The Wednesday Memo (Subway Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- So last night during the third period of the Canadiens - Rangers game Subway rented out the end glass where a virtual/digital Subway logo was in large letters across the glass. Innovative marketing, sure, but what is more funny is how many Ranger fans are actually mad at this (HF Boards). Some actually think it was a giant sticker, thus obstructing the fans views. Priceless; if I find a picture today I will update here.

Found one. Thanks to Capitals Kremlin. Go there to take a look for now, gotta run.

- Watch the Minnesota Wild's Xcel Energy Center get changed over from a Coldplay Concert to a Hockey Arena on DIY's "Project Xtreme" Tuesday, April 14, at 10 PM EST (NHL.com).

- I'm sure most have heard of TLC's hit show "American Chopper" where customer chopper motorcycles are built for mainly chairty auctions. Well on this seasons premier episode on Thursday, April 9, at 9 PM EST, Ranger legend Rod Gilbert will deliver an "Original Six" NHL-style chopper to the Reebok NHL Store in New York (NHL.com). I like the show and will def. be watching.

- TSN and Versus will broadcast a half-hour shower featuring the NHL draft lottery drawing (NHL.com).

- The Detroit Red Wings are helping out Hockeytowns fans by offering a new layaway system for ticket holders (Redwings.com):

"eLayawaySPORTS is a payment processor that allows the Red Wings' season ticket holders to customize their payments for their season tickets over time. These monthly payment dates are selected by the fan and automatically deducted from their bank accounts. The technology charges a 1.9% flat transaction fee and zero interest. The new program will give Red Wings' fans the opportunity to pre-pay for their season tickets in a manner that meets their lifestyle and budget and receive the tickets when the package is paid in full."

Very nice. I wish more teams would use such a system.

- Finally, the mysterious NHL Portal that opens on Monday, April 13:



More later.

The Wednesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

- Smirnoff Vodka drinkers can catch the Coyotes host the Blues on April 7th due to the latest Coyotes ticket promotion. (Coyotes.com)

- Wayne Gretzky admits the Coyotes financial troubles did creep into the locker room this season (Versus.com):

“We tried to keep it out of our locker room as much as we could,” he told Versus.com. “Going into the All-Star break, it was pretty exciting and there was a real strong buzz. Not to make any excuse, but it sort of seeped into the locker room. Some of the guys we traded, players looked at it, like, ‘What’s going to happen here? Are we going to be here?’ It creeps into the locker room.

- A review of the environmental issues facing the Lighthouse Project on Long Island (Let There Be Light(house)).

- The Detroit Red Wings have a big decision this off-season; to stay in Joe Louis Arena or to build a new one? (Freep.com)

- James Mirtle does what I should have done and creates a nice chart to keep tabs on Ticket Prices (From The Rink). I will be doing this over the off-season as well probably.

- Finally, Dan Cloutier makes his best glove save ever in this old Nike Commercial:



More later.

Update, 2:30 PM EST:

- If the playoffs started today, TV/Media Edition (Puck The Media)

On Haitus Until Monday

This week has been crazy as I am on break doing many different things. I will be back posting Monday afternoon. Thanks for visiting as always.

One thing for the weekend that I was notified of, the New Jersey Devils are reducing season ticket prices next year and are also offering great deals with them. Take a look here.

Come on back Monday.

The Monday Memo (3:15 PM Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- Is Steve Avery the new NHL Golden Boy? (Puck The Media) - I like to think so.

- The University of Wisconsin is going ahead with plans to build a new arena for the Badger's Men's and Woman's Division I hockey teams (BizJournals). This one is a bit different though, as the arena is going to be privately funded, which is unusual for a University (especially one the size of Wisconsin).

- From Friday, the NHL Awards Show will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada this season (Yahoo).

- The NHL and Madison Square Garden have reportedly settled over their media-rights battle with the Rangers website among other things (Sports Business Journal):

"Terms of the settlement aren’t disclosed in the letter, but it does say that the settlement is expected to be completed by the end of March, at which time documentation of it will be submitted to the court and the lawsuit will be dismissed.

