Now that the relocation of the Atlanta Thrashers to Winnipeg is complete, the league laid out expectations for the franchise.
The first expectation, announced by NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, is that every game is a sellout.
Bettman, speaking at a press conference announcing the move, told reporters the move to Winnipeg "isn't going to work very well unless this building is sold out every night."
The unnamed Winnipeg team will play in the MTS Center, a 15,015 seat arena built in 2004. It currently hosts the AHL's Manitoba Moose.
The organization will offer fans seven unique ticket packages, all requiring a commitment of at least three years. The plans range in price from $1,755.00 to $5,805.00 per season. The team guarantees that ticket holders locked into these contracts will not have their prices raised by more than 3% annually.
Bettman reiterated to the press his excitement over hockey returning to Winnipeg.
"To be able to come back [to a city] that we know loves NHL hockey, to be able to do it in a city that's changed, with a collective bargaining agreement that's leveled the playing surface, with this building, with ownership," Bettman told the press. "These were factors that didn't exist in '96."