World Juniors' Attendance

6 8 5 13

Registered User
Oct 26, 2009
1,864
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I was there too but my ticket was scanned. So was my gf's.

Mine was scanned for the USA game but not for the Canada game which I found strange.

It wasn't like we snuck in either, there were large crowds entering with us, not sure why they weren't scanning the tickets at that time. :dunno:

It was about 3:35 when we entered.
 

OttawaRoughRiderFan*

Guest
Mine was scanned for the USA game but not for the Canada game which I found strange.

It wasn't like we snuck in either, there were large crowds entering with us, not sure why they weren't scanning the tickets at that time. :dunno:

It was about 3:35 when we entered.

Perhaps the people manning the gates saw a very large group of angry cold Canadians and thought... "Oh, to helll with it... I not risking my neck for $7/hour." :)
 

6 8 5 13

Registered User
Oct 26, 2009
1,864
3
^ you're probably right :laugh:

when i think about it now...we were pretty angry-mob-like
 

pr92

Registered User
Apr 30, 2010
95
0
Buffalo
Yeah, I was at the Canada game today and we couldn't figure out why they had the tickets set up like they did. Usually, for Sabres games, they have metal barricades with defined ticket scanning lines for you to walk in to. Today There were 3 separate crowds on all 3 sides of the Pavilion, with people waiting outside in the cold in all 3. We nearly walked right in, but a lady stopped us and scanned our tickets. Of the probably 60 sabres games I've been to, that's never happened before.
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
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I was at both late games and not all but alot of Canadian fans showed no class whatsoever. Seen a few get kicked out of local bars between games and canadian fans threatening vendors. Have your first beer somewhere else. I do have to give credit to them for pretty much filling the majority of both games.

That does not mean there classless as for bars that happens this is not a canadian issue.
 

copter

Registered User
Apr 3, 2007
129
0
I understand those of you complaining about tickets prices. I, myself don't find the prices that unreasonable, but it all depends on your perspective. I think the organizers had a very tough decision to make when they priced the games. They knew Canada would sell (even at premium prices), but weren't sure what the American market would be willing to spend.

What I'm curious to know is what would you be willing to pay to see Team USA play?

I think we can agree that at an average cost of under $25/ticket (for upper level seats), the package prices were quite reasonable.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
21,890
6,905
Toronto
i think a LOT of people in buffalo care about this tournament and were super-excited when they won the bid to host it. it might not rival the interest-level in a canadian city, but for hockey-lovers in buffalo (and obviously, there's a lot), they were really excited about this tournament... and then the ticket pricing came out.

i think the buffalo organizers drank their own koolaid in regards to what people were willing to spend -- it's right after christmas, the economy is struggling, and you're competing with the sabres (albeit, they'll be playing away games), and the buffalo bills... with all that combined, paying premium prices to see amateur hockey games isn't going to make a lot of sense for a lot of people.

the organisers are just lucky that buffalo is 20 minutes from the border.

I read no country other than Canada really wants the games, or is it bids on them. That's why something like 5 of 7 are being held in Canada. It wasn't the city of Buffalo but the Sabres who bid on them. Props to the Sabres, the cash they'll make probably will be equal to 4 or 5 NHL home games.
 

vcv

Registered User
Mar 12, 2006
18,373
2,855
Williamsville, NY
I understand those of you complaining about tickets prices. I, myself don't find the prices that unreasonable, but it all depends on your perspective. I think the organizers had a very tough decision to make when they priced the games. They knew Canada would sell (even at premium prices), but weren't sure what the American market would be willing to spend.

What I'm curious to know is what would you be willing to pay to see Team USA play?

I think we can agree that at an average cost of under $25/ticket (for upper level seats), the package prices were quite reasonable.

The package prices as in.,.. buying all the games at once? Sure, an average price of $25/game would be reasonable... but the fact that you HAVE to buy all the games at once to get that price completely cancels that out.

I really wanted to go to some games, but the ones I was interested in, at the time, were $60 minimum.

Also, the fact that it's the week after a Saturday Christmas makes it difficult. There were 2 games I was considering but ended up having plans for the holidays.

This failure reeks of Larry Quinn.
 

Bizarro Bandwagoner

Registered User
Jan 30, 2010
3,867
59
Maine
Yeah, the attendance is going to be embarassing for the US games so lets all get it out so we can move on. It's unfortunate but this tournament is about as meaningful as the soccer U-20 tournament. Does anyone know or care who won that whenever it was last played? I sure as hell don't.

That's how much 99.99% of this country cares about this tournament. Hopefully, the interest will grow with the NHL Network covering games...but I don't see it happening.
 

Confucius

There is no try, Just do
Feb 8, 2009
21,890
6,905
Toronto
Yeah, the attendance is going to be embarassing for the US games so lets all get it out so we can move on. It's unfortunate but this tournament is about as meaningful as the soccer U-20 tournament. Does anyone know or care who won that whenever it was last played? I sure as hell don't.

That's how much 99.99% of this country cares about this tournament. Hopefully, the interest will grow with the NHL Network covering games...but I don't see it happening.

Oh it will grow, it just will take awhile. When I was a kid, it was rare to see an American in the NHL. I know my memory is probably wrong but I seem to recall Ward Cornell state "Carpenter, is the lone American on the team". Given that there was only 6 teams.....
 

trellaine201

Registered User
Feb 10, 2010
19,678
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Left coast
WJ in Canada?

