WC: WC popularity and attendance

[Uncle Rotter]

even an Italy - Kazakhstan game is interesting for the open minded fan.

Putting more actual Italians on the "Italian" team would open my mind further

 

[Botta]

-Tournament only in one country
-Ticket & beer/food prices down
-Tournament only every 2 years as some teams have difficulties getting their best players every year.[/QUO

Tournament every 2nd year is better than every year.The price of beer and food is a lot higher in western countries.I have no problem with travelling to Slovakia,Belarus etc.Much more exotic to western people as well.So more tournaments in eastern Europe

 

[QnebO]

-Tournament only in one country
-Ticket & beer/food prices down
-Tournament only every 2 years as some teams have difficulties getting their best players every year.[/QUO

Tournament every 2nd year is better than every year.The price of beer and food is a lot higher in western countries.I have no problem with travelling to Slovakia,Belarus etc.Much more exotic to western people as well.So more tournaments in eastern Europe

I agree. With one good seat ticket price you almost watch the whole torunament in some countries.. Thought they have really overrated the prices here. One hockey game basicly just never will be worth 350€ or so (that was the price last year at least).

 

[Prntscrn]

Sweden sucks for attendance. I've been here ten years and have never seen the Globe full for anything other than Springsteen. Part of that is price, but part of it is also the logic of watching it on TV.

To wit - I am 5 hours from Stockholm. For me to watch a few games in person would run me at least $500. No thank you.

Uhn well it has been full for every derby(Djurgården-AIK) and every playoff game Djurgården and AIK has played there.

And i haven't watched but i read in the paper that the globe has been full for every swedish game this WC except for like one?

 

[MayDay]

They need to change the time of year and also hold it North America once in a while.

As it is, the games are on either at 5am or often at 1pm on workdays, which means I'm not watching. Also, the NHL playoffs are going on at the same time, which is more compelling, and many of the best players are there. And many of the best veteran players from teams that missed the playoffs opt to skip the WC because their season just ended.

Solutions: move tournament to August/September. Hold in North America once out of every three years.

 

[stv11]

Putting more actual Italians on the "Italian" team would open my mind further

It definitely is a problem with Italy, but my point was that watching guys such as Fontanive or Zhailauov makes that kind of game worth it. There are interesting thing to see in every game.

 

[premadonna]

And many of the best veteran players from teams that missed the playoffs opt to skip the WC because their season just ended.

Saku Koivu thinks it's the other way around:

Koivu said Hall of Fame winger Jari Kurri, who is the general manager for Finland's national team, talked to him and Selanne when he was out in Anaheim last month. One factor in Koivu's decision is the number of weeks in between action.
"They always do their spring tour and see their players," Koivu said. "And they were just asking what are my thoughts on the possibility that 'T' and I would go or have we ruled it out. I said there's two weeks off and getting back at it is tough.

And let's face it; no NHLer would want to come if the tournament was played in August or September. No one would want to risk an injury that close to a new NHL season.

 

[Mr Kanadensisk]

Well hey, don't let the door hit you on your way out. I wouldn't mind if Canada dropped out of it. That eliminates an army of whiners from the tournament. I would hope the Americans still came to play though

You are the first European I have seen who feels that way and I'm glad we agree. For decades the IIHF/IOC did everything in their power to bar North America's best players from participating in their tournaments so I kind of get why most North Americans either don't care or don't like the WC. As long as the IIHF holds their marquee tournament during the NA playoff season these feelings will persist forever so it's better for everyone if some new ideas are brought to the table.

 

[Ilyeu]

What happened to all the European fans?

Are there less European fans in the stands? I remember most games being almost packed for most countries. This years and last years tournaments, the atmosphere felt like a u18 tournament.

What's going on? Increased ticket prices, economy?

 

[Canuck21t]

This. To be honest I don't really give **** about this "WC". Finland has horrible team, like 90% FEL players. Who gives a **** about WC competition where there's like no good players. What's the point. Pointless ****. I hope Switzerland wins! Something to cheer for..

You sound exactly like a Canadian fan. In others threads, Europeans call that whining. Of course it is whining only when it come from a Canadian.

 

[EbencoyE]

So where is the evidence that the popularity of the WHC is decreasing?

Here in the U.S. I would say the WHC has got far more popular in the past 3 or so years since NBCSports has begun showing the Team USA games on TV.

And from what all the Europeans are saying, it is still as popular as ever over there as well.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[Ilyeu]

so it's safe to say the IIHF has no idea what the hell they're doing, based on all the suggestions here.

 

[EbencoyE]

You are the first European I have seen who feels that way and I'm glad we agree. For decades the IIHF/IOC did everything in their power to bar North America's best players from participating in their tournaments so I kind of get why most North Americans either don't care or don't like the WC. As long as the IIHF holds their marquee tournament during the NA playoff season these feelings will persist forever so it's better for everyone if some new ideas are brought to the table.