Sources familiar with the pending settlement say that it will see MSG cover all of the league’s legal fees, which are more than $15 million. Additionally, MSG will receive a seat on the NHL’s digital committee, NHL governors will be given the right to motion for anonymous votes on issues put before the board, and ownership groups will be able to propose a 30-day waiting period before the board votes on an issue brought forward by the NHL."

- The New Hartford Spartans win the Division II New York State High School Hockey State Championship (Utica OD).

- NHL.com has a sidebar ad for something called "The Portal" - I think from watching the video it has something to do with playoffs, as The Portal "opens" on April 13.

- Finally, an old OLN (Versus) NHL promo:



More later.

- Update, 3:15 PM EST:

- An overview behind the logic of freezing ticket prices in the NHL and NBA in such an economic climate (Dave Milz; Bleacher Report)

- Flyers at Rangers on NBC Sunday draws a 1.1/3 overnight (Puck The Media).

The Thursday Memo (Noon Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- Through 32 games, the Predators are averaging 13,940 paid tickets per game, a 7.6% gain since the same mark last season (Tennessean). Let's remember though, it is under the magic 14,000 revenue-sharing bar for this season.

- More news on the Lighthouse Project as a public information session has been scheduled along with a long post on possible stimulus money for the project. (Let There Be Light(house)).

- NHL GM's are worried about contracts that run into the 2010-2011 season due to the economy (NHL.com):

"We've very leery of contracts that run into the 2010-11 season. We think it's going to be very tough," said Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke. "I think we'd be delusional to think we'd not see some impact (from the poor economy)."

- The Atlanta Thrashers introduce a new ticket plan; the Thrashers Man Plan (Thrashers.com).
You get one ticket, unlimited hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, and soft pretzels along with a chance to meet and greet with members of the blue crew; better known as the Thrashers Ice Girls.

- Finally, I'm sure you've all seen this NHL promo involving players on a road trip (very accurate, if you ask me), but seeing as this will be my only post because today is the day before my spring break starts, I found it fitting:



- Update, Noon:

- The Chicago Blackhawks have been announced that season ticket prices from this season will not increase next season (NHL.com).

The Wednesday Memo (3 PM Update)

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

- The St. Louis Blues come out with a season ticket offer that if you renew by April 10th by putting as little as 10% down the season ticket prices will remain the same (Blues.com). If not, all season ticket prices go up by 10% for next season. And with the Blues only three points out of a playoff spot as of this morning, management is offering a "pay as we play" program if the Blues make the playoffs.

Up 10%? That sounds like a big jump to me.

- Tampa Bay Lightning Players, Coaches, Broadcasters, Owners, and Management visited homes and business throughout the Tampa Bay area on Monday to push their season ticket renewal packages along with delivering gift bags to season ticket holders (Lightning.com).

"The reclassification of 1,300 seats in the upper-portion of the terrace level creates a decline of up to 80 percent to only $239 for the season or just $5.69 plus tax, per game. Some of these seats cost season-ticket holders up to $1,199 for the 2008-09 season. When combined with those that were available at that price in 2008-09, almost 4,000 (about 20 percent) of the Times Forum seats will be available for $239. Half-season packages will be just $149 in the same area.

The remainder of the terrace-level seating will decrease by 20 percent. Many of the lower plaza and club-level seats will decrease 6-12 percent for the season and fans can sit in the plaza level for as low as $35.69 per game plus tax, per seat."

Good deals and great marketing getting out of the "office" and into the public. If you click on the article, a couple of the business apparently had a lot of memorabilia around their offices (naturally for the story, right?).

- In serious government Visa immigration rules that affect business, visa's for pro sports players have changed a bit (The Calgary Sun). Take a read:

"Foreign athletes participate in pro sports such as baseball, basketball, hockey and golf. They can come to the U.S. and play under what’s known as a P-1 visa, which is for internationally recognized athletes or members of internationally recognized entertainment groups.

Under the old regulations, recipients could get five years on the visa and extend it once for another five years, not to exceed a total of 10 years.

The new policy will require foreign athletes, at the end of 10 years, to leave the country before applying for a new visa. That’s not expected to be much of a burden for the athletes, many of whom return to their home country in the off-season."

The difference this could make is that at the end of their visa the player could be inclined to not return to the U.S. in favor for playing in their home country.

