently valued at $147 million, up from $136 million three years. Their arena holds nearly 18,000 seats but the average per-game attendance for this past season was just under 15,000.

Will they be in a new city or country in two or three years? Stay tuned.