There's a difference between purposefully trying to bar certain players from competing and having a philosophy that only amateurs should play sports.

But of course Canadians will take anything that they don't understand as a personal attack on their superiority.

 

[EbencoyE]

They need to change the time of year and also hold it North America once in a while.

The U.S. is free to bid for it whenever they like, that isn't the IIHF's problem. Canada however forfeited their ability to bid on it until 2020 or something like that in return for getting the juniors every other year.

As it is, the games are on either at 5am or often at 1pm on workdays, which means I'm not watching. Also, the NHL playoffs are going on at the same time

These two sentences make no sense together.

And many of the best veteran players from teams that missed the playoffs opt to skip the WC because their season just ended.

And who cares? I'd rather watch Team USA full of players who actually want to be there. I don't care if they're the best or not. This isn't an all-star competition, it's an international competition.

Solutions: move tournament to August/September. Hold in North America once out of every three years.

Neither of those is a solution. August/September is club season already for Europe, plus players are out of shape and nobody wants to get injured right before the season.

And as I already said about North America, the IIHF can't force North America to host it. They have to want to host it.

 

[FlutteringSaucer]

The best solution has nothing to do with WC. Make the league seasons more synchronized. Start and end NHL season 4-6 weeks earlier. End KHL season a month later. Etc.

What is actually the reason why NHL season starts and ends so late? Seems stupid to have NHL playoffs at the same time NBA has its own when there's plenty of more silent time few weeks earlier.

Ofc this wouldn't solve the problems but would reduce many of those.

 

[welshrangersfan]

Sky high ticket prices.....not quite as ridiculous as last year, but still unaffordable to the average fan. A scandal. I'm travelling from the UK to watch the QF, Semis, and Final, but tickets alone cost me around £400 ($650 odd). And that's for upper tier. Most people aren't as stupid as me to go. Add in the fact that a raft of nhlers declined.

Having said that, from the QF stage onwards ticket sales are good apparently.

 

[EbencoyE]

Well, they have had the tournament two years in a row so it probably doesn't really feel all that special, and apparently ticket prices are comparable to the World Cup and Euro Cup of soccer, which are obviously huge premier global events. Probably pretty steep for an annual hockey tournament, especially one taking place in the exact same locations as last year.

 

[TollefsenFan]

Lots of norwegians in Stockholm, so dont blame us

 

[QnebO]

Lots of norwegians in Stockholm, so dont blame us

You bourgeois Norwegians do not need to comment on ticket prices.


Wish I could become Zamboni driver in norwegian 4th tier league so I could buy house and get VIP tickets for next tournament in Finland..

 

[TollefsenFan]

Are there less European fans in the stands? I remember most games being almost packed for most countries. This years and last years tournaments, the atmosphere felt like a u18 tournament.

What's going on? Increased ticket prices, economy?

Okey its simple. Hockey is popular in northern, central and eastern europe. Then the tournament is held in the richest part of Europe (North), while most fans are in central and eastern europe (not so Rich).

Thats the problem.

And yeah it sucks. But its expensive to live in Stockholm/Helsinki, high ticket prizes etc. The tournament should be moved to Leksand or Karlstad or some other hockey hotspot

Hopefully this tournament will never come to Norway

 

[premadonna]

Today's Germany vs USA day game was sold-out because of lower ticket prices. As long as tickets are affordable, people will come - the interest is there.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

There seem to be more Slovak fans in Helsinki than last year (except for the last few games last year)

Also the seats were pretty much empty back in 2011 in the 2nd town Košice (where the home/Czech/finnish/Russian team didn't play) even in the cheap Slovakia, because the teams that were playing there were not the ones who get the most fans in this event and the prices were expensive for the Slovaks to pay for non- Slovak games.

 

[TollefsenFan]

You bourgeois Norwegians do not need to comment on ticket prices.


Wish I could become Zamboni driver in norwegian 4th tier league so I could buy house and get VIP tickets for next tournament in Finland..

Dear
Random guy/girl/whatever from Finland

U finns should make some oil money. Just start digging under the seawater and dnt stop untill some black stuff pops out of the ground, because that black stuff is probably oil and it can make u rich.

Your
Superrich norwegian

 

[QnebO]

Today's Germany vs USA day game was sold-out because of lower ticket prices. As long as tickets are affordable, people will come - the interest is there.

This. Atm Russia - Slovakia is going on, and not even close to full house. Its because that game is priced much higher. There are tons of evidence like this. The ticket pricing has failed to serve the athmosphere.

 

[QnebO]

Dear
Random guy/girl/whatever from Finland

U finns should make some oil money. Just start digging under the seawater and dnt stop untill some black stuff pops out of the ground, because that black stuff is probably oil and it can make u rich.

Your
Superrich norwegian

That oil doesn't seem help a country to become better at hockey, thought.