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Hitmen1
02-02-2009, 09:46 PM
Here is an article from this past weekend.


But for the Oil Kings? Lets tell the truth, here. The Oil Kings haven't really taken hold in this market yet.

OVERPRICED
One major reason is that management of the parent Oilers overpriced the product, making Oil Kings tickets the most expensive in the WHL. The Kings also made the same blunder as the Edmonton Ice with Northlands parking prices chasing away their customers in the last attempt to make major junior hockey fly here. The Oil Kings finally faced that major mistake at mid-season this year by providing free parking to fans who buy tickets in advance.

The Oil Kings are claiming an average paid attendance figure of 4,767 this season, but regulars report a lot of games where they've been counting feet instead of heads. This may have a lot to do with the number of Founders Club tickets in the hands of Oiler season ticket holders. A combination of 41 and 36 home games is a lot of hockey. But that was a legit 13,765 posteriors in the pews last night, and nothing creates attendance like having attendance. "What it does is say you've really arrived and found a place in the landscape," said Oilers' president and CEO Pat LaForge. "This game is four games in one for us in terms of crowd. When you get a crowd like this, it makes it a lot easier sell to get them back for another game. The biggest challenge is to get them in the building the first time," said the hockey boss who will also become a baseball boss when the deal to take over the Edmonton Cracker Cats (definitely to be renamed) is made official before the ominous deadline of Friday, Feb. 13.

Eberle's effect on the game was considerable. "Ticket sales increased rather dramatically in the last couple days with all the media attention on Eberle," was how Oil Kings VP Nick Wilson put it. "I think this night was really important for us. I think it goes a long way to getting us established as more than just another junior hockey product in a big hockey market." The team hasn't been fortunate enough to have a guaranteed future NHL superstar to follow yet.

TOUTED But 2007 bantam draft first pick Mark Pysyk, who is leading the team in ice time at age 16, is already being touted as a future NHL first-round draft pick. And 2008 bantam draft first pick Michael St. Croix is a 15-year-old who has 80 points in 32 games in Winnipeg midget AAA and could be something special. The goal here is to become what the Giants are in Vancouver and the Hitmen are in Calgary, with both averaging just under 10,000 a game for several seasons now. No, the Oil Kings haven't created much of a footprint for themselves in their Edmonton re-entry yet. And they won't, until a significant percentage of the population wakes up in the morning wanting to find out how the team fared the night before.

That probably won't happen until they get themselves into their first playoff series. In the meantime, a happening like last night can go a long way toward getting you to that day.

I hope they get things figured out up in Edmonton, it would suck to lose another team up there.

Edmonton Sun (http://www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Columnists/Jones_Terry/2009/02/01/8222441-sun.html)

DunnerStunner
02-04-2009, 02:58 PM
send them to Hobeema

Derek Sutton
02-04-2009, 04:08 PM
It would suck but I think it would be fitting as well. The Kings and Bruins both were expansion franchieses even though they got to bypass the expansion process because of their ownership groups. Now there are rumblings of relocation for both teams. The WHL wanted the names associated with the ownership groups more then they wanted new franchises. If Mark Messier wanted to put a team in Slave Lake he'd get one but, if Joe Millionaire wanted a team in Winnipeg or Ft. McMurray..... or somewhere that made sense he'd get a "we're not looking at expansion at this time". Ahhh, the politics of hockey.

scrunt
02-04-2009, 11:42 PM
I totally agree with the article. I was in Edmonton in mid-Jan visiting family, and was able to see my Vancouver Giants on the road in Rexall.

Compared to the $13.50 per seat my Giants season tix cost, the $28.00 charged by the Oil Kings was a complete ripoff. To make matters worse, the concessions were still charging NHL prices - $7.75 for a Molson? Sorry.vc178

The announced crowd was mid-4000, but there couldn't have been more than 2,500 people there, and that included about 10 minor hockey teams. Entire sections had less than 20 people! The place looked empty, felt empty, and sounded empty.

I was embarrassed at the game with my sister and brother-in-law after preaching to them beforehand how awesome junior hockey is and what a great value it is...

llmitch
02-05-2009, 11:56 AM
You must remember that the Oil Kings are owned by the Oilers who seem to think that ticket parking and mechandise prices do not matter as they get away with it . You can get a game day ticket for $10.00 and also Free parking if you buy on line. I have only been to one game courtesy of a free ticket and enjoyed the atmosphere. The place was full of families and young kids which was great to see. As long as the Oilers are in business, the Oil Kings will be in Edmonton.