- The Blue Jackets "Nationwide Night" on Friday February 13th was apparently a huge success. The club partnered for the night with NASCAR to put on a cross promotional event (Partnership Activation).

- The Scotiabank Fan Fav award gives fans an opportunity to have an immediate personal connection with the league (Sponsorship Insight Group).

- Finally, this was arguably last years best NHL promo commercial; I think it was the best too:

- NHL to ESPN next season? Not so much, says Bob McKenzie (Puck The Media).

- The NHL has always, oh whats the word, struggled with creative fan merchandise. So as they put out their annual St. Patrick's Day gear, Greg Wyshynski asks, "wheres a beer mug?" (Puck Daddy).

"But missing from the T-shirts and sweatshirts and the jerseys is, perhaps, the most popular aspect of the holiday in North America: the consumption of alcohol. No beer mugs, no pubs, not even a single reference to booze on the clothing.

Can the NHL make St. Patrick's Day an unofficial hockey holiday without also embracing its inebriated spirit?...

...Haskins said the NHL has produced this line of green gear at the request of its teams

The Wednesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey...

Very slow day thus far, as I'm not surprised.

- Your media guide to Trade Deadline Day (Puck The Media)

- According to a source who is a Pittsburgh Penguins season ticket holder, next seasons full-season ticket plan is going up 8%. Bold move by the Penguins.

- On the same note, another source who is a Columbus Blue Jackets season ticket holder says his full-season ticket plan price did not change in his invoice for next season. Smart move Jackets.

So you can add the Pens to the raising category:


- Finally, the Nike hockey goalies are still at it with Fedorov:



That's all for now, more later.

- Update, 3:30 PM:

I'm done for the day as Hockey Christmas is just settling in. Rangers pick up Morris and Antropov, interesting. Check back tomorrow as always.

The Tuesday Memo

News and Notes from around the Business World of Hockey.

Somewhat of a slow day today, Playing Below Capacity will be coming up soon.

- An update/collection of all the ticket pricing news from the NHL and NBA (Sports Business Journal). They made this handy-dandy chart:



- An opinion piece where Shane Morin-Farraway wants four teams to be contracted from the NHL (Bleacher Report).

"Which leaves us with four possible candidates for retraction: Atlanta, Florida, Nashville, and Phoenix.

Although it could be argued that these teams have a chance to succeed in their respective markets, tradition dictates otherwise. The NHL, when all has been said and done, have failed in their Southern ventures."

Personally, four is too many. That robs the NHL of perfectly good revenue. If I had my way, Atlanta and Phoenix would be gone, and Florida would be moved. But lets save those rants for the long summer days of the off season.

- Another opinion piece by Sean Paddison where he is looking for coaches and managers of the future (Bleacher Report). One part I liked:

"Modern technology and research techniques allow coaches to develop solutions to help them beat previously-unbeatable teams. The Penguins record this year is a strong example of what happens when coaches have enough time to learn how to beat other teams."

Very true.

- Finally, a classic Nike Hockey promo:



This could be updated later so check back.

- Update, 12:30 PM EST:

The Mayor of Nashville is asking Gary Bettman to hold the 2015 All-Star game in Nashville (Tennessean):

"(Mayor Karl) Dean used the proposed new downtown convention center to make his pitch when Bettman visited on Feb. 19, said David Freeman, who leads the group of investors who bought the Predators in 2007. Previous inquiries about hosting the All-Star Game have fallen flat because the city doesn't have enough convention space or hotel rooms to accommodate the fans, media and others who would be here for the game and related activities, Freeman said."

Hey, I think they deserve it. Why not.

- Update, 2:05 PM EST:

The Xcel Energy Center, home of the Minnesota Wild, might get a big boost in value soon as $33 million of loans might be wiped clean in an effort by the city of St. Paul to line up funding for another ice rink to be built across from the Arena (Star Tribune).

"The idea is to provide a place for the Minnesota Wild to practice, to host amateur ice hockey and figure skating events, to handle overflow from Xcel Center events and to give downtown visitors another reason to hang out and spend time and money."

New McDonald's NHL Promo/Leafs Ticket Prices

- McDonald's Canada has more NHL promotion in store for this year, as they have released a new commercial revealing their mini-collectibles:



Funny if you ask me. As you see at the end of the commercial, there are six mini-figurines to collect. I doubt this will run in the United States, but lets hope for some odd reason that it does.

