Millen says Petes are gaining respect
The rejuvenation of the Peterborough Petes is well under way but there is lots of work ahead, fans heard at the OHL team’s second Town Hall Meeting on Thursday night.
Better results on the ice, an improved financial picture and more fans buying tickets are all realities since the inaugural town hall last year, said Petes president Dave Pogue, at the Thomas A. Stewart Secondary School Auditorium.
Pogue said the renegotiation of the club’s facility agreement with the City of Peterborough allows the club to keep 15 per cent more of the revenue it generates annually, about $350,000, which alleviates some financial pressure the team has felt in recent years.
Initially, a lot of that money is being reinvested into the game night experience for fans. Fans will noticed new LED lighting in the arena to improve brightness. They will notice new video scoreclock screens. The team has invested in new cameras to allow for more activity on the videoboard between whistles to improve the fan experience, Pogue said.
The club’s success last year, winning a conference regular season title for the first time in 11 years and reaching the conference final, along with new staff working to sell tickets has led to a 12 per cent increase in season tickets over last year.
Pogue said the fact this year’s town hall was attended by 80 people compared to 150 last year indicates “I hope that means we are doing our job properly.”
Petes alumnus and NHL broadcaster Greg Millen was among the guest speakers. Once a critic, he said the Petes name is once again being talked about with respect.
“It looks like the Petes are back to the old Petes,” Millen said. “I can stick my chest out a little bit as a former Pete.”
This year the Petes opened the meeting up for more input from fans looking for ways they think the game experience can be improved.
The most common concern was safety on the Memorial Centre stairs. Fans asked if railings could be installed or volunteers put in place to assist seniors to their seats.
Pogue said there has been much discussion about railings with arena staff but there are roadblocks. The aisles are not wide enough to accommodate railings without removing about 200 seats which does not make sense financially for an arena of that size, said Pogue. There is also concern railings would block sight lines.
“For every person who wants a railing there are two who might not want it,” Pogue said.
The ultimate fix to the problem is a new facility which he guaranteed would have railings, he said.
Fans also voiced concern about the affordability of season tickets when a $1,500 payment is required up front. One fan suggested looking at ideas such as payroll deduction and instalment plans which Petes staff acknowledged was an idea worth investigating.
Fans expressed dissatisfaction with the arena’s sound system, with fans going up and down aisles during play, about the cost of parking and safety concerns of heavy traffic leaving games.
One fan suggested partnering with Shorelines Casino Peterborough to build a new arena attached to the incoming casino. Pogue said the OHL, with minors involved in its league, has rules prohibiting such a partnership. He said it’s the Petes’ preference to locate a new arena in the downtown core. Pogue acknowledged it will likely take a third-party private partner to contribute financially towards a new arena to make it a reality.
With renovations to the arena floor and refrigeration unit postponed to 2019, a fan asked what contingency plan is in place should the aging ice plant fail.
Pogue said the city invested in a new header for the ice plant that could be hooked up to an ice blanket product used for temporary ice rinks. Pogue said it would cause a two-to-three week disruption to their schedule.
As much as the Petes believe they’ve made good progress, Pogue said they’re far from finished.
“We’re not satisfied where we left off last year. Nobody liked the way things ended last year and our expectations are to go further than that.”