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Post by scotian1 on Nov 1, 2024 9:22:57 GMT -4
Whatever the reasons, attendance this year has been dangerously low. It can't be because of the quality of the team because this team is competitive and features some exciting young talent. But how sustainable is it to be drawing just over 2,000 game? I know it was Halloween last night but it was against the top rated team in the country and an arch rival and to draw less than 2,000 is an unacceptable number. Surely those team officials involved in the business side of the team must be concerned. What is the answer of getting more bums in the seats because as a business this is unacceptable.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Nov 1, 2024 12:39:26 GMT -4
It absolutely can be because of the quality of the team.
Last 2 seasons:
22-23 24 wins in 68 games and bottom 5 in the league
23-24 20 wins in 68 games and bottom 3 in the league
Remove the 1 great week in 2022 and it hasn't exactly been a great team to follow over the past 6-7 seasons.
You're right there's good young talent. And for $25 per adult walk up ticket people will support that talent when they're 18 and 19 and in a position to win.
The whole "arch rival" stuff doesn't work for a October/November game between a contending team and a middle of the pack or rebuilding team. There's no real rivalry with any of these markets unless both teams are good. Moncton, Bathurst, Halifax, Quebec are all the same rivals when the home team isn't great.
To answer how long is it sustainable at 2000/game: Forever with the current league structure. Owned by Scott McCain. Still in a 6000 seat arena that more then makes up for any losses during good times.
Bathurst is only now losing their team after like 10+ years of local ownership and little to no community support and their good days are Saint John's bad days.
As bad as the front office may make the on ice product at 2000+ its not going anywhere.
What is the answer to getting more people in seats? Building a winning hockey team. You can't deliver NHL future stars and championships and expect the same market to happily sit through extended periods of losing.
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Post by j3e4 on Nov 1, 2024 15:08:18 GMT -4
While I agree that attendance in general has been a bit disappointing, I'd hardly consider last night the breaking point.
Anyone that has been paying attention to trends over the past 20 years shouldn't have expected much more than the season ticket base plus a few Wildcats fans at last night's game. 3 games in 4 days. Which one(s) do you think most casual fans are going to choose if they only attend 1 or 2 of those games? Thursday, Saturday or Sunday? On a regular week, very few will choose Thursday, let alone the fact that it also happened to be Halloween.
And yeah most casual fans couldn't care less about the opponent. They care about cost of ticket and schedule. If anything, playing the top rated team in the country might have deterred some people from attending as they might have expected a blowout loss.
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Post by Briwhel on Nov 2, 2024 18:49:57 GMT -4
For $28.50, you could end up watching the first period tonight where multiple Sea Dogs took crosschecks by players throwing picks, Peddle gets a holding penalty for trying to fight through a pick and extra minor for the ref being trash then Beveridge somehow gets 2 minutes gor being checked off the puck then clotheslines do he couldn't backaches (while an extremely late shot by Verreault gets nothing).
At that price, the quality of officiating is absolute trash.
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Post by hfxfan09 on Nov 2, 2024 20:55:39 GMT -4
For $28.50, you could end up watching the first period tonight where multiple Sea Dogs took crosschecks by players throwing picks, Peddle gets a holding penalty for trying to fight through a pick and extra minor for the ref being trash then Beveridge somehow gets 2 minutes gor being checked off the puck then clotheslines do he couldn't backaches (while an extremely late shot by Verreault gets nothing). At that price, the quality of officiating is absolute trash. Who was officaiting? I feel like Halifax get's that most night's too. They've already had 2-3 terrible calls this season.(most calls I'm left shaking my head at the ref) I can't figure out who's worse and I don't care about name dropping anymore we've put up with this long enough Hopkins, DeYoung, Starmozki, Langille. |
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Post by hfxfan09 on Nov 2, 2024 20:56:47 GMT -4
Do you find it worse when a Que team is involved? I do, yes I know were bias but I've watched a Que team hold/Crosscheck etc our player and get away with it yet if we do the same thing it's a penalty.