- In ticket pricing news, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be raising prices by an average of 3.5% for next season. Along with this, the 20% deposit for season tickets is non-refundable for the first time.

"Until this increase, we have basically been at 2003-04 pricing with only a 1% net increase since before the lockout," Tom Anselmi, executive vice-president and COO of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd, said in an e-mail."

Pay up, Ontario.

Monday Afternoon News and Notes

- Philadelphia Flyers ticket prices will not be raised next season (Philadelphia Business Journal). I think this applies for all prices after reading the article, but if not the season ticket prices will definitely not rise.

- Yesterday's Pens @ Caps NBC Game of the Week draws a 1.1/3 overnight (Puck The Media).

- Finally, some on-ice news for any fellow Blueshirt fans who follow me here, Tom Renney has indeed been fired (Rangers website). Sather deserves the axe more than him, but this might be a shake-up the team desperately needs. Please lets find someone that can bring in a system where offense is key.

Hopefully more later, but I'm not sure as the family dog was put down today, so I'm not feeling to hot. If I do not return, Playing Below Capacity with the Florida Panthers will be back tomorrow.

- Update: 6 PM:

The Anaheim Ducks jump in the ticket pricing fun, freezing all Season Ticket Plans (include partial ones), concession stand prices, and parking as well.

NHL a Top-10 Innovative Company in Sports

According to Fast Company, an industry leader magazine which focuses on business, the NHL is #7 on their list of the most innovative companies in sports (NHL.com article, Fast Company article). Fast Company seemed to be impressed with the NHL's Internet presence:

NHL.com: The challenger brand of sports leagues is becoming quite the creative digital-media company. Free from other leagues' restrictions on video, NHL.com shows exclusive off-the-ice footage as well as every goal scored.

The NHL shares the list with only one other sport, Ultimate Championship Fighting. Good for the league to gain some recognition, considering that hockey's fan base can be a very critical one of its own game.

- There is one more reason why to buy the NHL Network, as it plans to simulcast CBC's Hockey Day in Canada, which is coming up this Saturday, February 21st. For those of you who have never seen Hockey Day in Canada Programming, it's very well done and celebrates the game well. This year's HDIC is occurring in Campbellton, New Brunswick and will feature all six Canadian teams in a triple header back to back to back.

Here's the CBC Promo for this years day:



- No details yet on the Phoenix story, once again. Frustrating. More (maybe) later.

- Update: 4:55 PM EST:

More '09-'10 Ticket Price News. I'm not sure how I missed this last week, but the Kings are freezing their season ticket prices for holders. No word yet on single-game ticket prices.

The Hurricanes are offering a great deal to their current Season Ticket Holders, a three year price freeze (obviously with a couple of twists):

By placing a 30 percent deposit on their 2009-10 season tickets now, fans guarantee that their season ticket price will not change for the next three seasons, locking them at their 2008-09 price through the 2011-12 season. In addition, the team has made adjustments to how fans can pay for their season tickets, allowing them to spread their payments over an 11-month, zero-percent-interest plan, where installments will be paid monthly beginning with their deposits in March and extending into January 2010.

They also announced a pay-as-we-play plan for the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Good deals all around.

Playing Below Capacity: Columbus Blue Jackets

Welcome to the seventh edition of Playing Below Capacity, a series here at Puck Money where I take a look at teams playing below (as of December) 85% capacity. The previous six editions can be found on this page here. Today we visit Columbus, Ohio; where the Blue Jackets are fighting hard for their first playoff appearance since their inception in the NHL expansion of 2000. The Jackets are currently 27th in attendance ranked by capacity, coming in at 83%. However, they are averaging just over 15,000 a game, and are seeing over a 15% increase in second half attendance thus far.

*Note: Please remember that I'm a young college kid who thinks he knows what he's talking about. Any "problems" that I suggest the Blue Jackets have are my opinion and are most likely not 100% accurate (but close to it, if I do say so myself). Enjoy and please do comment.

Here are the ideas I came up with that could be problems with getting people to go to Jackets games on a regular basis...

