RIO RANCHO, NM – The economy is all the talk no matter where you live, work or play. Banks, insurance companies, auto makers, and now the Tribune Company who just filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. No one is immune. And that includes hockey franchises in North America, the United Kingdom and the new Kontiental Hockey League in Russia. November saw the collapse of the Augusta Lynx in the ECHL following a failed attempt to find adequate investment support from outside the ownership group. Rumors are swirling about the potential loss of at least two more “AA” franchises before the close of the 2008-2009 season in the States. The Lynx were averaging 2722 fans through 7 home games and were unable to sustain the franchise. In the Central Hockey League, fully half of the league franchises are drawing at or less than the Lynx did prior to going dark. The same percentage of teams in the International Hockey League is drawing fewer than the Lynx. Only four teams in the ECHL have drawn fewer fans than the Lynx. Only the Twin City Cyclones in the 6-team Southern Professional Hockey League are drawing fewer fans than the Lynx and they are drawing fewer than 1000 fans a night. This year has seen something of a rebirth of hockey in two National Hockey League cities, Chicago and Boston. But winning has been the formula for putting people in seats. Patrick Kane in Chicago has been given much of the credit for reinvigorating the Blackhawk faithful. But if the Hawks were losing there would still be empty seats in the arena. For the Bruins in Boston the issues are slightly different. A parade of champions has been seen in the Boston area for years. The Patriots, the Celtics and the Red Sox have won championships while the Bruins are mired in a drought dating back to the 1972 Cup win over the New York Rangers. The United Kingdom is not without problems as well. All of them have been chronicled in the pages of Pro Hockey News by our writers. Similar issues have hamstrung the Bison to highlight one team and the entire UK hockey structure . The newly formed Kontinental Hockey League based in the Russian environs was started as a thorn in the side of the NHL. But the new KHL has not been the magnet for fans or the NHL stars that the founder, Alex Medvedev had hoped for. Igor Larianov, head of the KHL, expressed disappointment to The Hockey News recently in the low number of fans passing the tunrstiles in the KHL. Despite modestly priced tickets most buildings are only half full on good nights. So where are the fans? In Chicago, the fans are back for a winner, but also because the ownership now sees value in the fans where previous owners treated the fan base as a annoyance more than anything. The same might be said of Boston where the Bruins have been managed by owners who dismantled the team’s rosters just as they were about to turn around a season or a trend. Now there is hope in Boston that this is the year the Bruins go beyond the first round. But the NHL has bucks, buildings and butts in seats (for the most part); not so the minors and overseas markets. Where do the minors, especially the lower minors get the juice to make bigger splashes and bigger impressions? Pro Hockey News’ Rich Lohman recently addressed a component of this issue. The CHL is a model of consistency. There are the teams that always do well and there are those that struggle year in and year out to put a competitive team on the ice that will attract the interest of their fans and generate new fans as well. Colorado, Bossier-Shreveport, Laredo, Oklahoma City, and Mississippi all seem to have discovered the formula for putting quality on the ice and fans in the seats though this year the RiverKings are having issues at the gate as well. So what are the answers? Until the economy improves and the recession fades it is unforseeable that franchises are willing to spend money to make money in good times. Those purse strings are closed tighter than the south end of a north bound snail in deep water. What has the formula been for the have nots? The fluff and distractions during intermissions seem to be the cheapest and easiest way to go. Keep the fans’ attention on bright shiny objects and maybe they will forget that the team is less than talented and most of the roster positions are taken by those who belong in a lower level or have seen their prime in the rearview mirror for more than a few seasons. T-shirt cannons, chuck-a-pucks, kiss-cams, and any number of mind-numbingly inane activities are conducted in between periods. Fans now walk the upper level concourse for exercise rather than be dulled into complacency. Some franchises are at the edge of oblivion and need a push back. Why not go edgy to attract fans? On the early days of the Columbus Chill franchise in the ECHL there were more players on the ice than in the stands in the first year. But an edgy marketing campaign made the Chill a “must have” ticket. But hockey fans are not the indolent population as most owners view them. The true hockey fans are savvy and they are the core group that supports each franchise. Lose them and lose a franchise. Perhaps fans of the bottom half of the CHL, IHL, ECHL, and SPHL are not staying away for money issues. Maybe they are staying away because the on ice product leaves much to be desired. Stop trying to “entertain” the fans and give them better hockey. Parity nearly killed the National Football League but maybe some parity in leagues like the CHL would bolster the attendance in the bottom dwellers of the CHL. Give fans a reason to hope that the playoffs are not an inevitable miss for their team. Especially before December has drawn to a close. Locally, more than a few fans in New Mexico now have a 4-goal rule. As soon as the Scorpions go down by four goals, no matter what period, they are packed up and in their cars heading for home. That scenario has been played out all too often this season. Hard to sell a hot dog and a soda to a fan who is no longer in their seat. And it is not as if the fans are not there. Pro Hockey News has seen a 30% increase in its readership in year over year statistics. Bad economy or not something must be done and those who control the franchises and leagues must come together to save the minors in North America and the leagues of the UK and Russia. Nothing beats a live hockey game. If it’s business as usual then the neighborhood sock wash may be the only alternative to the local live hockey match. Contact the author at lou.lafrado@prohockeynews.com .
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