AIR FOR SALE IN WINNIPEG; NEW ARENA GAINS "AMAZING" SUPPORT

     In an announcement described as "amazing and remarkable,"
the Manitoba Entertainment Complex (MEC) has commitments by the
city's corporate community to buy 40 luxury boxes and 1,200
premium seats for a new hockey rink for the Jets.  MEC
spokesperson Bob Silver: "We've sold air.  We have no site, we
have no building. ... We don't even have a hockey season."  The
new rink, if its built at all, won't open until '97, but arena
builders are "optimistic" by the marketing effort.  Jets
President Barry Shenkarow said a reason for the success is that
the NHL labour dispute has boosted the confidence of
"Winnipeggers" that a league wide salary cap will be realized and
that a small market franchises such as the Jets will draw fans to
a new building still on the driving board.  The team has said it
will move if it does not get a new facility.  The MEC has
generated C$5.8M for the project and C$8.2M in annual revenues.
Their target is to raise C$10M toward the cost of the C$110M
facility (David Roberts, Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 12/9).