WHL vrs Fans

[johnnyradiant]

The WHL numbers of butts in a seat are down across the league with, apparently, 3 exceptions - 1 holding and 2 up a bit. I sit in Vancouver seats and while I still intend to do so next season and have put money down I find that I am less and less enamored with following the dub. The actual product I watch on the ice is not too bad even given Vancouver's play last season and this. It is all the other bits and pieces that are dragging the experience down. For the past few season it has felt that the league and individual teams in general are filtering or limiting information to the fans. In Vancouver's case I find so much of what goes on during the whistles or periods to be either poorly implemented or to repetitive, to the point of being cheesy. One prime example of what I am talking about is the get an 'ice crew' to pickup the snow around the nets and benches. They will often have a couple that can barely skate and can't move the scaper in a straight line leaving patches behind. In our short playoff slaughter the girl holding the shovel left more snow on the ice in a pile than in her shovel on the third attempt to the point where she had Portland players pissed off at her leaving a pile rather just not bothering in the first place. I just find that example to cover the basic parts of the product that represent the league and I find it shameful at best that it just seems to be getting worse and not better. How can the league home for a turnaround in numbers when that can't even get the small things right?

I find it ironic that Portland, the team that took a beating from the league last year, has numbers up.

Those who's teams are still in the playoffs enjoy the rest of your second season.

[mjw22]

The WHL numbers of butts in a seat are down across the league with, apparently, 3 exceptions - 1 holding and 2 up a bit. I sit in Vancouver seats and while I still intend to do so next season and have put money down I find that I am less and less enamored with following the dub. The actual product I watch on the ice is not too bad even given Vancouver's play last season and this. It is all the other bits and pieces that are dragging the experience down. For the past few season it has felt that the league and individual teams in general are filtering or limiting information to the fans. In Vancouver's case I find so much of what goes on during the whistles or periods to be either poorly implemented or to repetitive, to the point of being cheesy. One prime example of what I am talking about is the get an 'ice crew' to pickup the snow around the nets and benches. They will often have a couple that can barely skate and can't move the scaper in a straight line leaving patches behind. In our short playoff slaughter the girl holding the shovel left more snow on the ice in a pile than in her shovel on the third attempt to the point where she had Portland players pissed off at her leaving a pile rather just not bothering in the first place. I just find that example to cover the basic parts of the product that represent the league and I find it shameful at best that it just seems to be getting worse and not better. How can the league home for a turnaround in numbers when that can't even get the small things right?

I find it ironic that Portland, the team that took a beating from the league last year, has numbers up.

Those who's teams are still in the playoffs enjoy the rest of your second season.

I agree with you on this. I'm a Warrior supporter from day one season ticket holder past 11 yrs . When I lived in Calgary for a number of years 2 of us always made the trek home for the play offs .I couldnt see myself doing that now. I have 3 season tickets used to have 4 I may only renew 2 .In the 10 seasons prior to this one I missed less than 15 games total this year 20 or so .The reason is not just because of our teams performance but the on ice product league wide. Younger teams fewer quality 19/20 yrs poor officiating no hitting boring on ice promos just a general lack of excitement in the whole product.Dont know how the league remedies the problem if they even know or care how fans feel. Looking at how they let teams like Lethbridge and Prince George alienate their fan base it makes me wonder.

[johnnyradiant]

The alienating ownership is beyond their control is what a league rep told me a couple seasons back. I found it funny because before Portland was sold a few seasons back they were able to step in then. Or when Portland wanted to give out a cel phone, some extra travel expenses, and some conditioning sessions the league jumped in then as well, even though I don't think the league ever officially admitted to exactly what they were fined for.

I think the front office could do with some third party PR help and they should try and stick with the PR's advice instead of just letting the PR help tell them one thing and the league does the opposite.

[sbtatter]

I think these new rules stopping hitting are taking a lot of excitement out of the games, there have been big attendance decreases in the league this year, but do the WHL head office care? I never get a response from them when I email them, so to me, that's an indication they don't care about fans.
I used to have 8 season tickets, but down to 2 now, the games just aren't a draw for customers or staff anymore, too many TV timeouts, too much time in intermissions and too boring are what people tell me when they turn the complimentry tickets down.

[skinnyhead]

The games are nowhere are fun as they use to be.
Also as beautiful as the new buildings are, and not to mention much needed for revenue other then hockey, but from my experience the old barns use to be a huge part of the league experience in the WHL.

my opinion

[mjw22]

The games are nowhere are fun as they use to be.
Also as beautiful as the new buildings are, and not to mention much needed for revenue other then hockey, but from my experience the old barns use to be a huge part of the league experience in the WHL.

my opinion

Ya no atmosphere in these arenas .

[skinnyhead]

Ya no atmosphere in these arenas .

That's why after the first season in Mosaic Place, I cancelled my season tickets. Plus Moose Jaw is way understaffed in security, concession staff. While the majority of the people that are there are totally incompetent. It got too big too fast.