Aren't they going to have the tournament every year starting next year or year after? I thought I heard that last year??? Or maybe I was dreaming? Or my hockey friend brain washed me that this should happen (serious question by the way)

Thanks
 

MsMeow

Registered User
Nov 4, 2005
16,431
1,097
You guys are complaining about high prices but it's no different than the Buffalo Bills games in Toronto.

I have to laugh at the people coming in here and trying to discredit the tourney because most Americans don't care about it. Why bother posting? The people that do love the tourney are going to continue to enjoy it whether 99.9% of Americans care or not.
 

UvBnDatsyuked

Registered User
Apr 30, 2005
2,186
1
Aren't they going to have the tournament every year starting next year or year after? I thought I heard that last year??? Or maybe I was dreaming? Or my hockey friend brain washed me that this should happen (serious question by the way)

Thanks

I really hope they do. Only place worthy, serious
 

BlackAces*

Guest
As for getting more American fan participation, I'm not sure what can be done. Buffalo is perhaps the one corner of the United States that loves hockey more than anyone else.

minnesota.jpg
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
9,042
0
I'm wondering how much the attendance yesterday was affected by the Bills game, and the fact that Sunday is NFL day for a lot of people.

I beleave the bills played at one the game use-finland game was at 8:00 so it should not have that much of a impact.
 

seanlinden

Registered User
Apr 28, 2009
24,826
1,343
As a Canadian who went to the USA-Finland game (sorry guys), I can tell you that the crowd was well below 14,000 people. Boths ends of the arena were basically empty, with lots of open seats along the side aswell. As others have said, basically half of the crowd was wearing Canada jerseys with the majority cheering for Finland.

Announced attendance at most professional sporting events is usually tickets sold. While the majority of tickets would've gone to Canadians (because in order to guarantee tickets to all Canada games, you had to buy the entire tournament), people would've tried to sell their tickets to games that they didn't plan on attending.

The sentiment from the american fans around us were basically "This sucks, and I don't even want to go to the gold medal game if it's Canada-USA again". Some american fans were leaving after the 2nd period (in what was a pretty good game), because they just felt it wasn't worth it.... and I guarantee you it wasn't because these players were junior players that they haven't heard of. It was because you could look around and see a near half empty rink, you don't feel lucky to be there. You feel like you've just been ripped off.

Personally, I chalk it up to just not caring. After a gold medal last year, this should've been an all-time high for americans to buy tickets.... yet the bars 10 minutes from the rink didn't even know what channel the game was on. It turned out to be on NHL Network (which is actually produced by TSN, at least in Canada). I assume NHL Network is an obscure channel that nobody watches like it is in Canada. Meanwhile, TSN has basically manufactured this tournament into a staple of Canadian hockey tradition. There is definitely a loyal following in Buffalo, but it is not very large, and the majority of people just don't care.
 

BlackAces*

Guest
This tournament should be played in Minnesota every year they are going to play it in the States.

I guarantee success.
 

Chainshot

Give 'em Enough Rope
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Feb 28, 2002
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I'm wondering how much the attendance yesterday was affected by the Bills game, and the fact that Sunday is NFL day for a lot of people.

It was more the pricing structure. Walkup, the cheapest seats in the house are $75. That's more than the Sabres lowest games. There isn't that much money laying aorund for many locals to blow a grand for relatively bad seats for the round-robin tournament. Most who spent, spent on the packages.
 

puck swami

Registered User
Apr 29, 2004
267
44
The tourney was held in Minnesota in 1982. Nobody came.

It was held in Alaska in 1989. Nobody came.

It was held in Boston in 1995. Nobody came.

It was held in Grand Forks in 2005. Canadians came, Mostly.

It was held in Buffalo in 2011. Canadians came.

The audience for junior hockey in the USA is small. Canadian border cities are the only US places where the tourney is viable in this country, and you need to give up home ice to make money.
 

BlackAces*

Guest
The tourney was held in Minnesota in 1982. Nobody came.

It was held in Alaska in 1989. Nobody came.

The tournament was a lot more obscure back then. Minnesota had a hockey team in 1989 and nobody came either, but look at it now.

Minnesota is a great hockey market, and would draw in fans from Canada, the Dakotas, Wisconsin, maybe even Michigan.

It should be in Minnesota.
 

puck swami

Registered User
Apr 29, 2004
267
44
Tell Minnesota to bid for it, then.

Minnesota loves pro, college and high school hockey, but junior hockey is not something that has gone over very well there, so I'd be curious to see how well Minnesotans would turn out....

The Sabres waved a $4 million guarantee check at USA Hockey, and won the rights to host the tourney. The Sabres will generate $12-14 million in overall revenue on this, and after expenses, still walk away with a few million in profit.
 

wjhl2009fan

Registered User
Nov 13, 2008
9,042
0
Tell Minnesota to bid for it, then.

Minnesota loves pro, college and high school hockey, but junior hockey is not something that has gone over very well there, so I'd be curious to see how well Minnesotans would turn out....

The Sabres waved a $4 million guarantee check at USA Hockey, and won the rights to host the tourney. The Sabres will generate $12-14 million in overall revenue on this, and after expenses, still walk away with a few million in profit.

Buffalo revenue wise will do real well when its all done.
 

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