Vees’ ticket sales on the upswing
After some initial confusion with the Penticton Vees new Season Ticket Membership program, 2017-18 season ticket sales have surged in recent weeks.
Vees president, GM and head coach Fred Harbinson said season’s tickets are sitting at around 1,800, with the B.C. Hockey League team planning to cap the total at 2,000.
“It’s been great, we’ve been getting a lot of new (fans) on board,” said Harbinson.
Vees director of corporate partnerships David Michaud noted the team gets roughly 1,000 walk-up ticket sales for each home game at the South Okanagan Events Centre.
“We don’t want to shun that segment of our fan base,” said Michaud, noting the Vees averaged 2,990 fans in the regular season and 3,100 in the playoffs last season.
The Season Ticket Membership program combines pre-season, regular season and playoff tickets, which led to some of the initial confusion and concern on the part of the fan base.
The prices are based on 28 home games during the season, one pre-season game and another 12 games in the BCHL playoffs.
However, if the Vees only play, for example, four home playoff games, fans would then get a credit for eight games (based on $12 per playoff game) rolled into next season’s tickets.
“I think everyone realizes where we’re coming from with this now,” said Harbinson.
While the Vees have been by far the most successful team in the BCHL the last 10 seasons, ticket prices are still the 14th lowest in the 17-team league, Harbinson said.
The Season Ticket Membership price for sections 103-106 would be $333. Meanwhile, a season pass - for regular season games only - is $328 in Victoria, $329 in Vernon and $336 in Wenatchee.
Brooks (Alberta league) is $360, Flin Flon (Saskatchewan league) is $350 and OCN (Manitoba league) is $348.
Harbinson said along with having the winningest team and the best building in the league, the Vees also are the only Canadian Junior Hockey League team to be able to offer free admission to all home games to kids age 18 and under, courtesy of Peter Bros. Construction.
“That was a real game-changer for us,” said Harbinson, adding the Vees also had nine ‘Wicked Wednesday’ home games last season and seven are scheduled this season for $5 admission across the board. “I think by the time you factor everything in, we do in fact offer the least expensive tickets in the league.”
Harbinson said the Vees have also created an atmosphere in the building that is second to none in the CJHL.
“We feel it rivals a lot of Canadian Hockey League teams on fan experience,” said Harbinson.
While the Vees may end up crediting back some money on the playoffs, the recent numbers suggest it won’t be that much.
In the past 10 seasons the Vees have played a league-high 89 home playoff games. Vernon is a distant second at 68, Powell River 65 before dropping all the way down to Nanaimo at 48, West Kelowna 45 and Victoria and Quesnel/Chilliwack at 44.
Division rivals such as Salmon Arm (28), Merritt (19) and Trail (12) have played a fraction of the number of playoff games Penticton has.
The Vees have played 182 total playoff games the past 10 years. Only Vernon (150), Powell River (131) and West Kelowna (101) have played more than 100.
Michaud said a lot of professional sports franchises are incorporating Season Ticket Memberships.
He said it enables the Vees to offer a 12-month interest-free payment plan with the early-bird prices in effect until Aug. 15.
“It narrows it to just another small monthly household bill,” said Michaud.
For more information on the Vees Season Ticket Membership program, contact Laura Carleton at 250-493-8887, ext. 4, or email: lauracarleton@shaw.ca.
The Vees also finalized their pre-season schedule. They will visit West Kelowna on Wed., Aug. 23, and play the return game at the SOEC against the Warriors Wed., Aug. 30.
Defending BCHL champs Penticton will also play two exhibition games against the two-time defending Alberta league champion Brooks Bandits Sept. 1 and 2.