Big Phil
Registered User
- Nov 2, 2003
- 31,703
- 4,146
I guess upon closer review I notice this again, even when you think of one of the greatest games of all-time, the Canada/Russia semi-final in 1984, there were empty seats in the Saddledome in Calgary. Team Canada playing their hated rivals, in Canada, and it wasn't even a full house? On the Bossy goal you can see some empty seats. Crazy.
But this was a theme in 1981, 1984 and 1987. It was better in 1987 because Hamilton really embraced Team Canada and was chomping at the bit for a team, even then.
1976 attendance was great, even in games without Canada. My guess is that with the success of 1972 and the Super Series in 1976 with classic games the Red Army played against NHL teams that interest was high in 1976. The Soviets had arrived. Why wasn't this the case 5 years later? In 1981 it was packed with Canada/Russia games, both of them. Plus Canada's semi-final vs. the US. In 1987 though Canada's semi vs. the Czechs which was a bit of a scary match up (Canada was down 2-0 until the middle of the game) only had 10,200 people at the Forum, far from capacity.
My main guess is that we were over-saturated with international hockey. The Soviets were no strangers with the Red Army playing against NHL teams by then. It wasn't unusual. The Challenge Cup played to capacity in MSG in 1979 and Rendez Vous played to capacity in Quebec City in 1987 (I can't remember why it was only two games in 1987).
Did the pricing have anything to do with this? I know that was the big problem in 2017 with the WJC in Montreal. They basically priced the fans out of coming to the games, which was sad. I am trying to remember why so many of the early Canada Cup games were so poorly received.
But this was a theme in 1981, 1984 and 1987. It was better in 1987 because Hamilton really embraced Team Canada and was chomping at the bit for a team, even then.
1976 attendance was great, even in games without Canada. My guess is that with the success of 1972 and the Super Series in 1976 with classic games the Red Army played against NHL teams that interest was high in 1976. The Soviets had arrived. Why wasn't this the case 5 years later? In 1981 it was packed with Canada/Russia games, both of them. Plus Canada's semi-final vs. the US. In 1987 though Canada's semi vs. the Czechs which was a bit of a scary match up (Canada was down 2-0 until the middle of the game) only had 10,200 people at the Forum, far from capacity.
My main guess is that we were over-saturated with international hockey. The Soviets were no strangers with the Red Army playing against NHL teams by then. It wasn't unusual. The Challenge Cup played to capacity in MSG in 1979 and Rendez Vous played to capacity in Quebec City in 1987 (I can't remember why it was only two games in 1987).
Did the pricing have anything to do with this? I know that was the big problem in 2017 with the WJC in Montreal. They basically priced the fans out of coming to the games, which was sad. I am trying to remember why so many of the early Canada Cup games were so poorly received.
