NHL looking to add 2nd Toronto franchise?? - Page 3

birddogg · 10-24-2008, 02:14 PM

Can the argument be made in areas that have poor attendance in the south as poor marketing? I feel like people don't have a problem embracing hockey,BUT you need to get them to see the first game otherwise TV hockey is all they know.TV is crap for hockey tho i find myself watching away games anyways, its not the same as being at the game supporting your team.People that don't know Hockey need a little push to get them there and well once there we all know how fun it can be.

1 Great action as much as any NFL game
2 Cheaper than NFL and NBA and there are no "Bad Seats"
3 More convenient than most sports in America,games are short and traffic generally is easier to deal with.

4 You have time to enjoy stadium food without missing the game standing in line
5 A good number of home game's during the year makes sharing season tickets easier
6 fun crowd
7 Fights!

boblight24 · 10-24-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birddogg

Can the argument be made in areas that have poor attendance in the south as poor marketing? I feel like people don't have a problem embracing hockey,BUT you need to get them to see the first game otherwise TV hockey is all they know.TV is crap for hockey tho i find myself watching away games anyways, its not the same as being at the game supporting your team.People that don't know Hockey need a little push to get them there and well once there we all know how fun it can be.

1 Great action as much as any NFL game
2 Cheaper than NFL and NBA and there are no "Bad Seats"
3 More convenient than most sports in America,games are short and traffic generally is easier to deal with.

4 You have time to enjoy stadium food without missing the game standing in line
5 A good number of home game's during the year makes sharing season tickets easier
6 fun crowd
7 Fights!

I agree with you about the poor marketing, there were times, even last year, when I didn't know which channel the Hurricanes games were on because they don't mention them in any local sportscast (I live in Winston Salem, which is about 2 hours west of Raleigh) and last year's home opener wasn't even on TV! We live in basketball country, mainly UNC (boo!), and everything else gets pushed to the side. I think we live in the worst region for sports coverage, when the rest of the country gets a football game between two top teams we get Georgia Tech vs NC State. Anyway, hockey fans know where to look for the advertising and marketing, but if you're a casual fan you wouldn't know where to look. I have NHL.com and CarolinaHurricanes.com on my favorites list and I check them everyday so even I have to search for hockey news.

I also agree that there is nothing better than seeing Hockey live. If you're not a fan, go to a game, and you will be. It's breathtaking, the speed, and the raw power that this game has.

There are no bad seats and I can pay $250 for 2 Carolina Panthers upper level seats or $40 for 2 Carolina Hurricanes lower level seats, which one will I choose?!?!?

Bluenoser · 10-24-2008, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by birddogg

Can the argument be made in areas that have poor attendance in the south as poor marketing? I feel like people don't have a problem embracing hockey,BUT you need to get them to see the first game otherwise TV hockey is all they know.TV is crap for hockey tho i find myself watching away games anyways, its not the same as being at the game supporting your team.People that don't know Hockey need a little push to get them there and well once there we all know how fun it can be.

1 Great action as much as any NFL game
2 Cheaper than NFL and NBA and there are no "Bad Seats"
3 More convenient than most sports in America,games are short and traffic generally is easier to deal with.

4 You have time to enjoy stadium food without missing the game standing in line
5 A good number of home game's during the year makes sharing season tickets easier
6 fun crowd
7 Fights!

Some of what you say is true, and some isn't. Of course I'm speaking from a Canadian perspective.

Come to Canada on Saturday and see how many people are glued to the set watching the game. Hockey is excellent on TV. If you like the sport, you watch it however you can. With the multitude of cameras now at the rink, you get plenty of good angles.

Go to a live game here in Canada. Go to the conssession stand during the intermission. See if you make it back to your seat before the next period starts. Not all rinks are like that, but some are quite busy during intermissions.

I guess another difference up here is, we are born and bred with hockey. When you're a kid growing up in a Canadian household, there's a very high probability that you see it on TV regularly. Heck, back in 57/58 when I was a little older than 3, I was allowed to stay up Saturday night and watch the game. (In B&W too). I lived for Saturday nights, I can tell you that much.

I guess my point is, up here the game doesn't need marketing, it sells itself because it's such an institution.

I don't know if marketing would help in the areas with low attendance or not. The problem down south is, there's so much other competition for the entertainment dollar when it comes to Pro Sports, even college sports for that matter.

boblight24 · 10-24-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceM

I guess my point is, up here the game doesn't need marketing, it sells itself because it's such an institution.

Well said.

Even baseball in North Carolina gets passed by because of college sports.

Long_Long_Name · 10-24-2008, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Grande Orange

The Maple Leafs are a pretty good example of what happens when a team has a territorial monopoly over a hungry market: it has no incentive to put anything on the ice other than a barely sufficient team because its monopoly ensures it will get every hockey dollar in the market.

Another good example: the Montréal Canadien, which has the monopoly in Québec, and is a top 3 (and possibly absolute best) team in the NHL.

I'm wondering, even if I looked at an NHL team as an investment, as a financial project, wouldn't I try to get the personnel available anyway? Isn't being competitive more appealing to prospective buyers, and to the ownership's pride?

Toronto could very, very well have a second NHL team. Hell, it could perhaps hold three. Montréal could definitely hold more than a single team as well.

Delgadodawg · 10-25-2008, 01:07 AM

I didn't read many of the responses (so this has probably been said), but the NHL is not even considering adding another franchise in Toronto, so the title of this thread is a little misleading.

It is a reporter who talked to a couple NHL governor's who think it would be a good idea and are trying to give the story some legs.

It isn't close to happening or even on the radar.

10-24-2008, 02:14 PM	#41
birddogg Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 40	Can the argument be made in areas that have poor attendance in the south as poor marketing? I feel like people don't have a problem embracing hockey,BUT you need to get them to see the first game otherwise TV hockey is all they know.TV is crap for hockey tho i find myself watching away games anyways, its not the same as being at the game supporting your team.People that don't know Hockey need a little push to get them there and well once there we all know how fun it can be. 1 Great action as much as any NFL game 2 Cheaper than NFL and NBA and there are no "Bad Seats" 3 More convenient than most sports in America,games are short and traffic generally is easier to deal with. 4 You have time to enjoy stadium food without missing the game standing in line 5 A good number of home game's during the year makes sharing season tickets easier 6 fun crowd 7 Fights!

10-25-2008, 01:07 AM	#46
Delgadodawg All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Vancouver Posts: 800	I didn't read many of the responses (so this has probably been said), but the NHL is not even considering adding another franchise in Toronto, so the title of this thread is a little misleading. It is a reporter who talked to a couple NHL governor's who think it would be a good idea and are trying to give the story some legs. It isn't close to happening or even on the radar.