Why doesn’t it work in Miami?

[McDLT]

for starters, the team isn't in Miami.

the difference is winning. they haven't had a winning team since 1996.

win consistently and the fans will come.

This

 

[The Red Line]

Yeah they’re not in Miami, they’re literally in the Everglades and a good hour at least outside of Miami. I used to live in south Florida and I’m a big hockey fan but the idea of going to a game was such a freaking ordeal for how inconvenient and far away it was from the rest of normal society that I think I only managed one game in three years. They lost, if I recall.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

I urge you to visit Toronto and tell me the white population dominates hockey interest than look at the teams poluarity. Please don’t point to history just look at the Scotiabank arena it is filled every night and it has a HUGE percent of minority. I am very happy it has grown to be diverse and in Aurora (suburb of Toronto part of the greater Toronto area) where I live the minor program immensely grown in minority. I won’t say it’s the majority yet but a lot of my friends and I always joke that whites are now the minority around Toronto and the GTA. When I grew up we had 1 black super whitewashed kid playing hockey and that was as diverse as it got now it’s comeptly changed

How could one have this discussion and not point to history? Your saying "HUGE" , why not post actual statistics instead of tabloid buzzwords?

Toronto is the mecca of Hockey - it also has a population that is 6X Miami. Your failing to see that in addition to demographics, the cultural difference between MIA and TORONTO is immense. Other factors include seasonality and social strata. That's besides the fact the franchise has been there for over a century - Heres the reality:

"Albeit 92% of the fan base of the NHL is Caucasian/White, they beat by NASCAR which has 94% of their games fan base being Caucasian/White."​

Source: http://demographicpartitions.org/demographics-of-sports-fans-u-s/#gwzPLAQUjyb81ckE.99

I've visited Toronto - I urge you to look at a map and realize Miami is essentially in the Caribbean. Wasn't there a movie, loosely based on true events, that was a parody/comedy of a Jamaican Bobsled team?

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

irrespective of how it was built, you're talking about one of the most populated areas of the entire planet and a team that is #1 in the league.

I'm not talking about HOW it was built, that's an engineering discussion. I'm talking about WHY it was built, which is a business discussion and the answer is to be the home of the Brookyln Nets, a professional NBA team.

Then you have the Yankees, Mets, Giants, Jets, Knicks, Nets and Rangers ... all of which have been established in the city before the Isles and have had a lot more recent success then the Isles. 1st place in the metro for a few months doesn't get those diehard fans of the 7 teams mentioned in your arena.

 

[Skeletorrr]

Northern Florida is people from all over the continent who just ended up there. Many bring hockey fandom with them.

South Florida is basically every different nation, Spanish, Hatian, Indian, Jamaican
Black, White, Cuban, and Asian. The residents there party in the city where the heat is on all night, on the beach till the break of dawn. When would they go to watch Ice Hockey? No way... it's about to reach five-hundred degrees in the Carribean seas!

I see what you did there.

 

[Albatros]

I urge you to look at a map and realize Miami is essentially in the Caribbean.

Fun fact: They're actually closer to Brazil than to Phoenix.

 

[Calad]

Barclays wasn't built for hockey. No need to review the reasons why even dedicated fans don't make the commute there - it's an AirBnb for a hockey team. Belmont attendance will tell the real story.

Belmont isn't much less of a pain in the ass to get to

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Belmont isn't much less of a pain in the ass to get to

Still 20 miles closer to the core fan base. It'll also be designed for Hockey - last post on the matter as this thread is about Hockey in SoFla, happy to continue the discussion via DM, btw NVMC has averaged 2,000 + more fans per game this season than Barclays, not a coincidence.

 

[BruinsFan37]

In 2015-16 (the last year they made the playoffs -- and were the top seed in the Atlantic) they drew well and were averaging (posted attendance at least) more than Winnipeg.

As others have said, the arena location + losing record have taken a big bite out of things when there are alternatives for fans to go see.

When they start winning again (consistently) you'll see decent crowds at the arena again.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I just wonder if it's too late to turn it around- you're the team no one cared about for 20 years, tough to build a culture when people know you've been ignored and awful for your entire history.

 

[aufheben]

Too much competition from other major league sports and no tradition in hockey.

Is that it? Don't people like not care about the Marlins and Rays?

The Islanders play in Brooklyn. Which would be one of the third most populated city if it were to leave NYC. Getting 12,000 people a night is problematic, worse when you're #1 in your division.

Ottawa is in a traditional hockey market. In a densely populated metropolitan area. They may be dead last, but you'd think they'd get a better attendee rate than Florida.

Right but the team isn't from Brooklyn. Long Island is, well, long, like a hundred miles long, and the Barclays Center is literally the first step on the island. I don't think the Nets draw very well either. Plus they stuck the Islanders like 15 feet from Madison Square Garden, it'd be like moving Senators home games to I don't know Laval or something lol.