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jrob
Draft Pick
Posts: 29
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Post by jrob on Nov 3, 2024 10:37:23 GMT -4
Bring fighting back to the league would be a start, also get rid of some people from that circus of an office they have on the top floor at TD Station
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Post by davo1997 on Nov 3, 2024 11:56:07 GMT -4
Bring fighting back to the league would be a start, also get rid of some people from that circus of an office they have on the top floor at TD Station There were barely any fights to begin with could help but i barely notice they are gone thats how little they happened. |
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Post by JEagle on Nov 3, 2024 16:43:58 GMT -4
Bring fighting back to the league would be a start, also get rid of some people from that circus of an office they have on the top floor at TD Station A 17yo player on Gatineau was literally having convulsions on the ice from a fight, a day ago and you're talking about wanting to bring fighting back. |
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Post by iraca on Nov 4, 2024 8:31:47 GMT -4
If you only support your team if it is a contender, in a league where you "start over" every four or five years, you wont have a team for very long.
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Post by qfan24 on Nov 4, 2024 9:02:09 GMT -4
Bring fighting back to the league would be a start, also get rid of some people from that circus of an office they have on the top floor at TD Station There were barely any fights to begin with could help but i barely notice they are gone thats how little they happened. These kids want to play hockey, not get head injuries. There is normal life after hockey. Best example of what can happen is that Gatineau kid, very hard to watch. I sure hope that he will NOT have long term injuries due to a scramble while losing 2-8. The game has evolved, I don't see fighting as a necessity. Injury wise, I would also have them wear full visors. Why risk losing teeth or even worse an eye. NCAA does it, not seeing less kids turning pro because they protected their face. |
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Post by Jack Bauer on Nov 4, 2024 9:25:17 GMT -4
Bring fighting back to the league would be a start, also get rid of some people from that circus of an office they have on the top floor at TD Station What sport are you watching? The NHL "allows" fighting and there's still no real fighting. You're 25 years too late to the "hockey means fighting" as part of the entertainment of a hockey game. Reality is the fighting meant more players with no place in the sport taking liberties on players who do. Now we have none of that. It's amazing how for 25 years we heard there'd be more stick work and goonery WITHOUT FIGHTERS! Thats all the pro-fighting crowd lived off of talking about. Now we see that was all pure bullshit. There's no extra stick work or big hits or goonery without fighting. It all mostly left with the guys who were there to do the "protecting". Yet no fighting means the top end skilled players get to not worry about a lumberjack coming for their knees. Blame fighters and the pro-fighting delusional crowd for where fighting went in hockey. They're still trying to push the narrative to anyone who will listen, too. Meanwhile the more every day goes on that fighting isn't a part of the sport is another day the sport is considerably healthier in terms of its top end players. |
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Post by Jack Bauer on Nov 4, 2024 9:28:31 GMT -4
If you only support your team if it is a contender, in a league where you "start over" every four or five years, you wont have a team for very long. Sure you will. Bathurst has had a team for over a decade without proper support. The key is how much revenue you generate during big years more then it is how much you lose during down years. But you also can't go cycles without winning a playoff series and expect support while still floundering in the middle of the league. |
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jrob
Draft Pick
Posts: 29
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Post by jrob on Nov 4, 2024 10:31:16 GMT -4
If you only support your team if it is a contender, in a league where you "start over" every four or five years, you wont have a team for very long. Sure you will. Bathurst has had a team for over a decade without proper support. The key is how much revenue you generate during big years more then it is how much you lose during down years. But you also can't go cycles without winning a playoff series and expect support while still floundering in the middle of the league. |
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jrob
Draft Pick
Posts: 29
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Post by jrob on Nov 4, 2024 10:34:57 GMT -4
MR Jack Bauer fighting in the Q is banned thanks to the Quebec Government, have you been to a game before or sit on your couch? Have you experienced or watch the crowd stand up and cheer after cheer after a fight and sit down and look at their cell phone after a big goal , after a fight most rinks are for of electricity was my point
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