Roll Call - Isles/Devils

[NJDevs26]

Aside from the lightly promoted puck night, I am surprised to hear of no other home opener promos.

Teams like Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Boston highly promoted things like free concessions, discounted merchandise, player greetings, etc well in advance to their home openers (Pittsburgh like us still has not played it).

I am sure most other teams did too.

Overall, I like what the Devils have done for their season ticket holders, but it's also important that they take care of their single game buying tickets-who are potentially their future season ticket holders.

They claimed somewhere they have some 'surprises' in store tomorrow. We'll see what that means.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Marty says our support helped the team during the playoffs.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2013/01/devils_expect_prudential_cente.html#incart_river_default

@njdevs26, why keep it a surprise? That = nothing that great.
They should promote and advertise the extras fan will get at the game(s).

 

[NJDevs26]

Marty says our support helped the team during the playoffs.

http://www.nj.com/devils/index.ssf/2013/01/devils_expect_prudential_cente.html#incart_river_default

@njdevs26, why keep it a surprise? That = nothing that great.
They should promote and advertise the extras fan will get at the game(s).

Don't look at me, maybe they don't want to be seen as publicly pandering for fans to come back. Or maybe the surprises are crap anyway, like the puck itself which is really the last thing I need. The ticket department's been getting as secretive as hockey ops

They really haven't done a good job of adverting the home opener on the whole, their biggest sin imo was waiting so darn long to finally sell tickets to the public. The public sale didn't even begin till last Thursday or Friday, and the schedule was out by the previous Saturday night. I know you want STH's and other e-mail subscribers to have a presale but it all should have been fast-tracked a 'little' more.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Don't look at me, maybe they don't want to be seen as publicly pandering for fans to come back. Or maybe the surprises are crap anyway, like the puck itself which is really the last thing I need. The ticket department's been getting as secretive as hockey ops

They really haven't done a good job of adverting the home opener on the whole, their biggest sin imo was waiting so darn long to finally sell tickets to the public. The public sale didn't even begin till last Thursday or Friday, and the schedule was out by the previous Saturday night. I know you want STH's and other e-mail subscribers to have a presale but it all should have been fast-tracked a 'little' more.

Spot on my unknown friend!

Patty and Clarky talk about how our fan support helps too, maybe the PR dept reads this forum?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VYo5C8CogdE

 

[manilaNJ]

I usually never complain about attendance numbers or the fan base, and I'm still not complaining really, but we are literally going to be the only home opener that doesn't sell out, or is even close by the looks of it.

How is that even possible?

 

[devils1119]

I usually never complain about attendance numbers or the fan base, and I'm still not complaining really, but we are literally going to be the only home opener that doesn't sell out, or is even close by the looks of it.

How is that even possible?

A ****-ton of tickets just disappeared from ticketmaster, look at section 17. Interesting to say the least.

 

[RHilla619]

Simple reasons tomorrow won't sell out is the game is on a Tuesday, so only the die hards will be there. Most fans, especially those with kids won't come out on a Tuesday. Think about how spotty the arena is during the season on weeknight games.

And secondly ticket prices, for a non STH its borderline crazy paying about $55 for a ticket upstairs to a Tuesday night hockey game. Personally I lucked out and got a pair in the mezzanine at STH cost since the person I bought them from was a really nice guy. But, I dont know how many other people who couldn't find a STH looking to sell are ok with paying $55.

As I said in an earlier post Friday night verse the Caps will have that home opener feel to it, its a Friday night, cheaper tickets on stub hub, and there was a living social deal as well. Tomorrow is going to be very lackluster unfortunately.

 

[Devils Dominion]

I usually never complain about attendance numbers or the fan base, and I'm still not complaining really, but we are literally going to be the only home opener that doesn't sell out, or is even close by the looks of it.

How is that even possible?[/QUOTE]

I know, it's mind boggling but there is still about 24 hours for our fans to get tickets.
As I said earlier, if our fans don't fill the building, we will no doubt be ridiculed all throughout the hockey community.

Home opener pregame festivities are fun in a normal season, tomorrow night should even be better. Lineup intros, something for the ECF banner, just having hockey back at The Rock = awesome time.

Yes, every home opener around the league has sold out thus far, the Islanders even got a respectable 15,300 today on a Monday afternoon vs TB.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Simple reasons tomorrow won't sell out is the game is on a Tuesday, so only the die hards will be there. Most fans, especially those with kids won't come out on a Tuesday. Think about how spotty the arena is during the season on weeknight games.

And secondly ticket prices, for a non STH its borderline crazy paying about $55 for a ticket upstairs to a Tuesday night hockey game. Personally I lucked out and got a pair in the mezzanine at STH cost since the person I bought them from was a really nice guy. But, I dont know how many other people who couldn't find a STH looking to sell are ok with paying $55.

As I said in an earlier post Friday night verse the Caps will have that home opener feel to it, its a Friday night, cheaper tickets on stub hub, and there was a living social deal as well. Tomorrow is going to be very lackluster unfortunately.

I think we'll have a larger crowd tomorrow than Friday night, but we'll see.

I hear the Tuesday night factor, but not for a home opener.

Still a chance we get to an announced sellout, which would mean "close enough" and all teams will announce sellouts when it's that close.

 

[NJDevs26]

I usually never complain about attendance numbers or the fan base, and I'm still not complaining really, but we are literally going to be the only home opener that doesn't sell out, or is even close by the looks of it.

How is that even possible?

