News Article: News from Around the League - Part XXXVI

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

watching and buying tickets/merch are 2 very different things. i plan to watch; i dont plan to buy

thats fine, and I am saying you will. eventually.

 

[MartyOwns]

you will. eventually.

agreed

 

[CerebralGenesis]

good joke.

you know you will once the season gets rolling. we all will. those who care enough to waste time on a message board posting about the team are the FIRST ones that will be buying tickets.

I can guarantee you I won't be buying a ticket to an NHL game for this season and easily the season after that. Won't project to 2014 though, we'll see how next year goes.

And as I have been saying, the advent of the internet has allowed this to happen easily. Factor in that I don't want to drive across PA to go to a NJ game and I've only bought tickets for Devils games in Pittsburgh less than 5 times in the last 5 years and it's pretty safe from my end. Why? I'm working now with less free time and I'd rather not fund these bums immediately like the cattle Bettman called us; essentially.

 

[Nick0930]

What if the Devils make the finals again?

 

[CerebralGenesis]

What if the Devils make the finals again?

I didn't go to any of those so yay. Go fight win

 

[Jersey Man]

I'll crawl back. I always will. Like crack.

 

[elias026]

Devils did not say anything stupid in this hole thing so im gonna keep watching.

Plus i would watch any player with our Red and Black jersey

 

[manilaNJ]

thats fine, and I am saying you will. eventually.

No one is planning to bow out for good.
But it's going to take a while for many, even some of the hardcore fans, to be able to get excited about the NHL again.

This was going to be the season that I finally looked into a season ticket plan, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. Will it eventually? Yeah... but I'm kicking that can down the road for now.

If I was home, and there was a hockey game on... it'd be on my television. No matter who was playing.
Don't know if I'll have it in me for whatever hockey remains for this year.


Enthusiasm is at a very low point right now, it's up to the NHL and it's players to find a way to gain some momentum coming into these next couple of seasons. Perhaps they'll find a way.... doubtful, though.
They're just going to have to wait for attendance/ratings to slowly increase on their own, otherwise.

 

[apice3*]

i dont blame people for not wanting to buy tickets this year, but any regular ticket buyers (especially those on hf) that claim they wont buy tickets in 2013-14 and beyond are just lying to themselves. I understand the anger but youll all be back by next season at the latest. Come september, the lockout will be old news.

 

[MartyOwns]

i dont blame people for not wanting to buy tickets this year, but any regular ticket buyers (especially those on hf) that claim they wont buy tickets in 2013-14 and beyond are just lying to themselves. I understand the anger but youll all be back by next season at the latest. Come september, the lockout will be old news.

i was told there would be no 2013-14 season

 

[Feed Me A Stray Cat]

I am sure there will be a handful. there always is.

and yea, you can get along without it, because it isn't there right now. what happens when it IS there? will you go out of your way not to watch it? I doubt it.

but people like us that post on hockey message boards all day will be back. whether its right away or a few months into it, we will be back. I am sure the NHL lost tons of casual fans with this, but the die hards like us will be back.

Of course not.

But will I choose to spend my money on a couple new vinyls instead of Devils tickets? Maybe. Or will I choose to get drinks after work on Fridays instead of watching the Devils game? Maybe.

This shouldn't be viewed as a mass exodus of fans. That definitely won't happen. However, it's conceivable that NHL revenue will be down a couple percentage points on an annualized basis.

 

[Bleedred]

I won't be seeing any home games this year. No big deal when I'm 1150 miles away anyway. I will gladly be taking my ass to the St Pete Times Forum when the Devils play the Lightning. It's just 45 minutes, and I might even go to Bank Atlantic Center, and take the drive to South Florida to see the Devils play the Panthers. Won't be going to any SCF or playoff games unless we play one of the Florida teams again, and I'll only be going to the Florida games unlike last year when I went to all 7 in the first round in both states.

I was debating flying up to see game 5 of the SCF, and game 7 if we made it there. Though going down 3-0 in the first 3 games changed that for me.

 

[Bleedred]

i was told there would be no 2013-14 season

Source PLZ?!

 

[theking72]

I like to eat Dinosaur BBQ and drink beer with my friends, so I can't imagine that punishing the NHL would result in anything other than punishing myself.

 

[Rhodes 81]

the second the nhl is back i'll watch it, however after months of not watching and having other things going on in my life, it'll be like watching a new league at first i suspect.

and so help me god if they try to charge me $160 for game center for a half a season i won't be doing it.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

the second the nhl is back i'll watch it, however after months of not watching and having other things going on in my life, it'll be like watching a new league at first i suspect.

and so help me god if they try to charge me $160 for game center for a half a season i won't be doing it.

