WJC: Attendance

[Malreg]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/hockey-canada-responsible-for-high-ticket-prices/

Prices were bad but I bet if you had put their games in Toronto or Ottawa they'd still have sold out. There were more people at the Canada-Denmark game at the ACC; a game which was a foregone conclusion before a puck was dropped.

Still less empty seats than any game in any European rink...

There were more people at Canada vs Denmark because it was a Quarter-Final game... Those tickets were sold long before anyone knew who would be playing in that game. And don't you HAVE to buy the quarter-final games if you want semi-finals and finals?

Make the game accessible to normal people and it will sell out and have the greatest atmosphere. $160 for an upper level ticket in a meaningless preliminary round game and people are shocked there were 3,000 empty seats... That's still 18,000 people. I was at the NYE game, and the atmosphere was awesome.

I'd like to hear from some people that attended both the NYE and QF game vs Denmark for a comparison on the atmosphere, not random people who just see "3,000 empty seats?!" and say it was horrible.

 

[Inkling]

Canadian press:

TORONTO - The IIHF said Hockey Canada was responsible for the ticket prices that may have led to empty seats at Montreal's Bell Centre for preliminary games at the world junior championship.

This is obviously true but over-simplifies things a bit. It doesn't explain the huge difference in prices on the official Ticket Exchange which is often the way the non-Canada games fill up. In Toronto you could get very cheap tickets via the Ticket Exchange and minimal admin fees tacked on, in Montreal the Ticket Exchange fees were still pretty high and there were ridiculous fees that added ~50% to the ticket price.

 

[Cellee]

This is obviously true but over-simplifies things a bit. It doesn't explain the huge difference in prices on the official Ticket Exchange which is often the way the non-Canada games fill up. In Toronto you could get very cheap tickets via the Ticket Exchange and minimal admin fees tacked on, in Montreal the Ticket Exchange fees were still pretty high and there were ridiculous fees that added ~50% to the ticket price.

I don't believe Hockey Canada is solely responsible. Or even primarily responsible. They are a nice easy target though.

What exactly does Rene Fassal do, anyway?

I imagine he has some unpleasant conversations coming his way.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Would you really be prepared to pay twice as much for the same experience? And lets be honest here, you'd pay top dollar to see a meaningful Team Canada World Junior game as opposed to an NHL game. I highly doubt you'd be chomping at the bit to pay $160 to see a Slovakia/Finland WJC final.

Yes, I would. I enjoyed the non Canadian games as much as the Canadian ones. The entire experience was a treat.

 

[syc]

montreal is a habs city. If the bell center could fit 30,000 people it would still sell out every game.

Also lets say the leafs are playing philidelphia and it took place in montreal. Im not sure there would be more then 10,000 people at the game

Yeah it would sell out every night as long as they are winning...

I'm old enough to remember 20 years ago when the Habs were horrible and they struggled to sell Habs tickets. I know Habs fans like to think they have sold out forever but it's just not reality.

That city loves a winner, once the winning stops so do the wheels on the bandwagon.

 

[Toffu]

Average prices for final match?

 

[CaptainBenn]

Instead of making $30M, Hockey Canada will make $25M. Oh well.

#blamemontreal

 

[JoeyBeans]

1000$ a pair for lowerbowl tonight.

 

[Stats01]

The 2017 tournament is scheduled to have Canada’s round-robin games in Toronto and the knockout rounds in Montreal. Asked about moving some games to Quebec City or staging all games in Toronto, Fasel did not rule anything out.

"I’m hoping that we don’t have to move out of Montreal," Gonzalez said. "I think it’s a great city for hockey as Rene has mentioned and we would love to go back there. It’s just that the numbers this time did not accompany what we thought or what we expected would be the same as in Toronto.

Packages for all 19 games in Toronto ranged from $626 to $1,746, and although attendance was not high for non-Canada preliminary games, the expectation was for Canada’s games to draw well. Fasel said the average attendance in Toronto would be around 14,000 without Canada for the early games and between 9,720 and 15,000 for Montreal.

The packages for 13 games in Montreal ranged from $431 to $1,191.

