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Sput
10-02-2006, 10:08 AM
Courtesy of: http://www.pgfreepress.com/



NHL exhibition possible
By hartleymiller
Sep 29 2006
“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Prince George CN Centre for tonight’s exhibition game between the Vancouver Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers. Now, for the starting lineups!”

It’s that time of year again where NHL teams are evaluating prospects in pre-season games. At times, these exhibition games take place in a non-NHL city. So, can Prince George land a game, or two?

Perhaps, the best person to ask this question to is CN Centre General Manager Phil Beaulieu. “At this point in the four years I have been here we haven’t made a concerted effort to draw an NHL pre-season game yet, but we have considered it conceptually.”

So, does that mean Beaulieu will pursue the matter? The answer is affirmative.

“Will we look at it in the future? Yes, I think it is our mandate to fill the building with big events. Obviously NHL hockey is an event that would sell in Prince George.”

This concept could become reality, if the dollars and cents add up. Here’s a hypothetical case: Let’s say 6,000 seats are sold at an average of a $100 a ticket.

That’s $600,000, excluding revenue from sponsorship, merchandise, concession and other areas. Expand this to a double-header (keep in mind most NHL clubs have a pre-season roster big enough for two teams) in the city which results in a total of $1.2 million. Beaulieu says: “I don’t know what the NHL teams financial realties are for an exhibition game. Is it worth me making a call saying we can put 600-grand on the table? Absolutely!”

The City of Prince George is developing a credible name by hosting major events and this might tweak the NHL’s interest.

“Through the Royal Bank Cup and the relationships we are building with Hockey Canada in that event, we are starting to get some of the network out there where we can make those calls over the course of the winter and feel comfortable that they will be taken seriously,” said Beaulieu.

If an entrepreneur or sporting group would like to organize a major event like this, City of Prince George representatives would offer their full support.

“We are way more than all ears. We would do whatever we could to help facilitate it because I think it would be great for the community and for the building. I’m a hockey fan so it would excite me. I know the excitement the community would have” stated Beaulieu.

This year the Canucks held its training camp outside of Vancouver (in Vernon), so the next logical step is a pre-season game in a different part of the province and that’s where Prince George comes in.

If the organizational structure was in place, then the next step is to determine whether a hockey fan will shell upwards of $100 a ticket? I’m convinced the answer is an overwhelming YES, especially if it meant a game featuring NHL calibre players.

So, Prince George, would you pay upwards of 100 dollars a pop? Beaulieu and others want to know!!

Sput
10-02-2006, 10:14 AM
This concept could become reality, if the dollars and cents add up. Here’s a hypothetical case: Let’s say 6,000 seats are sold at an average of a $100 a ticket.

Are they serious? $100 a ticket for preseason? Is this a reality in Vancouver or Calgary? Its a great idead to try and get the interest up here, but I kina think its optimistic to expcect a sell out at $100 per, for a preseaosn game when they don't even ice their regular teams half the time.

old_time_hockey
10-02-2006, 10:19 AM
Yep. We get hosed full price for preseason games in the NHL.

I was at the Canucks vs. Ducks game and sat in club seats. Ticket face said $137.

Thank god they were company tickets from where my friend works :thumb: :laugh:

KBF
10-02-2006, 12:09 PM
People don't even show up for a 15 dollar ticket for the Cougars.

Cougar Guy
10-02-2006, 12:39 PM
I was going to go to a Canadiens pre-season game but the tickets were around $75-$80 and they were the nose bleeds. No thanks :)

Now that being said, I'd consider paying $100 to see a pre-season game here for a few reasons:

1) The novelty of it
2) Any seat at the CN Centre would likely cost you well over $100 at an NHL rink
3) It would be good to demonstrate that we are still a hockey town and that people would support it . . . remember the charity game during the lock-out?

Just imagine how Brodsky would feel if there were 5,800 people in that building and they all paid $100 a pop . . . do you think he might get the message that perhaps HIS management is part of the problem :D

rinkrat
10-02-2006, 07:19 PM
The prices the Canucks charge are criminal.(Another reason to love the dub!)
Especially after they cap the salaries.Get this...the Canucks also scalp their own tickets :spineyes:
Season ticket holders can,along with help from the Canucks,sell their tickets on the officail Canucks website for above market value.Of course the Canucks get the majority of the profit.And these sheep keep lining up for tickets,it blows my mind!
I guess there is no price for fitting in with the crowd.haha,or should I say,baa baa.LOL\



http://www.canucks.com/subpage.asp?sectionID=351#games