To me the Devils deserve it for the way they botched selling tickets from pillar to post, and I'm saying this as a VERY happy sth today....I'm just calling a spade a spade here

I would really laugh my *** off if they got more on Friday, which is eminently possible, given that it's a Friday and the Caps are still a quasi-marquee draw (plus different pricing levels). Come to think of it though, with all the voucher tickets 'and' the ticket deal posted in the other thread, even the Friday number will be a little soft.

 

[manilaNJ]

Don't get me wrong, I defend this fanbase to the death and I know exactly who we are, who we're mostly composed of and why you typically see so many empty seats in the lower bowl on a Wednesday night game. And I know well enough that within a few years, that most likely won't be a problem anymore.

It just feels pretty flat to go from so many consecutive sell outs in the playoffs to a half empty lower bowl again. On the home opener.
The lockout didn't seem to kill momentum (despite the huffing and puffing til now) as it seems people are chomping at the bit to get back to watching hockey again.

The atmosphere is always great in the upper levels, so there's no criticism about that.
Just was hoping for a packed house to get the season started off well.

...and god just looking at my twitter feed right now, it just looks like the Devils are guilt tripping us all

 

[NJDevs26]

Don't get me wrong, I defend this fanbase to the death and I know exactly who we are, who we're mostly composed of and why you typically see so many empty seats in the lower bowl on a Wednesday night game. And I know well enough that within a few years, that most likely won't be a problem anymore.

It just feels pretty flat to go from so many consecutive sell outs in the playoffs to a half empty lower bowl again. On the home opener.
The lockout didn't seem to kill momentum (despite the huffing and puffing til now) as it seems people are chomping at the bit to get back to watching hockey again.

The atmosphere is always great in the upper levels, so there's no criticism about that.
Just was hoping for a packed house to get the season started off well.

...and god just looking at my twitter feed right now, it just looks like the Devils are guilt tripping us all

There were literally thousands of Devil fans on Long Island Saturday, and at least a thousand at their super-secret sth viewing party at the Rock itself so you're right, the lockout didn't kill buzz here any more than it did anywhere else but it's gonna look that way tomorrow.

 

[NjDevsRR]

We dont have enough casual fans or to buy the highly priced lower bowl seats. Thats the bottom line. We have a good amount of season ticket holders but the demand is just not there which is understandable.

 

[manilaNJ]

We dont have enough casual fans or to buy the highly priced lower bowl seats. Thats the bottom line. We have a good amount of season ticket holders but the demand is just not there which is understandable.

I think that's one thing that can definitely be pinned on how they've handled ticket sales.

For the first game back, after a ******** lockout, those lowerbowl tickets should see a decent discount. No excuse for them being so expensive... especially with the lack of benefits for non-sths presented so far. Even if it is a rivalry game.

 

[NJDevs26]

Well selling around 7000 tickets at 'any' price level in less than a week was always going to be a challenge. The Devils just made it infinitely harder on themselves by pushing the timetable back a few days further, not offering single-game buyers anything, etc.

 

[manilaNJ]

Yeah, a free puck isn't going to convince anyone to spend $300 on seats.
STHs got taken care of extremely well, but there are definitely others who need to be appeased as well.

Hopefully the team can get rolling this year with on-ice success (maybe a blockbuster trade ) and ultimately encourage some of those on-the-fence ready-to-be casual fans to come on in and enjoy.


Going to both games this week, still keeping up my tradition of bringing in potential new fans to each game. Hoping some of them stick.

 

[Officer Rod Farva]

guessing that there will be a lot of Flyer fans as well

 

[Devils Dominion]

Well selling around 7000 tickets at 'any' price level in less than a week was always going to be a challenge. The Devils just made it infinitely harder on themselves by pushing the timetable back a few days further, not offering single-game buyers anything, etc.

Ticket inventory on Stubhub and TM has decreased in the last few hours.

The 100 and 200 levels on TM don't have that much left, so anyone still considering should jump on them now at TM because the pairs on SH have been rising in cost.

TM:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/02004A2C01A26DA3?artistid=805982&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=9

SH:
http://www.stubhub.com/new-jersey-devils-tickets/devils-vs-flyers-1-22-2013-4222910/

 

[Marv4Life]

guessing that there will be a lot of Flyer fans as well

I'd be really surprised if there was a large turnout seeming as how there isn't usually alot of them visiting especially on a weeknight.

And as mentioned the NYI got over 15,000 vs Tampa. If the Eastern Conference champs can't get a sellout or somewhat close to it against a rival something is seriously wrong. Not saying every seat has to be filled but in terms of tickets sold.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Looks like Columbus sold out its Monday night home opener.

 

[Devils Dominion]

Looks like Columbus sold out its Monday night home opener.

With help from a lot of Wings fans.

I do not like the Tuesday night excuse either in regards to us. It's ok for people to stay up a tad later for one night.

 

[MartysBetterThanYou]

I think in the end we will at least get to an announced sellout. The reality is that the bulk of our fanbase is in their teens and 20s and 30s do not have the disposable income or work schedule flexibility to spend $300 for a weeknight name in the lower bowl. This will not be a problem in 10 years when the first fans from the 80s are in their peak earning years and will upgrade to the lower bowl, allowing younger fans currently locked out to buy in the upper bowl. The franchise with a problem is the Islanders, because their fans are aging. Kids in NJ are Devils fans. Kids in Long Island are Ranger fans...

 

[HenriquesJawLine]

I would love to go but real life **** is getting in the way and the whole money thing lol

 

[BrodeurRULES]

guessing that there will be a lot of Flyer fans as well

And they will more then likely be sitting around me in 122 too.

 

[Baemon Severson*]

Just got two seats. Section 214 row 3. 60 bucks each on ticketmaster