WJC: Attendance

[Beatnik]

Only 2nd page in and just wanted to confirm this. I live in Moncton, New Brunswick and we get 1 CFL game a year. The game sells out in a day and I think the lowest prices are like $30..for a freaking Canadian Football Game!

If there was a tourney like this split between Halifax and Moncton people out here will pay those prices..I would pay $200+ to see CDN vs USA easily. And I work in a ****ing call center.

How many games would you attend at 200$+????

Your CFL example is not very good. When Montreal have 1 NBA or MLB preseason games it's a huge success.


I bet Montreal have the highest revenue grossing in history outside Toronto, I don't understand why people talk about other cities, it would be a fiasco anywhere outside Toronto and it works only because of corporate money.

 

[Rob]

I know the choice of location was being politically "fair" to Montreal, but if 100% of Team Canada's games were in Toronto, there would NOT have been a seat to be found in the arena. Not even standing room.

Same with Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver.

This is a black mark on Montreal being a "hockey town". They are Habs territory.
(and GSP)

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Lot of empty seats in Montreal so does that mean single game tickets or even ticket package prices be lowered in 2 years or will Hockey Canada not learn anything?

I don't think so...

They have 2 years to sell the remaining seats plus 2017 will include the Medal round. My guess, they will sell better than people think AND Hockey Canada will make more money on these 2 events than we think.

I bet Montreal have the highest revenue grossing in history outside Toronto...

You may be right.

 

[SuperUnknown]

I'm a hockey fan, but would not pay more than $50 for a ticket to see Canada play. Otherwise I'll watch on tv. Heck, I think seeing an NHL game for $100+ is too much...

 

[Champ10]

FWIW, tickets in Toronto are almost 3x cheaper than tickets in Montreal. A Denmark-CZE game in Toronto will go for 14.50$, a USA-Germany game in Montreal for 43.00$. Those are the cheapest tickets, without taxes. But yeah, Hockey Canada will spin it as Montreal not showing up for Team Canada.

Also, any game involving Canada costs almost twice as much as a Canadiens game normally costs in Montreal. No idea why Hockey Canada is trying to **** over our city.

 

[Champ10]

I'm a hockey fan, but would not pay more than $50 for a ticket to see Canada play. Otherwise I'll watch on tv. Heck, I think seeing an NHL game for $100+ is too much...

Cheapest ticket in Montreal for a Canada game right now is 73$+ taxes.

I mean, taxes included, a Slovakia-Germany game in the last row will cost you 50$. Just ridiculous. No idea what Hockey Canada's doing with the pricing discrepancy.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Hockey Canada has 24 month to sell out 18 games in Montreal - after selling a large number of package for 2015. My guess, it will get done.

 

[CpatainCanuck]

People saying Halifax/Saskatchewan/Buffalo had better attendance need to realize that those arenas are waaaay smaller than the Bell Centre (save Buffalo which was basically filled with Canadians anyways).

I think the attendance is more than what you should expect for a U20 international tournament. Just because there are empty seats in a 20K capacity arena doesn't mean the attendance is low.

I bet the numbers blow Malmo out of the water.

Of course.

It is disgraceful that Hockey Canada is charging much higher prices for an amateur tournament than is charged for NHL games. If the games were being sold out you could perhaps justify it on an economic level, but as they are not being sold out it highlights the gross greed of Hockey Canada and the IIHF.

It is sad that people like you think that this kind of thing is a healthy organizational practice.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

It is disgraceful that Hockey Canada is charging much higher prices for an amateur tournament than is charged for NHL games. If the games were being sold out you could perhaps justify it on an economic level, but as they are not being sold out it highlights the gross greed of Hockey Canada and the IIHF.

It is sad that people like you think that this kind of thing is a healthy organizational practice.

In Hockey Canada's defense, they are non profit and the money goes to grassroots' hockey.

 

[Champ10]

In Hockey Canada's defense, they are non profit and the money goes to grassroots' hockey.

Why are they charging 3x as much in Montreal than they are in Toronto for games without Canada in it though? And THEN they call out Montreal in public for not selling out. Seems like they want to make it look like Montreal doesn't support the national team so they don't have to play here again. Reeks of bigotry.

 

[Tutu to]

Why does everyone assume The ACC would sell out for Canada games.

Whenever I watch leafs games there are thousands of empty seats everytime.

Toronto is a basketball city not a hockey city.

 

[Novak Djokovic]

Are the ticket prices much higher than they were in Vancouver, Edmonton/Calgary and Ottawa? I went to a Canada game against Denmark in Edmonton, and it was sold out (or appeared to be). I know Ottawa sold out for sure.

 

[Champ10]

Are the ticket prices much higher than they were in Vancouver, Edmonton/Calgary and Ottawa? I went to a Canada game against Denmark in Edmonton, and it was sold out (or appeared to be). I know Ottawa sold out for sure.

A Germany-Slovakia game costs more than a Canadiens game. It's almost 3x more expensive than a Denmark-CZE is in Toronto. My guess is that prices in Ottawa and Edmonton were much closer to the prices in Toronto than the prices in Montreal.

 

[mobilus]

In Hockey Canada's defense, they are non profit and the money goes to grassroots' hockey.

