WJC: Attendance....

[BlackAces*]

It wasn't even a sell out, it wasn't a matter of people staying home. From the IIHF:

Host Canada kicked off its World U20 title defence in grand fashion with a 16-0 drubbing of Latvia in front of an enthusiastic home crowd of 12,468.

It wasn't even the 13,000 TSN said it was. Ugh, terrible.

http://www.iihf.com/en/channels0910...html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=2956&cHash=1beb7042f8

 

[wjhl2009fan]

Last year's tournament was held in Ottawa and the arenas were packed despite terrible weather, even for Canada's 15-0 thumping of Kazakhstan. It's also worth mentioning that the ScotiaBank Place is well outside the city of Ottawa and is pretty much an hour drive away from my part of the city.

No i would not say most of the city is a hours drive.You can get downtown in 20-30 minutes.Plus there is around 400,000 people with in a 15 minute drive.Now with that said yes ottawa packed the place not only at the scotia bank place but aslo the civic centre.

 

[Davebo*]

That is probably true, but if we want Europeans to care this tournament, it should be held in Europe too, not in Canada all the time.

I thought that Canada loved hockey and would sell out every game. Wasn't that the point of having this in Canada 90% of the time, now?

For the 1000th time - it was not supposed to even be in Canada this year. The European country that was supposed to host backed out of their commitment. We stepped up when no one else seemed to want to.



I feel like Dante in Clerks - "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"

 

[BlackAces*]

Yep, getting to Scotia Bank is a pain in the ass. I know my cousin was worried because of the transit strike as well, but I can't remember if that was still going on at that time. I don't think it was. But then again, it was pretty up in the air if Canada would be Kazakhstan.




According to TSN and others, there was just under 13,000 tickets sold. That isn't a sell out.

I was sure TSN said it had been a sell out. Where are you getting your figures? (not implying you're lying, just askin')

SASKATOON – Host Canada kicked off its World U20 title defence in grand fashion with a 16-0 drubbing of Latvia in front of an enthusiastic home crowd of 12,468.

http://www.iihf.com/en/channels0910...html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=2956&cHash=1beb7042f8

 

[Dave Karp]

It wasn't even a sell out, it wasn't a matter of people staying home. From the IIHF:



It wasn't even the 13,000 TSN said it was. Ugh, terrible.

http://www.iihf.com/en/channels0910...html?tx_ttnews[backPid]=2956&cHash=1beb7042f8

Thanks for the source. I thought Gord Miller had said it on air.. anyone else hear that? [That it was a sell-out]

Weather, Boxing day or team be damned, that is a disappointing showing IMO.

 

[Ti-girl]

Thanks for the source. I thought Gord Miller had said it on air.. anyone else hear that? [That it was a sell-out]

Weather, Boxing day or team be damned, that is a disappointing showing IMO.

Yesterday alone there were two people killed due to weather related accidents.

Rather have a bad showing attendence wise then die, thank you very much.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I don't understand why so many people take attendance so personally?

 

[BlackAces*]

Thanks for the source. I thought Gord Miller had said it on air.. anyone else hear that? [That it was a sell-out]

Weather, Boxing day or team be damned, that is a disappointing showing IMO.

He did indeed. Ugh.

 

[BlackAces*]

I don't understand why so many people take attendance so personally?

Saskatchewan over paid to get these games, and places like Halifax and Winnipeg (who would sell out the games) missed out.

Plus, there is a certain level of expectation from a Canadian crowd, and Saskatchewan is failing, big time.

 

[saskhab]

230,000 people live in the Saskatoon metropolitan area. No market that size has a rink as large as the CUC in all of Canada, and there's a reason for that.

Ottawa has over a million in their metro area, and a lot more in travel distance. A million is the entire province of Saskatchewan, a province that is over 588,000 square kilometers.

The reason it's not sold out is because the arena is too large, and the ticket sale process did not reflect the market's capabilities at all.

 

[cjbhab*]

Saskatchewan over paid to get these games, and places like Halifax and Winnipeg (who would sell out the games) missed out.

Plus, there is a certain level of expectation from a Canadian crowd, and Saskatchewan is failing, big time.

Yep, well, im not to blame for empty seats.. my dad and me each have 21 tickets to all 21 games.. he might be to blame as hes gonna skip lots of games, but he did buy them haha.. ill be going it alone for a few ball games

 

[VOB]

Holy Cripe.....there was well over 11000 in attendance to see the Slovaks against the U.S. The Russians vs the Austrians drew 5000 and there were over 5000 to see Sweden play the Czechs.

What am I missing here?

 

[saskbruin44*]

Saskatchewan over paid to get these games, and places like Halifax and Winnipeg (who would sell out the games) missed out.

Plus, there is a certain level of expectation from a Canadian crowd, and Saskatchewan is failing, big time.

LOL, after only one day....

