Ownership and Management

[Topper]

I emailed this to Donny and he suggested I post it - but carry on with Cirque jerks if you wish.

It isn't about ticket prices. It is managements basic failure of high school economics in judging the elasticity of their prices with their consumers. They then treat their most dedicated customers as though they are all named Horvat or Boudreau by asking them to buy the band aids to cover management's blunders.

People are sending their tickets back, that is what resellers are. The organization takes on the role of scalping and it isn't a sellers market. Hoping your season ticket holders buy even more at a reduced price to give away to clients is not a good business model and by the number of lower bowl empty seats, it isn't working. The walk up market has also disappeared as those reseller tickets are hitting 40% discounts on the open market.

Cirque Du Soleil doesn't ask you to pay up front for 40 performances a year.

[donlever]

...and we're talking about Habs games here, not just Columbus or Nashville.

I can still recall a time when, irrespective of the quality of the on ice product or the Habitants lineup, that Montreal games came with a perceptible heightened vibe.

You could literally feel it in the rink.

Not anymore.

Buddy of mine is a major Habs fan and a long time seasons holder.

Centre ice, top row reds.

Even he gave away his Hab seats last month as it was not worth the effort to go downtown.

First time ever.....

[donlever]

Yesterday's buy now get one free email from the team.

Screenshot_20251201-143207_Email.jpg (139.6 KiB) Viewed 516 times

...and this mornings....

Screenshot_20251201-143218_Email.jpg (52.75 KiB) Viewed 516 times

...what did Cummings say?

It's a fine state of affairs....

[Cornuck]

Even he gave away his Hab seats last month as it was not worth the effort to go downtown.
First time ever.....

Wow - that is telling. So the ticket sellers have to contend with a LOT more than just the product on the ice, and who the opponent is. Parking, traffic, and all the usual bullshit that comes with a trip downtown must be getting worse each year.

I'm so out of the loop that Omaha traffic is a hassle.

[rikster]

I emailed this to Donny and he suggested I post it - but carry on with Cirque jerks if you wish.

It isn't about ticket prices. It is managements basic failure of high school economics in judging the elasticity of their prices with their consumers. They then treat their most dedicated customers as though they are all named Horvat or Boudreau by asking them to buy the band aids to cover management's blunders.

People are sending their tickets back, that is what resellers are. The organization takes on the role of scalping and it isn't a sellers market. Hoping your season ticket holders buy even more at a reduced price to give away to clients is not a good business model and by the number of lower bowl empty seats, it isn't working. The walk up market has also disappeared as those reseller tickets are hitting 40% discounts on the open market.

Cirque Du Soleil doesn't ask you to pay up front for 40 performances a year.

Not sure what your point is?

You don't like the cost of tickets, get that....but your dreaming if you think they are going to come down or resellers are going to go away, in fact resellers make up as much as 40% and in some markets a higher % of the total tickets sold ...

Resellers are deeply embedded in the NHL ticket economy.

They influence:

ticket availability

pricing

arena fill rates

season-ticket buying habits

game-day demographics

In some markets, they are nearly as important as the teams’ own ticket offices.

Re sellers are across all of the North American pro sports and teams and leagues officially partner with them ... Vancouver is mid level when it comes to the use of resellers as a % of total ticket sales...

Maybe you missed the links that showed Canucks attendence is up this season?

https://soundofhockey.com/2025/11/21/20 ... hatgpt.com

https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/a ... hatgpt.com

[Carl Yagro]

It's not the downtown traffic that has gotten worse.

It's the traffic out of downtown after the game and back to the 'burbs, filled with anger and generally shitty feelings having spent hundreds of dollars for an absolutely shite overall product.

Much easier to detach and be apathetic.

Last season, my buddy with the season tickets gave me the Habs game last minute. I had pretty much already lost interest in the team, but I was surprised nobody wanted them. The Habs were a scalper's paradise... it's shocking how far this organization has lost touch with the their fanbase and the economy.

I was offered the Habs game again this season. Nah man, I'm good.

[rikster]

Yesterday's buy now get one free email from the team.

Screenshot_20251201-143207_Email.jpg

...and this mornings....

Screenshot_20251201-143218_Email.jpg

...what did Cummings say?

It's a fine state of affairs....

So what's the discount?

[Lancer]

Hearing some rumblings about Rutherford going off into the sunset, to be replaced by Dale Tallon. Canucks Army Stanchies were referencing itrepeatedly - not that that means too much.

Anybody else hearing anything on this front?

I mean, Tallon is on staff, so he would be tempting to Frankie if he says the right things and Frankie gets disenchanted with Rutherford.

I just don't see Tallon as any kind of upgrade from Rutherford.

Then again, as we've discussed here vigorously, so long as the ownership remains the same I don't see anyone replacing Rutherford to be able to be an upgrade.

[donlever]

Tallon was discussed here yesterday with respect to that topic yes.

How about an up and comer who has "middle management" experience, doesn't even have to be a young dude like Grier, someone along the lines of Nill, Verbeek Guerin....

[dangler]

Even he gave away his Hab seats last month as it was not worth the effort to go downtown.
First time ever.....

Wow - that is telling. So the ticket sellers have to contend with a LOT more than just the product on the ice, and who the opponent is. Parking, traffic, and all the usual bullshit that comes with a trip downtown must be getting worse each year.

I'm so out of the loop that Omaha traffic is a hassle.

I wouldn't read that much into it. There was a Blue Jay's World Series game on at the same time. There was alot of ticket reselling going on that normally wouldn't happen for a habs game.

[dangler]

Tallon was discussed here yesterday with respect to that topic yes.

How about an up and comer who has "middle management" experience, doesn't even have to be a young dude like Grier, someone along the lines of Nill, Verbeek Guerin....

If they're going to change the regime it would be nice to have someone younger that can stick around for awhile and build a true contender.

[Ronning's Ghost]

Tallon was discussed here yesterday with respect to that topic yes.

How about an up and comer who has "middle management" experience, doesn't even have to be a young dude like Grier, someone along the lines of Nill, Verbeek Guerin....

If they're going to change the regime it would be nice to have someone younger that can stick around for awhile and build a true contender.

I had the impression that the Sedins were being groomed for management.

They were amongst the smartest hockey players I know of, so if they were given a relatively free hand (I know, I know), it would be interesting to see what they could do.

[Chef Boi RD]

I saw this tweet on Twitter and I can’t think of a better description in describing the uselessness of this organization, welcome to the horror of our situation:

“The rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins have 8 more points than the ‘staying competitive’ Vancouver Canucks, and the Penguins have played 2 fewer games.”

Stay competitive, Pony Boy

[theman]

I saw this tweet on Twitter and I can’t think of a better description in describing the uselessness of this organization, welcome to the horror of our situation:

“The rebuilding Pittsburgh Penguins have 8 more points than the ‘staying competitive’ Vancouver Canucks, and the Penguins have played 2 fewer games.”

Stay competitive, Pony Boy

But, but, they have Silovs in net…

[Megaterio Llamas]

This ownership and management is comedy gold