Just a few quotes from an article on Sportsnet.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/hockey-canada-responsible-for-high-ticket-prices/


Montreal citizens like use ticket pricing as an excuse yet when you look at the whole picture the difference in prices isn't that much better in Toronto either. Yet Toronto did much better with attendance.

 

[MotorMaster]

Just curious do the players get paid to play in this tournament?

 

[Stats01]

Just curious do the players get paid to play in this tournament?

no..

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

#blamemontreal

Not sure what that is.

1000$ a pair for lowerbowl tonight.

I was offered a ton of money for the GMG in Buffalo. Turned it down. I guess I shouldn't have.

 

[JoeyBeans]

Just curious do the players get paid to play in this tournament?

No Sir, why would they?

 

[BobDobolina]

Just curious do the players get paid to play in this tournament?

They get "meal money" from their federations.

 

[JoeyBeans]

They get "meal money" from their federations.

Hotdog and fries not bad at all.

 

[CaptainBenn]

The 2017 tournament is scheduled to have Canada’s round-robin games in Toronto and the knockout rounds in Montreal. Asked about moving some games to Quebec City or staging all games in Toronto, Fasel did not rule anything out.

"I’m hoping that we don’t have to move out of Montreal," Gonzalez said. "I think it’s a great city for hockey as Rene has mentioned and we would love to go back there. It’s just that the numbers this time did not accompany what we thought or what we expected would be the same as in Toronto.

Packages for all 19 games in Toronto ranged from $626 to $1,746, and although attendance was not high for non-Canada preliminary games, the expectation was for Canada’s games to draw well. Fasel said the average attendance in Toronto would be around 14,000 without Canada for the early games and between 9,720 and 15,000 for Montreal.

The packages for 13 games in Montreal ranged from $431 to $1,191.

Just a few quotes from an article on Sportsnet.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/hockey-canada-responsible-for-high-ticket-prices/


Montreal citizens like use ticket pricing as an excuse yet when you look at the whole picture the difference in prices isn't that much better in Toronto either. Yet Toronto did much better with attendance.

Maybe because toronto is selling medal round tickets?

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

The 2017 tournament is scheduled to have Canada’s round-robin games in Toronto and the knockout rounds in Montreal. Asked about moving some games to Quebec City or staging all games in Toronto, Fasel did not rule anything out.

"I’m hoping that we don’t have to move out of Montreal," Gonzalez said. "I think it’s a great city for hockey as Rene has mentioned and we would love to go back there. It’s just that the numbers this time did not accompany what we thought or what we expected would be the same as in Toronto.

Packages for all 19 games in Toronto ranged from $626 to $1,746, and although attendance was not high for non-Canada preliminary games, the expectation was for Canada’s games to draw well. Fasel said the average attendance in Toronto would be around 14,000 without Canada for the early games and between 9,720 and 15,000 for Montreal.

The packages for 13 games in Montreal ranged from $431 to $1,191.

Just a few quotes from an article on Sportsnet.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/hockey-canada-responsible-for-high-ticket-prices/


Montreal citizens like use ticket pricing as an excuse yet when you look at the whole picture the difference in prices isn't that much better in Toronto either. Yet Toronto did much better with attendance.

If everyone is so worried about it, refund the Montreal money and play 2017 in Toronto and Hamilton or Toronto and Quebec City - will the arena be ready by then?

 

[hototogisu]

Montreal citizens like use ticket pricing as an excuse yet when you look at the whole picture the difference in prices isn't that much better in Toronto either. Yet Toronto did much better with attendance.

For the zillionth time, no one in Montreal is saying the prices are the only reason why the games were poorly attended. But they didn't help drum up any interest in what was a weak junior hockey market to begin with.

We get it. We agree. Toronto is a better hockey town than Montreal. They're more patriotic and better Canadians and their girlfriends are hotter too. What more do you want us to say?!

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

For the zillionth time, no one in Montreal is saying the prices are the only reason why the games were poorly attended. But they didn't help drum up any interest in what was a weak junior hockey market to begin with.

We get it. We agree. Toronto is a better hockey town than Montreal. They're more patriotic and better Canadians and their girlfriends are hotter too. What more do you want us to say?!

I think not having a payoff (playoffs) had more to do with it than anything else. I guess we will know in 2017 when they get the medal rounds.

