Post-Game Talk: Twas the Disappointment Before Christmas

[Oilhawks]

It won't happen. While the NHL is still very dependent on local revenues, you are not going to get the team to make changes by having a few thousand fans boycott the team. Its just a drop in the bucket to the overall revenue stream.

You don’t think empty stands make a difference in a gate driven league?

 

[Stoneman89]

They could stand to be more fickle. Supporting this garbage with unquestionable loyalty doesn’t help

I usually make it to a few games during the season but didn’t really go to many during the Chiarelli years, went to game 2 vs the Sharks since it had been so long since a playoff game. Glad I did. Have had a power pack each season since the pre-Covid one and went to the hot stove that Holland and Tippett were at. I intend this to be my last, however, and only have this one because I had a credit to use up. I knew multiple season ticket holders including some corporate and some personal holders and only one remains, he is very diehard but might give his up as well.

As foolish as Katz is, it’s not a very well-kept secret that he’s been frustrated by that. I’m sure Oilers+ is a way of trying to mitigate some leaner merchandising sales and a dwindling season ticket holder base

So what you're saying is that you're currently contributing to the problem you brought up.

 

[Oilhawks]

So what you're saying is that you're currently contributing to the problem you brought up.

Oh wow, a rare gotcha for you, congrats! I’ve already mentioned that before. What’s your point? Should I just sit on the credits forever? My point remains

 

[Fourier]

You don’t think empty stands make a difference in a gate driven league?

First off the NHL is not nearly as dependent on gate as it use to be. It is still significant but not nearly to the degree it was even a decade ago. The league had record revenues last year despite the fact that most Canadian teams had substantial reductions in their local revenues due to covid.

The value of the Oilers has gone up more than 5 fold since Katz bought the team. That's a ROI of 13% annually. Owning the team also allows him to benefit from the arena and gives him say in local politics that also benefits his broader businesses. If the teams attendance dropped by a few thousand this would not impact any of this. It would hurt operating revenue of course but it would not

You also need to remember that merchandise is mostly a league shared revenue. The only merchandising revenue that goes directly to the team is the sales in team owned venues. If you order a McDavid jersey from any other source it goes under league wide merchandising deals.

Finally, there is no way that the Oilers will have "empty stands" because some of the most rabid fans get pissed-off at the team.

Now as an individual you have every right not to support the team. I was a season ticket holder through the 80's and most of the people I knew eventually got fed up with how the team treated its fan base. But that was about 10 times worse than this team treats its fans even as bad as it might be now.

 

[Oilhawks]

First off the NHL is not nearly as dependent on gate as it use to be. It is still significant but not nearly to the degree it was even a decade ago. The league had record revenues last year despite the fact that most Canadian teams had substantial reductions in their local revenues due to covid.

The value of the Oilers has gone up more than 5 fold since Katz bought the team. That's a ROI of 13% annually. Owning the team also allows him to benefit from the arena and gives him say in local politics that also benefits his broader businesses. If the teams attendance dropped by a few thousand this would not impact any of this. It would hurt operating revenue of course but it would not

You also need to remember that merchandise is mostly a league shared revenue. The only merchandising revenue that goes directly to the team is the sales in team owned venues. If you order a McDavid jersey from any other source it goes under league wide merchandising deals.

Finally, there is no way that the Oilers will have "empty stands" because some of the most rabid fans get pissed-off at the team.

Yea, this is all very well and good. I’m sure Katz will be “fine” and the paper valuation certainly helps, though I doubt he is thrilled about the prospect of lower revenue with the team trending towards another mediocre showing in the post season or even missing. Playoff revenue isn’t necessarily massive but it’s not a drop in the bucket either

The thing is, it’s not just “some of the most rabid fans”. They’ve been dropping season ticket holders for years and the general mood for the casual local fan is apathy and indifference. There is some panic in the ranks (I don’t know anyone particularly high up in the OEG but the anxiety trickles down.) The McDrai excitement has waned and even a final 4 finish hasn’t brought back much goodwill with another mediocre season. Fan expectations have been dumped in the waste bin yet again. Something has to give, especially if the downward trend continues.

 

[Hemsky4pm2]

The team made the WCF last year. I think they need better D, but I am still confident that in crunch time they will win enough games to get into the playoffs. I do think Holland hasn't done enough to improve the D. If you take the $ spent on Kulak and Campbell you could have Provorov. I think all Canada based teams are severely hamstrung by the NMC and NTC contracts across the league. If Campbell continues to be bad...then for sure they could miss the playoffs. Holland would be fired and we would be back to the "McDavid and Draisaitl want out" discussion.

 

[Stoneman89]

Oh wow, a rare gotcha for you, congrats! I’ve already mentioned that before. What’s your point? Should I just sit on the credits forever? My point remains

 

[Stoneman89]

Oh wow, a rare gotcha for you, congrats! I’ve already mentioned that before. What’s your point? Should I just sit on the credits forever? My point remains

Man, all I did was point out that you aren't following your own advice/solution, and you're all pissy. I think someone got the dog turd for Christmas and not the dog.

My point is that Katz is getting hurt nearly every year by lack of playoff revenue (last year excepted). The worse his teams are, the less games he gets and the less pure revenue he gets. If his goal is to have an incompetent team and management so he can screw himself in lack of playoff revenue, then he would be an idiot. And I don't think he's an idiot, just a well meaning guy who shows far too much loyalty and lives in the past with that loyalty.

 

[Fourier]

Yea, this is all very well and good. I’m sure Katz will be “fine” and the paper valuation certainly helps, though I doubt he is thrilled about the prospect of lower revenue with the team trending towards another mediocre showing in the post season or even missing. Playoff revenue isn’t necessarily massive but it’s not a drop in the bucket either

The thing is, it’s not just “some of the most rabid fans”. They’ve been dropping season ticket holders for years and the general mood for the casual local fan is apathy and indifference. There is some panic in the ranks (I don’t know anyone particularly high up in the OEG but the anxiety trickles down.) The McDrai excitement has waned and even a final 4 finish hasn’t brought back much goodwill with another mediocre season. Fan expectations have been dumped in the waste bin yet again. Something has to give, especially if the downward trend continues.

I don't dismiss that there is a growing apathy with the fanbase. And yes it is probably going to get worse. My point is more to do with how the team reacts to that apathy. No doubt they notice, and no doubt Katz is probably not so happy. But what I don't see happening is that it will mean they make big changes in the upper management in response.

I do think it is possible that Holland might kick himself upstairs if things go south this year. But he will still have a major say in how things go. I also don't think it is unlikely that Nicholson moves on even if the team turns things around. But I doubt it will be because the owner decides to clean house. It will just be these guys deciding that they want to do something different.

 

[Oilhawks]

I don't dismiss that there is a growing apathy with the fanbase. And yes it is probably going to get worse. My point is more to do with how the team reacts to that apathy. No doubt they notice, and no doubt Katz is probably not so happy. But what I don't see happening is that it will mean they make big changes in the upper management in response.

I do think it is possible that Holland might kick himself upstairs if things go south this year. But he will still have a major say in how things go. I also don't think it is unlikely that Nicholson moves on even if the team turns things around. But I doubt it will be because the owner decides to clean house. It will just be these guys deciding that they want to do something different.

I agree that seems the most likely, but I have a feeling that Holland will kick himself upstairs even if things go relatively well too, though it might be too early for a promotion of Brad (or whoever is brought on).