 

[Mihairokov]

trolls trolling trolls trolling trolls

How much were the tickets? I know I wouldn't be able to afford many.

People here are over-reacting like they usually do; it's only been one day.

And i'm not saying I support this tournament being in Canada every year, because I don't, but I understand their theory for having it in Canada every year.

 

[BlackAces*]

230,000 people live in the Saskatoon metropolitan area. No market that size has a rink as large as the CUC in all of Canada, and there's a reason for that.

Ottawa has over a million in their metro area, and a lot more in travel distance. A million is the entire province of Saskatchewan, a province that is over 588,000 square kilometers.

The reason it's not sold out is because the arena is too large, and the ticket sale process did not reflect the market's capabilities at all.

Market size and arena size are two things that those who overpaid for the tournament should have kept in mind. Might be part of the explanation, but definitely not an excuse.

Yep, well, im not to blame for empty seats.. my dad and me each have 21 tickets to all 21 games.. he might be to blame as hes gonna skip lots of games, but he did buy them haha.. ill be going it alone for a few ball games

Too bad there aren't more like you there!

Holy Cripe.....there was well over 11000 in attendance to see the Slovaks against the U.S. The Russians vs the Austrians drew 5000 and there were over 5000 to see Sweden play the Czechs.

What am I missing here?

Context.

 

[BlackAces*]

LOL, after only one day....

Yeah, just like it was only the exhibition games, and now it is only the first game, and judging by the tickets available on ticketmaster for the game against Switzerland, it will "well it is a weekday" or "the weather" or some other lame excuse.

trolls trolling trolls trolling trolls

How much were the tickets? I know I wouldn't be able to afford many.

People here are over-reacting like they usually do; it's only been one day.

And i'm not saying I support this tournament being in Canada every year, because I don't, but I understand their theory for having it in Canada every year.

Nobody held a gun to Saskatchewan's head to over pay for this tournament at the expense of better markets.

 

[VOB]

Context.

Where else in the world could you generate fan interest like that???? Sure Vancouver or Ottawa would have done better because they have a much bigger population base. Other than Canada though, where else could you match those attendance numbers???

 

[NorCAHockeyFan]

Really off topic but...

I'm pretty new to watching the WJC, watched last year and this year so far. Maybe I'm way off here but it really seems that there is a very strong anti-US team feeling from the crowd in all the games I've seen so far. If this is true, why?

 

[Dugray]

Really off topic but...

I'm pretty new to watching the WJC, watched last year and this year so far. Maybe I'm way off here but it really seems that there is a very strong anti-US team feeling from the crowd in all the games I've seen so far. If this is true, why?

Cause the only people who like the US are Americans.

Actually it has to do with the fact that the US is Canada's only competition in their pool, that they always play against each other on New Year's Day to determine who will win the pool, that we seem to run into each other in the playoffs often, and that were neighbours. So frankly it should be no surprise.

 

[BlackAces*]

Where else in the world could you generate fan interest like that???? Sure Vancouver or Ottawa would have done better because they have a much bigger population base. Other than Canada though, where else could you match those attendance numbers???

Within the context of the criticism, markets outside of Canada are not relevant to the discussion. Saskatchewan won a bid against stronger markets because they guaranteed more money up front. Larger, stronger markets including Winnipeg and Halifax. Clearly they were basing that on the potential of the market, or one would hope anyway.

So it goes one of two ways:

(1) The tournament should have never gone to Saskastchewan in the first place
or
(2) The fan support has been a big disappointment.

Or I suppose it could be a mixture of both.

 

[BlackAces*]

Really off topic but...

I'm pretty new to watching the WJC, watched last year and this year so far. Maybe I'm way off here but it really seems that there is a very strong anti-US team feeling from the crowd in all the games I've seen so far. If this is true, why?

Why do crowds in Sweden cheer against Finland and vice versa? Slovakia and the Czechs? Geographic rivalry, man!

 

[Jason12]

Im kinda curious why this tournament hasnt been in Toronto...seems kinda too obvious so I assume im missing out on an obvious reason.

 

[BlackAces*]

Im kinda curious why this tournament hasnt been in Toronto...seems kinda too obvious so I assume im missing out on an obvious reason.

I am pretty sure they have bid a couple of times. I could be wrong though.

 

[Davebo*]

Really off topic but...

I'm pretty new to watching the WJC, watched last year and this year so far. Maybe I'm way off here but it really seems that there is a very strong anti-US team feeling from the crowd in all the games I've seen so far. If this is true, why?

Taunting our bench during the game last year, when you went up 2-0.

Caused a lot of bad feelings - also woke our team up, so a doubly dumb move. We were no better for retaliating, but there you go.

 

[BlackAces*]

Taunting our bench during the game last year, when you went up 2-0.

Caused a lot of bad feelings - also woke our team up, so a doubly dumb move. We were no better for retaliating, but there you go.

Goes back farther than that, much farther IMO.