Poor attendance

[Xokkeu]

I think they'll be less Canadians in Buffalo this time then there were back in 2011. The outdoor game is going to flop.

Feel like the u20s have lost a bit of their luster since the 5 gold medal winning streak has faded from memory. 2011 they were ready for redemption but now it seems like interest in waning. Maybe I'm wrong. It'll also depend on ticket prices

 

[patnyrnyg]

Aside from ticket prices, wondering if they would have been better off pairing Montreal with Quebec City or Ottawa. Split the games between the groups. Had Canada played 2 games in Montreal and 2 in Ottawa or Quebec City, it might have drummed up more action. Maybe people would have been more apt to buy the Montreal package if they knew they were getting 2 of Canada's prelim games and then elimination stuff? Who knows. Then, in 2015 paired Toronto with Hamilton or another city within a 2 hour drive. I also think having the 4 quarterfinal games hurt. Too many meaningless games in the prelims when 4 out of 5 teams are advancing. Think about it, 20 games get played to eliminate 2 teams. Even the NYE US-Canada game. As an American, I was happy the US won, but what did it really do? Oh, they get to say they "won their group"? Big deal. The bye would have made it a bigger deal.

I think the proper time to change the format or experiment with it would have been a year where the host nation was almost guaranteed to go to the relegation round under the old system. If it was held in Switzerland, Denmark, Latvia, etc. Really any place whose team generally did not make it to the elimination phase under the old system.

 

[1Gold Standard]

I'm happy...perhaps the days of Hockey Canada gouging the Canadian hockey fan is over. Let the bureaucrats at Hockey Canada take a pay cut and fly economy to make up for the shortfall.

 

[Pouchkine]

So they couldn't even sell out the Canada-USA FINAL with plenty of tickets given away...Great final but again more than 1200 unsold tickets and 13 000 unsold tickets for the Bronze Game. Mediocre and Boring tournament overall except for the superb last 2 days, and awful complete failure in the marketing department overall.

 

[patnyrnyg]

The outdoor game is on a Sunday with Monday being a holiday in both countries so a lot depends on how Hockey USA prices the stadium. The loonie is not getting back to where it was in 2011 but the bigger issue is border crossings which are getting harder and harder.

I have a Nexus card which should allow me a hassle free crossing but not in the past 2 years. ( I am an American who drives to Montreal 4 or 5 times a year ) - The problem is not entering Canada, it is entering the USA.

So, they are going head to head with the NFL on a Sunday? That sounds brilliant.

 

[Rocko604]

So, they are going head to head with the NFL on a Sunday? That sounds brilliant.

All that matters is the attendance, not the ratings. They're already hyping the game, so if the tickets aren't over priced ( ) it should be a good turnout.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Feel like the u20s have lost a bit of their luster since the 5 gold medal winning streak has faded from memory. 2011 they were ready for redemption but now it seems like interest in waning. Maybe I'm wrong. It'll also depend on ticket prices

Package tickets are already on sale for the tournament. iirc, the price range is something like $600-1,600USD. No individual game tickets yet.

 

[Fenway]

A Montreal writer writes that fans should pat themselves on the back for not paying the prices Hockey Canada wanted.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/h...dnt-be-embarrassed-by-world-junior-attendance

Only 8,366 showed up at the 21,273-seat Bell Centre for Thursday afternoon’s bronze-medal game in which Russia beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime. Not a surprise considering the cheapest ticket on the Hockey Canada website was $52.50 and the most expensive one was $137.50. If you went on StubHub before the game, tickets were selling there for as little as US$6 — which is half the price of a $12 regular-size draft beer at the Bell Centre, another cost that wouldn’t encourage fans to come to the game. A Bell Centre hot dog costs $5, a regular size soft drink is $5 and a bottle of water is $5.50. Parking inside the Bell Centre costs $30.

So for a family of four to attend the bronze-medal game in the cheapest seats — unless they went to StubHub — with parking, four hot dogs, two soft drinks and two beers for the parents it would have set them back $294. Why not just stay home, order an extra-large pizza, go to the dépanneur for a case of beer and some treats for the kids and watch the game on TV?

Sounds like a better idea to me as the father of a family of four.

 

[Riseonfire]

A Montreal writer writes that fans should pat themselves on the back for not paying the prices Hockey Canada wanted.

http://montrealgazette.com/sports/h...dnt-be-embarrassed-by-world-junior-attendance

That's pretty much what this New Yorker did. Except instead of ordering food, I made dinner. Cheap, easy and free.


I would LOVE to go to next year at Buffalo. The girl-thing really enjoyed Junior Hockey so it may be a reality unless the ticket prices are like they were this year.

 

[Riggins]

Let's continue an annual tradition and complain about the attendance here.

Feels weird to watch a Canada game that's not in Europe with tons of empty seats. I don't blame Canadians who live relatively close to Buffalo, I wouldn't pay those prices and make the drive to go either. I'm eager to see what the crowd looks like for the USA game tonight.

