The Rebuild™ - looking ahead to 26-27

[Hockey Widow]

And we won't have a POHO who proclaims it was a deliberate tank, fucking up yet again a chance at 1OA.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Yeah, just to clarify, the players can't tank --

RG forgetting about EP. He's about as tanky as it gets!

Sorry, I try to be more careful than that. By "can't", I meant "must not be allowed to", as in, the team has to expect maximum effort.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Completely agree. When the Sedins said “compete,” they weren’t talking about winning games, they were talking about playing like your job depends on it every night.

Which is exactly what Benning said heading into his "retool".

Just'cause Benning said it doesn't automatically make it wrong.

[Megaterio Llamas]

That war room is going to have the best sandwiches in the league.

I'll tell you that for free.

[donlever]

Panino with Lampredotto

Prochetta

Mortadella

Mozza balls

Swedish Meatballs

Pickled Herring and Knackebrod

...eating like Kings.

[Carl Yagro]

I'm sure Cammi makes a mean chicken parm for Ray during home broadcasts.

Megs, the fans will be paying $30+ for a roast beast sandwich at the games... likely not the best sammies in the league.

[Topper]

Panino with Lampredotto

Prochetta

Mortadella

Mozza balls

Swedish Meatballs

Pickled Herring and Knackebrod

...eating like Kings.

From the sport of kings

Carne di cavallo affumicata

I used to by the Dutch variety from a deli in Salmon Arm

[Meds]

Completely agree. When the Sedins said “compete,” they weren’t talking about winning games, they were talking about playing like your job depends on it every night.

Which is exactly what Benning said heading into his "retool".

Just'cause Benning said it doesn't automatically make it wrong.

If memory serves, Benning said the plan was to compete for the playoffs.

[Topper]

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/124788 ... fine-line/

[JelloPuddingPop]

I'm sure Cammi makes a mean chicken parm for Ray during home broadcasts.

LOL, you actually think Cammi is the one making the sandwiches in that relationship?

[donlever]

Lol

[Carl Yagro]

Yeah, Ray is whipped.

[UWSaint]

That war room is going to have the best sandwiches in the league.

I'll tell you that for free.

It shouldn't be the war room. It should be the concessions. If you can't make the fan experience awesome on the ice, make it awesome in the rink and around the team. The community stuff is one aspect of this, but why leave it to the kids with cancer. Awesome concessions for the suits, family packs for the family -- why launch t shirts into the lower bowl (or whatever silly give away there is) instead of including a logo'ed puck in a family pack that the kids going to keep around in his room forever), a box reserved for the youth hockey clubs coaches and parents for the kids that skate around between periods. When there's a practice facility, involve a fan experience.

Look to teams like the Sharks who managed to go from years of competitiveness to a long rebuild yet seemed to maintain a good connection with their fans.

[donlever]

They do a good deal of that for season holders UW.

Actually.....

.....a lot.

I send my staff and their kids to skate with the team...to open practices.......one of my staffs kids got to do the warm up one year and stood beside for the anthem & then got dapped up by Miller....misc schwag is dolled out...signings...meet certain players...et cetera

[UWSaint]

They do a good deal of that for season holders UW.

Actually.....

.....a lot.

I send my staff and their kids to skate with the team...to open practices.......one of my staffs kids got to do the warm up one year and stood beside for the anthem & then got dapped up by Miller....misc schwag is dolled out...signings...meet certain players...et cetera

Good to know.

Expand opportunities for non season ticket holders, too, so they don’t have to depend on a boss who is a season ticket holder who sees more value in transferring his perks than using them himself.

Season ticket holders are absolutely critical to cash flow, and I suspect (without knowledge, but I would hope the club tracks it) that in house dollars put into retention pay off better than dollars put into recruitment. Season ticket holders should be treated very well, but fan experiences should not be just a perk for the season ticket holders. (Not saying they do that, but we’ve all noticed trends that some things are going to be just for members because it helps the value proposition). I am just making a pitch that there are families where not only are season tickets out of the question, but going to a single game requires a sacrifice. So just make that family experience a little more attainable, make it a little more special, and build a future fanbase, maybe in that next generation there will be more success and a season ticket holder. And even if it’s not a long term cash receipt play, I think community goodwill really of those who rarely attend games really does matter. Viewers impact tv contracts, enthusiasm from a once-a-year ticket buyer may be contagious to his wealthier friend, positive vibes in the rink reinforce that the slow plan is okay, and maybe more kids that get inspired to play. How many would be Macklin Celebrini’s never caught the bug because they never experienced it?

I’m not there so I don’t know if there’s a danger that hockey’s falling behind other interests and priorities. In the US, I feel interest in the sport has never been higher (the expansion plan set in motion in the early 90s worked, and this last Olympics….), and weirdly, while people are apprehensive about the economy, the number of people with cash to spend on putting their kids into the sport or take to games has never been greater. That’s my sense anyway.