Will Finnish fans pay to watch practice?
NHL selling tickets to all attached to Global Series
Would you pay to watch the Jets practise?
It’s either the first step into a bold, new world of revenue-generation, or it’s an ill-conceived attempt at a cash-grab that’ll undo much of the goodwill the NHL is trying to muster in Finland.
By now you’ve heard the Winnipeg Jets and Florida Panthers will play a pair of regular-season games in Helsinki, Nov. 1 and 2, as part of its Global Series.
Sparked by the star power of two Finns, Winnipeg scoring sensation Patrik Laine and Florida’s lead-footed yet talented Aleksander Barkov, the two games were virtual sellouts as of Friday afternoon.
That’s some 27,000 tickets, scooped up at prices ranging up to $350 Canadian.
The NHL has decided to see if it can dig just a little deeper into the pockets of Finnish fans.
The league announced a “special opportunity” for fans to attend the Oct. 31 practices of the two teams.
All you have to do is buy $75 worth of hockey equipment at the Finnish website xxl.fi, and you’ll get a “free” practice ticket, plus the opportunity to buy additional tickets at $30 each.
While supplies last, of course. Fans who don’t really need any equipment can wait until the public sale on Sunday and get tickets at the “fan-friendly price” of $30. For a practice.
I checked in with Finnish journalist Pekka Jalonen to get his take.
“My opinion is that NHL is stupid and greedy,” Jalonen said, getting straight to the point, via email. “NHL has a great chance to promote the game and asking money for practice makes people angry. Tickets for the games are expensive so practices should be free.”
Jalonen isn’t sure many people will pay for the spectacle of a practice.
“But the games will be sold out,” he said.