• Arena Location/Age
• High Ticket Prices/Poor Promotional Events
• Metro Population
• On Ice Product
• Location/History of Franchise
• Other

Some basic facts of the Columbus Blue Jackets (wikipedia):

• The Blue Jackets were founded in 2000 as apart of the NHL Expansion. The original owner, John H. McConnell, died on April 25th, 2008. The team was handed over to his son, John P. McConnell, which went smoothly.
• In seven completed seasons, the Jackets have yet to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Last season, they came in 4th in the Central Division, with their highest point total as a franchise thus far, at 80 points. The Jackets are currently 8th in the Western Conference, but are subsequently tied for 6th at the same time.
• The Blue Jackets have played all seven series at Nationwide Arena, which opened in 2000 and was a key component of Columbus receiving a franchise.
• The capacity at Nationwide Arena for Ice Hockey is said to be either 18,136 to 18,144.

- Arena Location/Age

Nationwide Arena is one of the NHL's nicest arenas according to the Sports Road Trip Guys and ESPN. Being only nine years old this year, I doubt a great stadium experience is driving away fans from Nationwide. Let's take a look at the location (click to enlarge):

The arena is located between the green arrow and the red "A" arrow. I wanted to zoom out so much to be able to show you how much housing area there is around Columbus. To me, it seems like a giant suburb. Nationwide Arena is right in downtown Columbus though, so the location and the arena itself is most likely a definite help in attracting fans, not a detriment.

- High Ticket Prices/Poor Promotional Events

Blue Jackets tickets went up almost 5% this season, but are still a couple of dollars below the NHL average of $49.66, according to teammarketing.com. The average premium ticket is just under a $100, at $99.84; which is almost $15 dollars below the NHL average of $113.44. The Blue Jackets rank 16th in the Fan Cost Index, which:

comprises the prices of four (4) average-price tickets, two (2) small draft beers, four (4) small soft drinks, four (4) regular-size hot dogs, parking for one (1) car, two (2) game programs and two (2) least-expensive, adult-size adjustable caps.

A "typical" night at Nationwide Arena with the Jackets will cost a family $278.66, about $10 below the NHL average. This figure is up just over 11% from last season, which is the sixth highest jump in the NHL from last season. I think the ticket prices might have something to do with relatively low attendance in Columbus due to the economic recession, but the Jackets are still below the average; which is all you can ask for. To me, if it is possible, it would be smart for the Jackets to institute a price freeze heading into next season as their on-ice product picks up.

The Blue Jackets are definitely not lacking in the promotional department, as they have plenty of great and enticing deals to visit Nationwide Arena. My favorites? The Huntington Green Seats deal, where up to 250 seats are available in the upper level for just $10. My others would be Rush CBJ, a student promotion and the Jackets Night Out Pack, where you can get two tickets, two beers, and two pizzas for $60. Tip of the hat to the Jackets marketing group.

- Metro Population

According to statshockey.net and the Columbus wikipedia page, the population in Columbus is just under 750,000, with the metro around 1.75 million. This is a relatively small metro population for an NHL city, but sports are ingrained in Columbus' genes. As I contemplated with the Carolina Hurricanes, I really think Columbus could benefit from a higher city and metro population.

- On-Ice Product

As stated, the Jackets have not made the playoffs in any of the seven seasons they have played. They are currently in the thick of a tight Western Conference rank, and the Jackets attendance numbers are reaping the benefits. Take a look at what is a great fan base being rewarded with poor on-ice play (click to enlarge):


An expansion market in the top 10, let alone 15, of attendance in its early years?! That's almost unheard of. Columbus is a great market that supports American sports such as football and baseball but also has a fond place for "foreign" sports such as Soccer (MLS' Columbus Crew) and Hockey. The Jackets front office needs to get their stuff in line and put a competitive team for the great fan base in Ohio.

Columbus is really looking good for the future, though. 22 of the 28 spots on the roster are men 29 years old or younger; while 15 of the 28 are 26 years old or younger. They have found the key to a great team in a goaltender named Steve Mason, only 20 years old. Their weakness is defense, but their good mix of young speedy forwards and veteran leadership up front combines to make a great offensive attack which defines a "new NHL" team. The Jackets should have some solid years ahead of them, but the front office will have to be smart on how they spend their money and who to keep when the youngsters come looking for new contracts.

