OT: Ticket Thread - 2021/22 (Make sure to read rules on post 1 before posting tix!)

[Gee Wally]

Yup....this season - if there is a season- will be played in empty arenas

Meanwhile- as of the December payment the Bs will be -conservatively- sitting on $80 million in STH payments ( 44 games x$150 ave. seat price x 12,000 STHs) and there has been ZERO communications

Not sure whether it's a case of oblivious management, disdainful management or greedy management- or more likely a combination of all three. In any case it will get ugly come January .....I have been a Bs fan all my life ( all the way back to the Orr days ) and this is truly the first time where I question whether I want to continue as a STH.

I have no love of Jacobs or DN Corp..
All three things you say are most likely nuts on.

But they run it as a business and always have. I have yet to see them hold a gun to anyones head.

So, why do they do this?
Because they can and ticket holders allow it. They literally bank on it.

 

[talkinaway]

Yup....this season - if there is a season- will be played in empty arenas

Meanwhile- as of the December payment the Bs will be -conservatively- sitting on $80 million in STH payments ( 44 games x$150 ave. seat price x 12,000 STHs) and there has been ZERO communications

Not sure whether it's a case of oblivious management, disdainful management or greedy management- or more likely a combination of all three. In any case it will get ugly come January .....I have been a Bs fan all my life ( all the way back to the Orr days ) and this is truly the first time where I question whether I want to continue as a STH.

Are there really 12000 seats for full season STHs? I figured it was approximately 50/50 or about 9K of STHs, just remembering some of the maps for single tickets that you could buy direct from Ticketmaster, but I could be wrong. I also would bet that 6 or 7 years ago, STH non-renewals got converted into more lucrative single seats, which could be partially responsible for the fabled STH waitlist.

Either way, it's a reasonable order-of-magnitude estimate of how much they're sitting on. Although there may be some STHs who default and/or get payments deferred, either by asking or by stopping payments because they can't pay.

I get that they need some minimal money to keep basic operations running - ie they have to pay my STH fan relations guy. But during the fat times, they were making craptons of money off of $15 beers. It's time to feed off of that fat, and not bleed us dry.

 

[northeastern]

Yup....this season - if there is a season- will be played in empty arenas

Meanwhile- as of the December payment the Bs will be -conservatively- sitting on $80 million in STH payments ( 44 games x$150 ave. seat price x 12,000 STHs) and there has been ZERO communications

Not sure whether it's a case of oblivious management, disdainful management or greedy management- or more likely a combination of all three. In any case it will get ugly come January .....I have been a Bs fan all my life ( all the way back to the Orr days ) and this is truly the first time where I question whether I want to continue as a STH.

I'm glad it's not just me that's seen zero communication. I wonder how much money they plan to take before they realize I'm not going to be able to watch 41 games from the garden next season... Im okay giving stove money to hold my spot but f*** by the time regular hockey is back who knows if I'll be able to go to games like I can/could last season...

 

[bossfan]

I'm on the 5 month payment plan so this month's payment has me fully paid up for an upcoming season that is not going to be normal either by number of games played or fans in the building.

Does anyone know what other teams are doing with their season ticket holders? I'm guessing that other teams are taking payments and the Bruins are not the only organization doing this.

 

[SpeedyLazaro]

They are going to take all the funds and then give an option to defer to 2022.. at least that’s what I think

 

[talkinaway]

I'm on the 5 month payment plan so this month's payment has me fully paid up for an upcoming season that is not going to be normal either by number of games played or fans in the building.

Does anyone know what other teams are doing with their season ticket holders? I'm guessing that other teams are taking payments and the Bruins are not the only organization doing this.

It's funny - I've checked the Flyers, the Leafs, and the Blues, and there's not much news publicly available. The Leafs site seemed to imply that you could, at one point, pause your membership for 2020-21 without impacting your seniority or losing your seats. That option is no longer available. The Flyers have some stuff about how they're going to focus on "health and safety of fans", and that if your membership is impacted by a reduction in games or seating capacity, you'll retain seat priority for 2020-21.

So, I can't blame the Bruins themselves too much - other teams seem to be tight-lipped about 2020-21 plans for STHs, too. It makes sense, in that no team knows how many games, or what their capacity will be. I think we can be a little generous and chalk up a lot of the uncertainty as being due to COVID itself - but some common sense has to prevail in recognizing that a full 82 game season is NOT happening.

For other leagues in Boston:

Red Sox gave STHs the option of a rolling over their balance to 2021 and getting 10% credit (probably either to buy more single game tickets or for 2022), or a full refund of 2020 and to stay on the list for 2021.