 

[tmlms13]

They are as relying on the Southern Ontario Market as with all the USA border town tournaments but there has been a lot going on here lately. In addition to the Regular Season for Maple Leafs, Raptors, Blue Jays, Toronto FC..... from 2015 - 2017 have been in a combined 18 Playoff Rounds where ticket prices double or triple

Then then add it...
2015 IIHF U20 Championship
2016 NHL World Cup
2017 NHL Centennial Classic
2017 IIHF U20 Championship
2016 MLS Cup
2016 Grey Cup
2017 MLS Cup
2017 NBA All Star Game

Southern Ontario won't contribute as much as they think

 

[TheBeastCoast]

They really need to re-think the strategy with how they have been running and organizing this tournament. Price gauging and over saturation is going to bite you in the ass at some point.

 

[Past Considerations]

I didn't know that:

On July 28, 2015, USA Hockey named the five initial finalists for hosting the event:[4]

Buffalo, New York
Pittsburgh
St. Louis
Chicago
Tampa, Florida

With the rest the reliance on Canadian fans would even lower.

2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships - Wikipedia

 

[Canadian Finn]

tons of tickets available at the game (out front) at deep discount prices (just like last time games were in Toronto and Montreal).

IF A FAN WANTS TO GO, they can go for cheap.

The reason the games aren't selling out is because FANS DON'T WANT TO GO!

 

[Woodhouse]

I mean, I think I saw that it's between 3-14°F (-16 and -10°C). Would you want to leave your cozy home after work or skip out early for some of these afternoon games? Plus, I believe the south towns got hit with lake effect snow around Christmas. That impacts inbound travel from the south of the city. North towns may be more clear for traffic, but still rather frigid.

Further, I'm not surprised that locals, who've seen annual increases on a crappy NHL product ticket, aren't eager to spend after the holiday on afternoon workday games and whatnot. At least there shouldn't be a doubt about the ice in the outdoor game, just hope that there's not another southern tier snow band like in that recent Bills-Colts game.

Example box office ticket prices via: http://wjcinbuf.co/ticket

Denmark vs. United States - Tuesday, 12/26/17 - 8:00PM EST - KeyBank Center
Best Available (all price levels): $75.00 200 Club, $55.00 100 Preferred, $55.00 100 Level II, $32.00 100 Level III, $32.00 100 Level IV.

Slovakia vs. Canada - Wednesday, 12/27/17 - 7:00PM EST - KeyBank Center
Select a Price Level (all amounts in USD): $110.00 200 Club, $90.00 100 Preferred, $90.00 100 Level II, $70.00 100 Level III, $70.00 100 Level IV, $70.00 300 Level I, $50.00 300 Level II, $35.00 300 Level III.

Sweden vs. Czech Republic - Thursday, 12/28/17 - 4:00PM EST - KeyBank Center
Select a Price Level (all amounts in USD): $45.00 200 Club, $30.00 100 Preferred, $30.00 100 Level II, $25.00 100 Level III, $25.00 100 Level IV, $25.00 300 Level I, $15.00 300 Level II, $10.00 300 Level III.

 

[Chadstudsky]

Buffalo is charging more for Canada games than USA games?

 

[Rob]

Buffalo is charging more for Canada games than USA games?

That's why Hockey USA chose Buffalo. They were banking on Canadians coming down in droves to overpay.

Hopefully next time they'll chose a legit college town and charge reasonable prices.

 

[airbus1094]

It's a mix of high prices, cold weather, and lack of marketing. Was at the Canada game and 95% of the fans were Canadian, no Buffalo natives at all! Hopefully the 8.00 USA game has more people.

 

[SanDogBrewin]

Happiness for the fan behind the penalty box.

 

[Canadian Finn]

It's a mix of high prices, cold weather, and lack of marketing. Was at the Canada game and 95% of the fans were Canadian, no Buffalo natives at all! Hopefully the 8.00 USA game has more people.

5 friends bought tickets out front for 50% of face. Might go the next game based on that.

 

[Claypool]

At the end of the day this is still junior hockey. It's not pro hockey. I'm not paying pro prices to watch junior hockey.

 

[93LEAFS]

If you are relying on the Southern Ontario market (especially anything North-east of Hamilton) you really can't put it in Buffalo after it has been in Toronto in some capacity for 2 of the last 3 years. I'm a huge WJC fan, and went to games at the ACC when it was here. But, over the holidays with the unpredictable weather, I am reluctant to make the 2 and a half hour drive to Buffalo and back. Especially when the possibility of getting trapped up there due to a snow storm is a realistic possibility.

Having gone to Bills games, while I think the Orchard Park idea is unique (although, I don't like it in short tournament, that is for elsewhere), the thought of getting trapped is someones backyard parking lot in late December is in no-way appealing.

 

[Woodhouse]

I mean, even the hacks could've predicted this:

 

[Canadian Finn]

 

[PG Canuck]

No idea why they are in Buffalo again, to begin with.