Again, if the IIHF/Hockey Canada are so worried about it, move the games from Montreal. Refund the Montreal money, tell the people of Toronto who bought for 2017 that their tickets will now be good for the medal rounds and put the less important games in Hamilton.

They have 2 years. More than enough time.

 

[hototogisu]

I think not having a payoff (playoffs) had more to do with it than anything else. I guess we will know in 2017 when they get the medal rounds.

I'm not so sure. If the whole thing was held in Montreal I think attendance would have gotten better as the games went on and stakes got higher (which we saw from the first preliminary game up to the NYE game), but I don't think it would have been a huge change overall. I doubt the presence of a medal round wouldn't have gotten more people out to see non-Canada games, for example.

Again, if the IIHF/Hockey Canada are so worried about it, move the games from Montreal. Refund the Montreal money, tell the people of Toronto who bought for 2017 that their tickets will now be good for the medal rounds and put the less important games in Hamilton.

They have 2 years. More than enough time.

Well my problem with that as a Montreal fan who paid his deposit, is that I don't see why I should be gypped out of seeing the medal round in 2017 when I paid my money and supported Hockey Canada like a good trooper...but because my neighbor didn't, I get punished?

As Fasel points out in the article linked this page or the one before, despite all the hand-wringing over Montreal's attendance, the tournament is still projected to be the third-highest attended WJC of all time and I have no doubt that Hockey Canada still lined their pockets even with Montrealers staying away...so what's the problem, other than a blow to our national pride because we didn't sell out a building? Or rather, is that problem so huge that we have to change cities/provinces to deal with it? If it were a money issue I would agree, but that's not the impression I'm getting.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Well my problem with that as a Montreal fan who paid his deposit, is that I don't see why I should be gypped out of seeing the medal round in 2017 when I paid my money and supported Hockey Canada like a good trooper...but because my neighbor didn't, I get punished?

You're right.

Perhaps just hope for the best in 2017 and Montreal gets excluded in the future for international event - which would be a shame.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

I never understood the Toronto-Montreal thing. Seemed like a poor idea with too much distance between the two cities.

In the future, make in one big city and one small city within a close proximity of each other. Don't over reach. We don't need to set records with every tournament.

 

[Jussi]

I don't believe Hockey Canada is solely responsible. Or even primarily responsible. They are a nice easy target though.

What exactly does Rene Fassal do, anyway?

I imagine he has some unpleasant conversations coming his way.

Yes they are. We had this discussion in 2012 and 2013 already withe the Worlds. Finnish and Swedish hockey federations set the prices, IIHF had nothing to say on the matter. Belarus hockey federations set the prices last year very low which explained the high attendances. They'll most likely be more consumer friendly this year in Czech Rep. as well.

 

[jeangauthier]

For the zillionth time, no one in Montreal is saying the prices are the only reason why the games were poorly attended. But they didn't help drum up any interest in what was a weak junior hockey market to begin with.

We get it. We agree. Toronto is a better hockey town than Montreal. They're more patriotic and better Canadians and their girlfriends are hotter too. What more do you want us to say?!

Your leaving out Montreal has a good ,exciting hockey team............Toronto doesn't............TO folks are looking for a reason to cheer.........it's quite sad actually..........Let Toronto have the " Better Hockey Town" title...........and let them have " We're the Mecca of Hockey" title...........and makes them happy and gives them hope............we in Quebec don't mind sharing..........everyone's happy.........

 

[Cellee]

Yes they are. We had this discussion in 2012 and 2013 already withe the Worlds. Finnish and Swedish hockey federations set the prices, IIHF had nothing to say on the matter. Belarus hockey federations set the prices last year very low which explained the high attendances. They'll most likely be more consumer friendly this year in Czech Rep. as well.

This is not actually the conversation I am having though.

In Canada you will have different cities bidding on the right to host. Typically, Hockey Canada has been giving the highest bid the right to host. I am sure the bid is highly dependent on ticket sales calculated by the host city who guarantees Hockey Canada that revenue.

As such, it is not Hockey Canada setting ticket prices, it is the city event organizers primarily involved in doing such things.

That is why I think it's not fair, nor correct, to put all the blame on Hockey Canada. If I am wrong and someone can show evidence to that effect, I'll gladly admit error.