Patriots STHs could opt-out of 2020-21 (at a fairly early date - July 31) and not lose seniority or their seats. Obviously that whole season will have been trashed, since Gillette just announced no games this season. I see no talk of any 10% bonus.

Celtics are doing the same thing as Bruins, AFAIK. Still charging, wait-and-see what happens. One thing: STHs will be looking for price reductions, especially since the teams themselves will likely be reducing single game prices if demand isn't high. I think either TBL or FLA STHs (or both) got annoyed at the team for practically giving away tickets (to make the money up in concessions) after they'd paid for their tickets about 6-7 years ago.

 

[MrMars]

News Update:

Celtics just sent a email out saying they have stopped charging season ticket holders till people can actually start going to games again. They collected 8 out of 12 payments (They do 12 month and did not charge November yet)

I e-mailed my Bruins rep and got the same exact response I posted earlier. so it is a copy/paste job for anyone asking. There is no chance of a 44 home games being played, along with next to no chance they will be fans at all (or any) of them....

 

[Fenway]

 

[northeastern]

News Update:

Celtics just sent a email out saying they have stopped charging season ticket holders till people can actually start going to games again. They collected 8 out of 12 payments (They do 12 month and did not charge November yet)

I e-mailed my Bruins rep and got the same exact response I posted earlier. so it is a copy/paste job for anyone asking. There is no chance of a 44 home games being played, along with next to no chance they will be fans at all (or any) of them....

I didn't even get a response... That's fun.

I expect interest.

 

[talkinaway]

I didn't even get a response... That's fun.

I expect interest.

Good luck with that...like I've said, one of the "un-perks" of being a STH is that you're paying for your tickets far in advance - 6 months at the start, 4 months at the end. Yes, they've had our money for 8 months now, and they haven't given any back because the games are "postponed"/"yet to be scheduled", which I'm sure is in the fine print of the STH agreement.

We'll get the money back, but I don't expect interest, and I expect it to be 2-4 weeks after the official announcement that TD Garden will not be hosting any games (whenever that is). Would giving interest be the moral thing to do? Probably. But the Bruins (and Delaware North) have lost tons of money during the pandemic, so there's less money to give. We're all hurting. Of course, as Gee Wally says, "We're all in the same storm, but we're not all in the same boat" - I imagine Jacob's boat is more of a yacht.

You could argue that if you invested your money in a fairly bland (but still risky) S&P 500 index fund with low fees, $2974.27 of season ticket money on March 2 could be diverted and you'd be sitting on $3585.15 today. Fees would probably take something on the order of single digits off of that "profit" - taxes probably significantly more. The problem is it's not like the Bruins can do that with the money you gave them. They have to pay for some basic costs - rent, staff, communication folks, etc. They could (and did) furlough to save money, but it's not 100%. And there's also risk - if you wanted to go for no-risk short-term CDs, you're talking interest rates of no more than 0.5% nowadays.

 

[Ladyfan]

I'm glad it's not just me that's seen zero communication. I wonder how much money they plan to take before they realize I'm not going to be able to watch 41 games from the garden next season... Im okay giving stove money to hold my spot but f*** by the time regular hockey is back who knows if I'll be able to go to games like I can/could last season...

My credit card payment was higher than usual this month. When I looked to see why it was because the B's payment for Nov was pulled earlier than usual.

 

[Gopher13]

Bruins are delusional....

Dear Bruins Fan,

We hope this email finds you and your family safe and healthy. This time of year has us thinking about the start of hockey season, which we hoped would have begun by now. Mostly though, we are thinking of you and your families and friends who we miss seeing around TD Garden.

We appreciate your continued support of the Boston Bruins. As a Season Ticket Holder, your loyalty and passion is unmatched. We want to make sure we keep you updated on the season ahead throughout this unique offseason. The National Hockey League is currently focusing their attention on the start of the 2020-21 Season. The league has targeted a January 1st start date. Despite this delayed start, the National Hockey League has indicated their goal is to play a full season at TD Garden.

Our highest priority is your safe return to TD Garden to enjoy the thrill of live hockey again. Please know we are actively working behind-the-scenes with state and local public safety and public health officials, as well as the NHL, on the return of fans to games and events. As we’ve all learned over the past eight months, the situation is fluid and dependent upon many variables.

We want to thank you for your continued patience while we navigate your return to the building to cheer on the Bruins. Once we receive official communication from the league, the state, and the city, we will be back in touch with updates.

 

[Kate08]

What a joke this team is.

I can't wait until they give me my money back and I can tell them to shove their seats where the sun don't shine.

 

[BruinsFan1990]

What a joke this team is.

I can't wait until they give me my money back and I can tell them to shove their seats where the sun don't shine.

