TOP 10 THEORIES ON WHY SENS CAN’T FILL RINK
Friday morning, the mailbox overflowed with reaction to a story about the Senators’ shockingly low attendance for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference semifinal series against the New York Rangers. But should we be shocked? The official gate was 16,744, which, oddly, happens to be the precise figure for the Senators’ average crowd during 41 regularseason dates. If you think that’s decent, think again. That’s the lowest average Ottawa gate in the past 20 years. This has been building, in the building, so to speak, in the past year or so.
This season’s totals are the worst since the 1996-97 Senators averaged 15,377 for a team that had not yet reached the playoffs (1997 was their post-season debut). The Senators had a gate of 11,000 this season, the lowest since they moved to Kanata in 1996.
The zenith in 25 years of Senators hockey: 19,821, the average crowd in 2007-08, the year after the Senators reached the Stanley Cup final, fuelling expectations that a championship was nigh. From 2013-16, the average hovered around 18,000. This past season, the number plummeted to below the 17,000 mark for the first time since 2001-02. It’s an ominous sign. While the Senators announced sellouts for the three first-round home playoff dates versus Boston, that was somewhat misleading. The hockey club considers 18,572 to be a sellout, but there are another 1,500 suite seats available and 500 standing-room spots. The CTC can accommodate 20,000-plus, including standing room. That’s a true “sellout.”
Following are the top 10 reasons for soft attendance, as suggested by fans and residents: 1. Price point: Ottawa has always been a price-sensitive market. Ticket prices jump for Round 1 playoff tickets and jump again for Round 2. Those $25-$30 cheap seats in the regular season become $100. Lower-level seats are about $300, rich by local standards even if most other NHL clubs charge more. 2. Small season-ticket base: If the Senators could sell 12,00014,000 season tickets, it would be a walk in the park to coax a sellout from game to game. In fact, there would be a scarcity driving up demand. But with a ticket base under 10,000, it places enormous pressure on the ticket office to sell 41 home dates, plus playoff dates. Fans always know there are tickets available, which further softens demand. 3. Add-ons: Nothing drives a fan crazier than excessive parking prices at a suburban, automobilecentric arena. The No. 4 lot across from the rink was $20 all season. Now it’s $30. Many fans consider this gouging. It makes them peeved enough to stay home. Reducing parking prices for the balance of the playoffs would go a long way. 4. Ottawa-Gatineau is a government bytown: Unlike Toronto, Montreal or even Calgary, Ottawa doesn’t have the corporate base to pick up the slack. Corporations snap up seats at the ACC in Toronto. The Maple Leafs don’t have to rely on their fans. 5. Phoenix pay system: For those in the private sector, this seems a vague factor. For civil servants, it’s real. More than 80,000 government workers were initially affected by pay system snafus. The problems linger. There is no disposable income for people who can’t count on getting paid regularly. 6. Home comforts: For many, the greatest seat in the house is in front of their own TV, possibly a widescreen, 4K. One fan writes about his view from a $250 seat for a game in the Bruins series — “the view of the action at the far end was awful. The netting around the rink takes away from watching the video screen.” He watched Thursday night’s game on his 4K TV. 7. Slow-building resentment: Fans have grumbled for years about an ownership delivering mostly unsuccessful hockey, on a budget. In an unpopular move, Eugene Melnyk cut ties with several longtime managers this season, including president and co-founder Cyril Leeder. The team is suddenly winning big games. But there is often a lag between success and ticket sales. 8. Francophone factor: Many French-speaking members of the Ottawa-Gatineau region complain that the Senators don’t do enough to engage francophone fans. (The CFL Redblacks have made a huge effort in this area.) One email writer complains that the club’s Facebook and Twitter sites are 100 per cent in English. 9. Location, location: If the Senators were downtown (where they will be in several years), there would be a synergy with downtown restaurants and bars, tourists could walk over to the rink from their hotel. Instead, fans have to endure Queensway traffic, parking hassles and a lack of transit options. 10. Bar scene: May is approaching. The weather is finally breaking (more or less). Outdoor cafés beckon. Fans who have been cooped up all winter are busting to enjoy an evening out. Attending playoff games live is a “once in a while” thing. Fans still believe, but aren’t “All In” the arena. wscanlan@postmedia.com