 

[Hooby Dooby Doo]

I can attest to this. Six total playoff wins since 96-97. Tampa has won a cup and went back to the finals in 2015, not to mention 3-4 more trips to the conference finals with an arena in a centralized downtown area. Also when you fire a coach 22 games into the season after leading the team to a division title and best record in franchise history, that doesn't help either.

 

[Pens x]

Too much competition from other major league sports and no tradition in hockey.

No one goes to Marlins’ games either though.

 

[Dolemite]

It works in Tampa, and I know the two cities have many differences, but looking at the empty seats game after game, season after season suggests that hockey just isn’t catching on in Miami to the degree it has in Tampa Bay.
For those of you who live in either city, or elsewhere in Florida, what’s the difference?

And PLEASE, no “they never should’ve gotten a team, so move them to ____” comments. That’s a topic for another day.

Ownership and who they choose at the top to lead the team.

 

[Legionnaire11]

Demographics play a huge role ....

Tampa is 62% White (46.3% non-hispanic) as per 2019 Census
Miami is 11% White (non-hispanic) as per 2019 Census

Awful attempt on your part here. Ever heard of a metropolitan area? or did you really think that Miami only has 450k population?

Miami Metro has 31% non-hispanic White: 1.9M
Tampa metro has 72% non-hispanic White: 3.1M

A difference of about 1M, which isn't huge. Even if no other ethnicity ever went to a hockey game, 2M is more than enough to support a hockey team especially when most of them come from traditional hockey areas. Nashville and Pittsburgh have similar populations (total pop compared to Miami's white pop) and have fantastic support... the necessary ingredient is WINNING

 

[Ratsreign]

Traffic in SFL sucks everywhere. Put the team back in Miami and gain some fans, but probably lose the ones who come down from palm beach county and treasure coast. Many of the ones complaining about the drive to Sunrise are stuck trying to get out of Miami, so we switch it up and all the others will ***** about trying to get in to Miami...
The drive down the Turnpike, exiting right onto the Sawgrass Expressway, then exiting a short distance from the parking lot doesn't get any easier in SFL. I get there's not a lot around the arena to draw casual fans, but how about making the team itself the attraction worth coming to see? The Panthers' various owners since the arena in Sunrise opened have succeeded in growing only one thing when it comes to their fanbase; apathy.
The Panthers often seemed to be merely an expense the owners incurred while running their arena business. Any other fanbase would be praised for being "knowledgable and passionate enough to refuse to put up with this crap."
The new owners seemed to be turning the corner, but then they undid all of the work they had done when they fired Gallant. "Same old Panthers" many thought, and still do.
It doesn't matter where the arena is, it will be full when people no longer feel they are wasting their time and money rooting for a team that has been perpetually irrelevant for 20 years. It will be full when people believe that these aren't the "same old Panthers".
It doesn't matter where the arena is, what matters is the product being worth the trip.​

 

[Peasy]

The Islanders play in Brooklyn. Which would be one of the third most populated city if it were to leave NYC. Getting 12,000 people a night is problematic, worse when you're #1 in your division.

Ottawa is in a traditional hockey market. In a densely populated metropolitan area. They may be dead last, but you'd think they'd get a better attendee rate than Florida.

Ottawa's arena is in Kanata. Theres a reason why the Sens have been trying to get a new arena in Ottawa.

 

[These Are The Days]

They've been to the playoffs like twice in 20 years. If they'd sustain ANY measure of success they would draw. It's not like Miami has a big winner going for it right now. If the Panthers ever get it together they will be very well supported

 

[Anaheim4ever]

1990s was the last time the Panthers won a playoff series. Wikipedia it.
Bad GMs & Scouts ?

What they have going for them is it sounds like Russians want to play for Florida cause they will never have winter weather again. So they should hope Podkolzin drops in the draft to them to go along with them signing Panera & Bobrovsky.

 

[SensFactor]

I'd be more worried that the Islanders and Ottawa are in the same ballpark both for attendance in pure numbers and percentage of capacity.

Don't get it twisted, Sens fans are boycotting Melnyk. Plenty of fans in Ottawa that support the team.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Have the situation that's going on in Ottawa and have that continue for 20 years and you'll be asking the same question about that market.

 

[Red Dread]

Is Miami considered a sports city? Genuinely curious

 

[Il Stugotz]

Is Miami considered a sports city? Genuinely curious

It’s a Big Event city.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Winning had been mentioned but can’t be stated enough.
Ownership too, from the aspect that the Lightning are a huge presence in the community. I think the last number I saw was over 100,000 free sticks they’ve given to kids through their street hockey program where they go to schools and donate equipment and teach kids how to play.

 

[DarkHorse2]

irrespective of how it was built, you're talking about one of the most populated areas of the entire planet and a team that is #1 in the league.

And an area with innumerable options for your entertainment dollar. The Isles co-tenants, the Nets, have the worst attendance in the NBA. and are in a playoff spot. Brooklyn and basketball go hand in hand, but they can't draw at all. The buildind and its management are a big problem.