I will be asking for a refund as well (assuming that there will be an option for one). As for getting rid of my season tickets, I get closer and closer every year. This might just push me over the edge.

 

[talkinaway]

That email this morning is absolutely ridiculous, especially when TD Garden just announced today that they have cancelled the Beanpot. Granted, some of that is probably because Harvard (and the Ivy League and ECAC) have cancelled all winter sports, I think. And another part of it is that Hockey East is now a closed ecosystem - they're only playing within their league. But, fundamentally, it means they don't feel they can get a game in TD Garden in front of fans by Monday, February 1 - which would have been the traditional Beanpot date.

But, still, "Despite this delayed start, the National Hockey League has indicated their goal is to play a full season at TD Garden?" My goal is to look like a hybrid of Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans, and Patrice Bergeron, but you don't see me making such ludicrous statements out loud. Talk about goals all you want; it's not reasonable to assume that an 88 game pre+regular season can be played in front of all the STHs who have already bought tickets. Even 90% of those games (which is what many STHs have paid so far) isn't reasonable.

You can blame the NHL for the action, but this is awful messaging. Frankly, what I'd rather hear from the Bruins is, "We're hamstrung. The NHL is still trying to finalize plans for the 2021 season. They can't guarantee that we WON'T have a full season, so we can't refund your money yet. Send all complaints to Gary Bettman."

 

[Gopher13]

That email this morning is absolutely ridiculous, especially when TD Garden just announced today that they have cancelled the Beanpot. Granted, some of that is probably because Harvard (and the Ivy League and ECAC) have cancelled all winter sports, I think. And another part of it is that Hockey East is now a closed ecosystem - they're only playing within their league. But, fundamentally, it means they don't feel they can get a game in TD Garden in front of fans by Monday, February 1 - which would have been the traditional Beanpot date.

But, still, "Despite this delayed start, the National Hockey League has indicated their goal is to play a full season at TD Garden?" My goal is to look like a hybrid of Bradley Cooper, Chris Evans, and Patrice Bergeron, but you don't see me making such ludicrous statements out loud. Talk about goals all you want; it's not reasonable to assume that an 88 game pre+regular season can be played in front of all the STHs who have already bought tickets. Even 90% of those games (which is what many STHs have paid so far) isn't reasonable.

You can blame the NHL for the action, but this is awful messaging. Frankly, what I'd rather hear from the Bruins is, "We're hamstrung. The NHL is still trying to finalize plans for the 2021 season. They can't guarantee that we WON'T have a full season, so we can't refund your money yet. Send all complaints to Gary Bettman."

The Bruins PR team is pitiful. What they should say is right along the lines you mentioned. Be honest and don't come up with some BS that they are going to play 44 home games in front of STH and fans - aint happening in 50 days or so. Bruins should refund everyone 25% to start and also tell every season ticket holder they are getting a free reverse jersey for allowing the Bruins to make interest on our money during a pandemic.

 

[northeastern]

I will be asking for a refund as well (assuming that there will be an option for one). As for getting rid of my season tickets, I get closer and closer every year. This might just push me over the edge.

I'd imagine getting that money back won't be the easiest option...


Has any real discount been offered for the reverse jerseys to sths at all? I saw an email about preordering one asap to be first! Like cool yeah I'll get right on that so I can wear it to these 44 home games I'll be attending....

 

[talkinaway]

I'd imagine getting that money back won't be the easiest option...


Has any real discount been offered for the reverse jerseys to sths at all? I saw an email about preordering one asap to be first! Like cool yeah I'll get right on that so I can wear it to these 44 home game

s I'll be attending....

I think we get a 15% discount at the ProShop - I actually forgot about that when I was scouting the jerseys. In the beforetimes, I'd just flash my card at the checkout - they never bothered to scan it or anything. I'm 99% sure they'd accept a lame "I left this year's card at home" excuse if you flashed them an old card live. Alas, that's not an option for the foreseeable future.

If you're not wedded to the idea of having a jersey for Christmas (and, let's face it - where exactly are you going to GO in these jerseys? Nowhere, I hope...), Fanatics will start selling the reverse retros just a few days later on December 6, according to this site:

How to get Penguins, Flyers NHL Reverse Retro jerseys: Where to buy NHL Adidas merch, prices

I assume they're the same as teh ProShop ones, but there have been jersey styles available at the ProShop that aren't at Fanatics, and vice versa...I think. If they're the same, definitely go Fanatics if you can wait even a little bit longer. From what I recall from a year or so ago, they have rotating deals that change either daily or weekly. Wait for a sitewide 25% or more off - it'll say "jerseys excluded", but it always works. Right now they charge $6 shipping and handling, but for a jersey it's probably worth it - and I remember they used to do free shipping along with the sitewide 25% off. And you'll get some FanCash back - probably enough to buy a Bruins coffee mug.