- Location/History of Franchise

Ohio is a great state for sports. Cleveland has the market on Basketball and Baseball, but Columbus currently runs the market with Football (Ohio State), Hockey, and Soccer. Why the people of Ohio love all sports is really beyond me, but Columbus should be a key focus for the NHL in terms of "growing the game," as Bettman loves to hear. There is no immediate NBA threat in Columbus, and with Soccer and Hockey two sports that incorporate much of the same fans, Columbus is a potentially huge market for the league.

Columbus is enjoying huge TV Ratings gains this season, as well. A search at arenamaps.com in the state of Ohio returns 59 records of rinks, which shows the game is somewhat rooted into communities around the state. Also, the Miami University at Ohio and the Ohio State division 1 hockey programs are strong and growing, and have made trips recently to the NCAA Ice Hockey Tournament. The location of the franchise is great, and the struggled on-ice history clearly hurts the attendance.

- Other

The Blue Jackets are the 28th most valuable team in the NHL at $157 million. The team grew last year at an annual rate of 6%, and also brought in a revenue of $71 million, but they are still operating at a loss of $7.1 million as of last season. I think with the revival of the on-ice product this season, that loss should not be as big after this season, as I expect the ticket sales to go up along with the brand of the Blue Jackets to reap some benefits.

- Conclusion

Simply put, Columbus management has the ultimate control to steer the team into financial success. Much of the problem is on-ice, as the market in Columbus and Ohio in general is great for hockey. Sure, the franchise would clearly benefit if the metro population around Columbus swelled by another 500 or 750K, but that is wishful thinking. If I was John P. McConnell, I would sharpen up my hockey knowledge as soon as possible, and then put some pressure on General Manager Scott Howson to turn the Jackets into a consistent winner. This should fill the seats night in and night out for years to come.

That about does it here for the seventh edition of Playing Below Capacity. Next week, its down to Sunrise, Florida to visit the Florida Panthers who have been making plenty of noise in the Eastern Conference playoff race. I would personally love to see hockey fever get back into Florida as it did when John Vanbiesbrouck & Co. led the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Finals in the spring of '96.

Come on back in a bit for some more news.

Gretzky on HNIC and Thrashers Ownership Troubles Resurface

First of all, the Rangers suck. Tom Renney is eventually going to take the fall for Glen Sather's awful GM decisions, and its a shame. He has overachieved with this club and brought the club back to life the past couple of seasons. End the Sather era in New York.

Anyways...

Wayne Gretzky spoke with HNIC's Inside Hockey last night. They started with the state of the Coyotes and eventually led to his future plans. Take a look (business related stuff up to the 4 min. mark and after the 6 min):



Gretzky is confident the team will still be in Phoenix next season. The biggest news maker came out after the 6 minute mark, where Gretzky said that if the team did move, he wouldn't be going with it as coach. Finally, he acknowledges the fact that a team or teams would most likely be successful in Southern Ontario. Nothing too shocking.

In other Gretzky news, the Globe and Mail reported Saturday morning that he was getting paid close to 8 million dollars to coach the Coyotes. Gretzky dismissed this Saturday night before the game, saying:

"The reality is my partnership with Mr. (Coyotes owner Jerry) Moyes is pretty unique. My partnership goes along the lines of coaching and corporate work for the hockey club -- part of the salary goes into ownership."

Well OK then.

The Thrashers ownership battles are back in the news as they go back into courts as well. James Mirtle and The Falconer had their takes over the weekend. For a little history on this, Puck Money reader Jennifer sent me two great articles back in late January. Supposedly, a man named David McDavid (heh) won the original lawsuit to make him the rightful owner, but that didn't happen. Finally, a little more history as here is the original story of the Atlanta owners attempting to buy each other out.

To sum it up, the Thrashers, Hawks, and Phillips Arena are essentially a package deal. Because of this mess and their individual performances in their respective leagues, they are easily worth more than they are to purchase. I will either touch on this more later tonight or further on in the week, or when it comes the Thrashers turn for my Playing Below Capacity Series.

Either way, more later.

Update, 6:15 PM:

I don't know how I missed this, but the Kings join the bandwagon in freezing season ticket prices for next season.