You have that backwards. Grassroots hockey funds Hockey Canada. Local minor hockey associations (everything from house league to Select and A, AA, AAA) send money up to their provincial hockey body, which in turn sends money to Hockey Canada. Any association which refuses this system is branded an outlaw league by Hockey Canada, and officials willing to call games for outlaw leagues are blackballed from working within system leagues. Don't let "non-profit" fool you, that only means they spend everything they take in, it doesn't mean they only take what they need. I help fund Hockey Canada through my kids playing minor hockey.

 

[CpatainCanuck]

In Hockey Canada's defense, they are non profit and the money goes to grassroots' hockey.

Being "Non-Profit" does not mean that Hockey Canada is not a Corporation with a lot of men in suits making lots of money. If anyone has statistics from previous tournaments showing how much of the revenue actually went to grassroots hockey I would be interested to see them.

 

[syc]

So is Montreal still the Mecca of hockey? Lol! Terrible attendance and that city produces as many nhl players as large American cities. Watch out Montreal NJ is giving you a race for that title.

 

[syc]

Why does everyone assume The ACC would sell out for Canada games.

Whenever I watch leafs games there are thousands of empty seats everytime.

Toronto is a basketball city not a hockey city.

Lol

Then montreal is a tennis city.

 

[VanFlyer]

Every Canadian hockey fan should get a chance to go to the WJR's once in their lives. It truly is a treat and amazing hockey. It is just sad that it is being priced out of an average person's range.

The Subway Series no longer sells out. Now the WJR's. Maybe returning to its roots is the way to go.

Isn't that the truth. I have been fortunate to go to two: One in Vancouver and one in Leksand Sweden. Canadas team bus actually hit my rental car (it was snowing pretty heavy) after one of their games. I had to chase the bus down as the driver did not know. The damage was not that bad, but it was a rental car so I needed the bus drivers infofor insurance purposes. It was kind cool in a weird way because the team came off the bus to check things out.

I do agree with the roots comment. These are amateur kids. Parents work very hard to allow their kids the opportunity to make it that far. Youth hockey players and fans in general should be afforded the opportunity to go to games. Going to an international tourny is nothing like going to a CHL or NHL game. It has a flavor all of its own and something, as you said, every canadian (that likes hockey) should get to experience- especially kids. I don't know many families that can take a family of four to one of these games ($800+ concessions, parking, etc.) and that is a crying shame.

 

[VanFlyer]

Where's Montreal?

Also you should exclude the Canada game. I don't believe Sweden played the first day in Malmo and every Sweden game was sold out pretty much I think (I was there and the arena was absolutely rocking every time).

I was in sweden as well and you are 100% correct, the place was packed AND rockin' for every game. Granted the venue was small (I think 8000k for Leksand and 5000k for the smaller town (forget the name) north of there.

 

[VanFlyer]

also, the "Buffalo" games were supported by Canadians....that was smart....

we could get tickets for $15 bucks and go to the games in Buffalo.

If that was say, St Louis, and not Buffalo, you wouldn't have had 20% capacity for any game that didn't include the good ole US of A.

Yeah, thats why most of the games at the Salt Lake Olympics were near full capacity if not sold out. Your post shows and obvious disdain for Americans / USA hockey. St louis was one of the original 6 expansion teams in 1967 (beyond the original 6).

Buffalo did not get a franchise until 1970- so to knock on St Louis is pretty lame. If you wanted to illustrate an attendance issue, using a place like Tampa or Miami (Florida panthers) would have been more appropriate. Then again, you would never see the WJHC there.

Just as a reminder, Hockey is not even Canada's national sport nor was it even invented by a Canadian.

 

[MsMeow]

So is Montreal still the Mecca of hockey? Lol! Terrible attendance and that city produces as many nhl players as large American cities. Watch out Montreal NJ is giving you a race for that title.

I think it shows that Montrealers aren't fools.

 

[Toffu]

Montreal is the first city not to sell out a team Canada game since..............god knows when.

Shameful Montreal. No excuses.

Who know when was last time when team Canada game is not sold out?

 

[VanFlyer]

Fair enough. Still, Malmo averaged 91% attendance for Sweden's games and Malmo is a fraction of Montreal's size.

Also huge shoutout to the Swedish fans at that tournament. I have never seen a more lively energized hockey crowd in all my life. The chants flags and singing was phenomenal.

I was in Leksand SWE 2005 (I think) and you think they were crazy in Ottawa, you should have seem them in their home country. One of the best times of my life- and not a nicer host country. Second on my list was Prague- friendly, not to the level of Sweden, but what an amazing city (similar to Montreal I suppose).

 

[Toffu]

People in Saskatchewan appreciate these matches. Next time we can try with them.

 

[VanFlyer]

If it was Canada-USA, Canada-Russia, then okay. I would pay it. Canada-Germany is a little much, I agree.



I think, looking back, Ottawa will be seen as the pinnacle.



That is not going to happen, my friend. I am sure the IIHF gets their pound of flesh and they want the flesh as fat as possible.

Perhaps you are right, but when that pound of flesh becomes a crumb on a plate because of greed, then they can wallow in the mire of what they created. Its just a travesty to me because this should be a family event and to have those kind of prices basically eliminates that possibility outside of the very well to do.

Is it Hockey Canada that is dictating the prices or IIHF?? Thats kind of the bigger looming question in my mind. I mean I went to the tourny in Vancouver / Burnaby and I think I was going to prelim games at $20 a tix and medal round for $50 (mind you I bought a "package" before hand). Yet I recall game day walk up tix sales (even for non-Canada medal games).