 

[Gopher13]

Devils sent and email to all STH saying there are stopping monthly payments until info on season comes out.

Canucks stopped payments 2 weeks ago.

Rangers pushed April payment to Sept then back to Nov and now back to 12/15.

Kings have a deferral payment option.

Islanders not collecting money - deferring any payments.

Blackhawks pausing payments

 

[MrMars]

IMO the Bruins held off not charging as long as they could. The NHL will almost certainly announce a reduced season schedule before December’s payment is due. So we should be safe with that charge. Almost likely the reduced schedule will also involve a refund owed on previous payments just based on the shorter season alone.

Of course there is zero chance of fans when the season starts but the Bruins will continue to ignore that detail.

 

[MrMars]

Just got this.

As an important member of the Boston Bruins Family, we thank you for your patience and commitment as we work thru the re-opening of the TD Garden, and bringing hockey back to our beloved city. We realize there is uncertainty regarding whether fans will be allowed to attend all home games, what the return to play will be like for TD Garden and how these changes may impact your 2020-21 Season Tickets and payments, including total cost.

While we await further details from the NHL regarding the 2020-21 Season, the Bruins have made the decision to cancel any scheduled payments for our Season Ticket Holders. This means that you will not be charged in December. As soon as we have more information regarding the Bruins schedule for this upcoming season, we will communicate the relevant updates to your Season Tickets, including refund options as well options for Season Ticket Holders to accrue interest on money which they leave in their account. Lastly, we will reach out in the coming weeks to provide available options should any game(s) be impacted by COVID-related government or league restrictions that result in attendance limitations at TD Garden.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[Ladyfan]

Just got this.

As an important member of the Boston Bruins Family, we thank you for your patience and commitment as we work thru the re-opening of the TD Garden, and bringing hockey back to our beloved city. We realize there is uncertainty regarding whether fans will be allowed to attend all home games, what the return to play will be like for TD Garden and how these changes may impact your 2020-21 Season Tickets and payments, including total cost.

While we await further details from the NHL regarding the 2020-21 Season, the Bruins have made the decision to cancel any scheduled payments for our Season Ticket Holders. This means that you will not be charged in December. As soon as we have more information regarding the Bruins schedule for this upcoming season, we will communicate the relevant updates to your Season Tickets, including refund options as well options for Season Ticket Holders to accrue interest on money which they leave in their account. Lastly, we will reach out in the coming weeks to provide available options should any game(s) be impacted by COVID-related government or league restrictions that result in attendance limitations at TD Garden.

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

wow how generous to not charge 1/10th of our total payment.

 

[talkinaway]

"Options to let your money accrue interest". Nope. Not for me. While a 10% bonus might sound nice if they offer it, the S&P 500 gone up 8.5% YTD, and there's still a month to go - and that includes a pandemic. I'll keep my money in a liquid form, but thanks for asking.

If they don't play in front of fans for 2020-21, I expect a full refund for the 2020-21 season, and an extended renewal deadline for 2021-22 to at least April - and that's for the EARLIEST renewal, where you get any kind of bonuses. And my seat price? One cent up, and I'm out - and that's compared to 2019-20, not the soon-to-be unplayed 2020-21 season.

 

[the negotiator]

"Options to let your money accrue interest". Nope. Not for me. While a 10% bonus might sound nice if they offer it, the S&P 500 gone up 8.5% YTD, and there's still a month to go - and that includes a pandemic. I'll keep my money in a liquid form, but thanks for asking.

If they don't play in front of fans for 2020-21, I expect a full refund for the 2020-21 season, and an extended renewal deadline for 2021-22 to at least April - and that's for the EARLIEST renewal, where you get any kind of bonuses. And my seat price? One cent up, and I'm out - and that's compared to 2019-20, not the soon-to-be unplayed 2020-21 season.

Some tough times coming to Causeway Street....the Bs aren' t used to providing options and the climate is such they if they don't they will have a lot of empty seats even after fans can attend games

This is a Big opportunity for the Bs front office to change the vibe and actually show fans they care....any odds on the " my way or the highway " brand of customer service doesn't see any major alterations

 

[OldScool]

Bruins have been tone deaf for years when it comes to their STH. Honestly I think it’s due the owner not being local and part of the community. Jacobs is a New York business man who lives in Florida and only sees the fans as way to make money -their are no personal ties to the fans like Kraft has to the patriot fans. The bruins are an investment for him not a love. As long as the bruins are winning and there are sellouts after sellouts the Jacobs see no reason to treat the fans well - they will still make their $.