They'll do the half season rate thing like they normally would - $99 or so and I'll do it of course...

 

[Bleedred]

the second the nhl is back i'll watch it, however after months of not watching and having other things going on in my life, it'll be like watching a new league at first i suspect.

and so help me god if they try to charge me $160 for game center for a half a season i won't be doing it.

Man they got balls if they charge that for center ice or game center in a shortened season. I'd like to say they could go **** themselves with that one, but I really am not gonna watch the Devils on an unreliable stream. Especially when my computers are less reliable than my TV's!

There was a post yesterday about the NHL making center ice free for the year from someone on twitter. Didn't see that rumor more than once though.

 

[manilaNJ]

The one thing that'll bring me back sooner rather than later is that I dragged half the people I know to games last year trying to rope in some new fans. And it worked.

They're too far removed to feel the effects of this lockout's dumbassery, but they have enough of a hook in them that they're asking me to take them to a game whenever hockey comes back.

I don't want to derail any potential new Devils fans... I've been searching forever for a solid group of people to go to hockey games with - ones that would actually pay for their own tickets.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

There was a post yesterday about the NHL making center ice free for the year from someone on twitter. Didn't see that rumor more than once though.

>error (73): FOR$IOS_FLTDIV

>does not compute

>lockout@$$, resolve zero sum income i$$ue

 

[Bleedred]

They'll do the half season rate thing like they normally would - $99 or so and I'll do it of course...

Man $99 bucks? I could have gotten a ticket in the lower bowl, nachos, and a soda at the Forum for that!

I guess I could swing it!

 

[MartyOwns]

no fake, i heard rumors of free gamecenter this year

 

[Bleedred]

no fake, i heard rumors of free gamecenter this year

I heard one about center ice too. Hope that's free too, but DirectTV/cable/satellite also are getting a cut too, but hopefully the NHL will make up the difference. I think it would be a nice gesture.

I can't do game center. My buddy has it, and hooks it up to a PS3 or X Box or something, and watches on his TV. I don't have either of those, and my computer has little farts all the time where it will freeze for a couple seconds especially when watching something live.

 

[Sir Fenwick Corsi]

If in fact there is some balance of games this year, I think a lot of people craving the devils / hockey like crazy are going to wish it never started in the first place. Never mind all the ******** that came along with this lockout, when you get back to the hockey / team part, well NJ has a very good chance of struggling this season*. No more Parise. The team is older and they're also relying on two very old goaltenders who may not have enough time to get on a roll. Henrique is still hurt. This has the potential to be a pretty messy 3 months.

But overall, I agree with those of you who will be returning cautiously. It's definitely not going to be the same at first. ****, I know that I definitely don't feel the way I did after the prior lockouts. I couldn't wait for hockey to start back then. This time, not so much. I watched the Devils march to within 2 wins of the Cup but it might as well have happened 15 years ago. No carryover excitement or anything. It's just very hard to get excited about millionaires passing a puck around when they've made it loud and clear to you that this is business through and through.

And I will be absolutely blown away if the NHL gives centerice for free this year. I personally don't feel that it makes up for anything, but I'd be super shocked if they went down that road. Nothing is for free with these guys. Ever.

 

[NJDevs26]

This time, not so much. I watched the Devils march to within 2 wins of the Cup but it might as well have happened 15 years ago.

See, that's why it's easier for me to get back into it, that run made a lot of difference in how I'm feeling now imo. That and the fact that no Devils have even uttered a peep of inflammatory nonsense since the lockout began. I can't imagine how bitter I'd be if we'd lost Game 6 of the first round to the Panthers, and some guys were popping off at the mouth during this lockout. Even just the former happening would have made me a lot more ambivalent about hockey coming back.

And I do get what you're saying about the team as is possibly struggling now, especially with Marty's recent habit of needing two months to shake the rust off but personally I'll just be glad the Devils are back. Especially considering my two other sports teams are run just as badly as the NHL

 

[Saugus]

watching and buying tickets/merch are 2 very different things. i plan to watch; i dont plan to buy

I will probably hold out like this for a couple weeks, and then I'll want to go to a game and cave.

The one thing that'll bring me back sooner rather than later is that I dragged half the people I know to games last year trying to rope in some new fans. And it worked.

They're too far removed to feel the effects of this lockout's dumbassery, but they have enough of a hook in them that they're asking me to take them to a game whenever hockey comes back.

I don't want to derail any potential new Devils fans... I've been searching forever for a solid group of people to go to hockey games with - ones that would actually pay for their own tickets.

I was on the verge of converting a few people to hockey too, but then the lockout happened.