Pete76
02-05-2009, 05:17 PM
28 bucks for a junior hockey game ... damn

dagley
02-07-2009, 05:51 PM
Oh boy, I love Brandon.

Brandonite
02-08-2009, 12:49 AM
Anyone who pays $28.00 for a regular season junior hockey team (who is most likely going to lose more games then win) and have to still pay $8.00 a beer is INSANE! Your not even seeing the best young talent out there because of the whole expansion draft where you got most of your players. The only really solid talent for the first little while will be from visiting teams. Hardly worth paying $28 when the Oilers are in town

hockeypsycho
02-12-2009, 10:36 PM
I was there with my granddaughter and had to pay $22.00 for her ticket. That will just come out of her inheritance so I don't really care, but there are young families out there that wouldn't/couldn't pay that much for a kid's ticket. Isn't the idea that you get them while there are young and they becomre a fan for life? (Lethbridge has free parking, and cheaper tickets and a lot more talent . . . for now)

D_J
02-13-2009, 12:09 AM
I was there with my granddaughter and had to pay $22.00 for her ticket. That will just come out of her inheritance so I don't really care, but there are young families out there that wouldn't/couldn't pay that much for a kid's ticket. Isn't the idea that you get them while there are young and they becomre a fan for life? (Lethbridge has free parking, and cheaper tickets and a lot more talent . . . for now)

Thats crazy... You can get a family pack of four tickets which includes food and drinks for $54 in Chilliwack....

Derek Sutton
02-13-2009, 11:32 AM
Lethbridge has free parking, and cheaper tickets and a lot more talent . . . for now)
I live in the 'Bridge and if they made us pay for parking....you would see a drastic drop in attendance, a lot of the season ticket holders are seniors and they wouldn't stand for that. As well, a lot of the walk up traffic is students and they wont pay extra either nor should anyone else be expexted to. Say even @5/ game thats another $180 per season, they would be much further ahead to raise the concession prices again.
I guess this depends on the lease agreements and who gets what share of what. If the city wants parking revenue could they just ad a parking lot fee even if teh team is against it? Even so, in Edmonton if the city gets parking revenues, they oilers could still set reasonable pricesw for their tickets, $22 is too much for a youth ticket.

Broncs in RD
03-07-2009, 09:46 AM
I said it when Edmonton got there 2nd Franchise...the Oil Kings, that if they didn't change their way of thinking they would end up like the ICE.....and move away. I have been to three Oil King games, I have been to pretty much every WHL rink and there isn't a bigger rip off then the Oil Kings. I spent more money at the Oil King game than I did at the Oilers game...figure that our. Beer is expensive, Parking is ridiculous and the price of a ticket....WOW. This is suppose to be a league where families, young kids can afford to go to a game, but in Edmonton they are screwing themselves ONCE AGAIN. BYE BYE KINGS.

robthelogger
03-09-2009, 10:16 AM
Parking is free so you cant really ***** about that. Ticket prices are a bit high but what is really crazy is the price of the concessions. $7 for a can of beer and $4.50 for a pop is ridiculous I think. thats where they are really hosing ppl.
I'm not sure if thats the Oilers setting these prices or Northlands. Either way charging the same for food and drinks at a WHL game as they do for the Oilers is nuts!
Hopefully they will make some changes for next year as the team is getting better by the game and looks like we will be playoff bound!

WorkHorse
03-09-2009, 10:55 AM
Not sure where you're parking, but parking at Northlands is $12, not free. If you are a founders club member parking passes come with your tickets, but otherwise i believe you have to pay.

robthelogger
03-09-2009, 11:15 AM
Parking is free as long as you pre-purchase your game ticket. They included parking with your ticket a month or two ago.

WorkHorse
03-09-2009, 12:12 PM
Didn't know that, great! At least they're making changes to encourage people to attend. Next step would be to do something about youth prices for next year.

robthelogger
03-09-2009, 12:33 PM
I agree, a lower price for kids and lower prices for food and drink and they will get more ppl in the stands.