A summary of ticket price announcements (for next season) thus far:

- Wild freeze prices
- Oilers will slightly increase
- Bruins will slightly increase

More later.

Old Tyme Hockey

I managed to watch the second period between the Habs and Avs last night in Colorado, where they saluted the 100 seasons of the Canadiens by turning back the clock on their broadcast. They broadcasted in black and white (duh), but also with no scoreboard and between the faceoffs when they would look at a player a simple; 23 M.Hejduk - would come up. Here's a highlight as to how it looked (Brisebois v. Tucker fight):



In other news, the Panthers are jumping in on the Playoff Stretch run ticket offers. Their offer is called the Panthers Promise Plan. You pay for four remaining games and in return if the Panthers make the playoffs you get Priority Access to Playoff tickets. If they fail to make the playoffs, then you receive four free tickets next season in games from October through December. Pretty sweet deal in my opinion.

That's probably it for today, enjoy your saturdays. Tomorrow we have the Flyers @ Rangers, 12:30 PM EST, on NBC. Check it out.

More Ticket News

- Watching the Kings game last night, they announced a new ticket deal in the third period. The L.A. Kings Stretch Pack:

The Kings (24-21-7, 55 pts) are in the playoff chase this year (Western Conference Standings), entering play on Feb. 12, just three points out of a playoff spot and six points out of fifth place in the West. Jump on the stretch run of the season as your Kings battle for a Western Conference Playoff spot. Get two tickets to four games, two Kings Alternate Logo Hats and priority opportunity to purchase playoff tickets for just $99.

That's a deal in a half. I'd buy them just for the playoff priority. Good marketing, L.A.

- Sports Business News reports that Buffalo Sabres Season Tickets will increase by 5% for the 2009-2010 season. Along with this is another playoff incentive:

Fans who commit to renewing by March 20 can get sizable discounts on potential Stanley Cup playoff games this spring — and the team will be crediting customers' '09-10 accounts with rebates matching the discounts. Factoring in rebates, fans may actually pay less for their tickets for next season if the team goes deep into the playoffs.

"We're not sitting around thinking, "Oh my god, we're going to have this big decline in season-ticket renewals,' because the bottom line is we really don't believe that," Sabres minority owner Larry Quinn said. "But we do want to do something to relieve the pressure on people from the economic situation..."

Apparently, the Sabres management are expecting a drop in season ticket holders. The article also states that the club will not make a decision on single game tickets until the summer after the schedule is released. That will be interesting, as they will most likely base their numbers off how successful their renewals are. The Sabres currently are 8th in the Eastern Conference with a 3 point lead over 9th and 10th placed Carolina and Pittsburgh; both at 59 points.

1:15 PM Update:

- The Colorado Avalanche are also jumping in on the fun with their Home Stretch Pack. Four games starting in early March against the Wings, Oilers, Canucks, and Blues:

Available packages:

• $340 - Lower Level End
• $204 - Upper Center Balcony
• $144 - Upper Corner Balcony
• $89 - Upper End Balcony

-Playoff ticket pre-sale for Home Stretch buyers.
-Priority seating for 2009-10 season tickets
-No service charges or handling fees

$90 on the balcony (A lot of fun, great view) for four games along with the other perks? What a deal.

More to come later.

Coyotes/Thrashers Go All Out With Discounts

Mirtle found the following image yesterday, showing how the Thrashers are discounting ticket prices along with stringing a deal for next season:


A great deal, for sure, but I don't think it will work very successfully. Why? Well because there in Atlanta, for starts. Atlanta is just above the 14,000 threshold for revenue sharing, but is under 80% in capacity (team has to have one or the other to qualify).

The Coyotes are cutting ticket prices as well - up to 40% off. This ploy has a greater chance of working than the Thrashers one, only because it isn't such a lump sum of money.

As for this tactic of cutting ticket prices, I don't mind it; but only to an extent. I think what the Thrashers thought up was innovative and a really good deal, while at the same time they will make a good chunk of money. On the other hand, cutting your tickets by up to 40% like the Coyotes, I do not support. Enough tickets are given away down there, and I doubt 40% off a $30, 300-level ticket is going to provide the "infusion of capital" into the Coyotes books to really help them.

Long day of travel, hopefully more later.