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Post by NutsaboutCanucks on Jun 16, 2005 3:13:10 GMT -5
One thing you have to remember about the Blazers in Oklahoma is, yeah they might draw a lot of fans, but how much do those tickets cost compared to what an NHL ticket would be? I doubt they would draw as well due to the higher ticket prices?
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Jun 16, 2005 14:23:45 GMT -5
One thing you have to remember about the Blazers in Oklahoma is, yeah they might draw a lot of fans, but how much do those tickets cost compared to what an NHL ticket would be? I doubt they would draw as well due to the higher ticket prices? Red: $16.00 US Blue: $12.00 US Black: $9.00 US Gold (Club): n/a They would draw better if an NHL club were to play there, regardless of price.
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Post by ottawasenators on Jun 16, 2005 15:57:19 GMT -5
That arena doesnt look very big joel...how many fans can they get in there?
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Post by ottawasenators on Jun 16, 2005 15:58:57 GMT -5
nvm lol...its huge! 20,800!!! thats pretty big, just looked it up
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Jun 16, 2005 16:03:06 GMT -5
That arena doesnt look very big joel...how many fans can they get in there? "Ford Center has two main entrances, each located on West Reno. Once inside, guests with Oklahoman level or Floor level seats can take an elevator or the steps inside the arena bowl down to more than 6,300 lower level seats. Up one level, the Cox Communications Level features more than 3,380 club seats, 7 party suites, and 49 private suites. Another 7,700 seats are located on the Oklahoman Bedlam Level. When combined, the Ford Center can seat up to 20,817 at maximum capacity for a concert set in the round." [/b] Just like the Moose, they curtain off the upper deck, so the capacity is around 11,500 for the Blazers. I'm guessing it would probably seat 19,000+ for Ice Hockey
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Post by MOC on Jun 16, 2005 18:04:31 GMT -5
Just like the Moose, they curtain off the upper deck, so the capacity is around 11,500 for the Blazers. I'm guessing it would probably seat 19,000+ for Ice Hockey Ahhh, so MTSC isn't the only arena to curtain off almost half of its seats for its main tenant. Good to know that.
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Post by blazerbelle13 on Jun 20, 2005 12:16:36 GMT -5
The debate about a "higher level of hockey in OKC" has been waging on for years.
There is a core group of hockey fans in the OKC area that do love the sport of hockey. The tradition of the Blazer's proves that. BUT, the Blazers have had a winning tradition as well. OKC has topped the CHL in attendance for years, and often "leads all of minor league hockey" as well. But I think part of it is that they are a big fish in the little pond of the CHL. It would be hard to go to being a little fish in a big pond.
Could the NHL (or even the AHL) succeed in OKC? It's possible, but there are a number of factors to be considered.
First of all, it would have to be a winning team. The Blazers have struggled the last couple of years, so attendance has fallen. Bringing in a higher level of play won't attract the "average sports fan" off the street if its a losing team. It would be kinda risky to relocate an existing franchise or creating a new organization and end up with a winning team.
The second one is ticket prices. There has been some debate as to how much the prices would go up if a higher level came to town. If it is just a couple of dollars, I don't think that it would have that much effect. But, if the prices are going to nearly double, than that might be a problem. Most Okie hockey fans aren't independently wealthy. My seats are about 10 rows up from the ice, and $260 for the season, or less than $9 per game. A comperable seat for a Stars game would run $65 per game. The cheap seats up in the nosebleed section are about $20 a game, still twice as much. I for one would not be able to afford season tickets at that price. I would still like to attend games, but would have to limit the number I attended due to the cost limitations.
It has also been discussed among Blazers fans about the closer rivalries among the CHL teams. Our closest in-state rival is a little more than an hour away, making trips to those away games very feasable. In addition to Tulsa, we still have several other teams that are within driving distance: Ft Worth and Amarillo (4 hours) Wichita (3 hrs) etc. In the NHL, Dallas would be our closest rival but none others really within driving distance if a fan wanted to go for a day trip to attend a game.
So, the bottom line is, a lot of folks around here talk about wanting to see a higher level of play in OKC, but I don't think that the area would really support it.
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