The lockout is over, training camps are open, but there is a debate among hockey fans on what the league and it’s teams should do for the fans to make up for them missing half a season of their beloved sport.
Gary Bettman has said he’s sorry, but what was he supposed to say? And does anyone care? The Pittsburgh Penguins are offering 50% off all merchandise and free concession items, while the Tampa Bay Lightning offered 200 season-ticket packages for their 24 home games for $200 on a first come, first served basis.
For their part the Canucks have opened up Rogers Arena this week for their abbreviated training camp. They will also hold a “Jersey’s off our backs” night for Saturday’s season opener against Anaheim. The team says there will be other giveaways and random prizes given out during the season.
But that’s not good enough for some fans, who feel the team should be a little more generous if they hope to maintain their loyalty. The reality is however, at least in Canada, they don’t have to. There is a waiting list for season tickets that spans years, so the Canucks have that in their back pocket, and know that soon hockey fans will forget. Probably after the first big save by Cory Schneider, or the first tic-tac-toe play by the twins. Canucks fever will be back, it’s already back so if you’re expecting that half price jersey, don’t hold your breath because if you don’t buy a full priced one, ten other people will.
In Winnipeg the MTS centre was sold out for the Jets first practice of the year. The buzz in Edmonton isn’t “what can you do for me”, but is instead one of getting to watch their exciting young team possibly contend for a playoff spot. In Toronto the rink will be packed as they hope for the arrival of a goaltender from the west coast that could help them get to the playoffs in a post Brian Burke era.
Talk of boycotts of this and boycotts of that are noble and understandable stances, and everyone is entitled to their own way of dealing with the return of hockey, but they likely won’t last long with the true hockey fan.
In the end, I would have been happy with the league making their Centre Ice package free for the duration of the season. A quick look at the Shaw Cable website shows the package is mentioned, but not available to order at the moment. Could it be a discount or free offering is in the works? We’ll have to wait and see, but there would be no better way to get fans interested again than to give them maximum exposure to what promises to be some intense hockey once we get going.
What individual teams do is obviously going to depend on the market they are in. Teams in the U.S. will no doubt have to make more of an effort and Canadian fans will point south and say, “What about us?” In a way it’s a shame that the game’s most passionate fans will likely get the fewest perks when it comes to post-lockout apologies, but let’s face it…Canadian fans already have the biggest prize they could hope for; their game is back.
0
0
0
0
0
0
Discounted food for opening weekend only isn’t gonna help people who can’t afford tickets. I think discounted merchandise is a double edged sword. Yeah, fans getnit cheaper, but whatever discount is applied, the team will compensate with volume. It also goes to show how many people are distracted by “shiny objects” and can be bought.
Having said all that, I’ve already made my thoughts and intentions clear as far as the 2013 and 2013-2014 seasons go. In short, I will not support the NHL until at least Dec 2013. My entertainment dollar, and more importantly, time will go towards other franchises.
Call me bitter, but having a horribly ill-defined labour dispute between millionaires and billionaires makes me sick. Then to find out that the cheapest ticket to a Canucks game is $64 + taxes and fees has pushed me over the edge.
I think the Canucks and a few teams out there are trying, but you have to take the first steps in order to move forward. Having a season, albeit shortened, is a start. How the relationship goes from there is going to be a day to day, game to game basis.
Anger about the salaries and revenues aside, I love NHL hockey, particularly the Canucks. It was punishment enough to not have an opener in October.
After I initially left a comment I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and
now each time a comment is added I receive 4 emails
with the same comment. Perhaps there is a means you are able to remove me from that service?
Thanks!
It’s truly very complex in this active life to listen news on Television, therefore I just use world wide web for that purpose, and obtain the hottest information.
I for all time emailed this webpage post page to all my contacts, because if like to read it next my contacts will too.
At this time I am going away to do my breakfast, when having my
breakfast coming yet again to read further news.
Hi colleagues, fastidious paragraph and good urging commented here,
I am actually enjoying by these.
Wonderful beat ! I wish to apprentice whilst you amend
your site, how can i subscribe for a weblog site?
The account helped me a acceptable deal. I
were tiny bit acquainted of this your broadcast provided
vivid transparent concept
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about new york hotels.
Regards
These are truly wonderful ideas in concerning blogging.
You have touched some fastidious points here. Any way keep up wrinting.
My developer is trying to convince me to move
to .net from PHP. I have always disliked the idea because
of the costs. But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using Movable-type on numerous
websites for about a year and am concerned about switching to another platform.
I have heard good things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can import all
my wordpress posts into it? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Its such as you learn my thoughts! You seem to understand a
lot about this, such as you wrote the e book
in it or something. I feel that you could do with some percent to pressure the message house a bit, however other than that,
that is fantastic blog. A fantastic read. I will definitely be back.