Post by Paul on Jul 26, 2005 14:48:48 GMT -5
I posted this moments ago in the "return of the Jets" section, but just in case, I'm also leaving it here. Dodd and Hatrick, if you feel that my post in the other section is sufficient, you can delete this one.
This is from today's Kansas City Star. It discusses an upcoming preseaon game that will be held at Kemper Arena.
Kansas City Star's sports page (July 26):
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12221684.htm
"Exhibition may be window into KC's hockey soul"
Exhibition may be window into KC's hockey soul
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Kansas City may never have a better test to measure its interest in the National Hockey League than this.
Four days after the NHL ended a lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues announced Monday they will meet in an exhibition game on Sept. 24 at Kemper Arena.
That gives NHL21, the organization promoting the game and trying to bring an NHL team to Kansas City, less than nine weeks to sell out the game and demonstrate this community is worthy of major-league hockey when the Sprint Center opens in 2007.
The previous NHL exhibition game in Kansas City in September 2003 between St. Louis and Chicago, had 11 months lead time and drew a sellout of 17,285, the largest crowd to see a hockey game at Kemper. Last year's game scheduled between Nashville and the Florida Panthers sold 11,000 tickets in six months before the NHL work stoppage and cancellation of that game.
This game is a way for Kansas City to show us and the Blues and the rest of the NHL what the interest is in Kansas City for the National Hockey League," said David Poile, executive vice-president/general manager of the Predators. "You never know where the NHL game might lead someday for Kansas City."
Certainly, the inclusion of the Blues will be a critical component to filling the building, because of many transplanted St. Louis natives in the Kansas City area as well as those fans in mid-Missouri. But Nashville is the host for this game, and the Predators are considered to be one of the clubs targeted as a possible candidate for moving to the 18,500-seat Sprint Center.
Nashville ranked 28th among the 30 NHL teams in home attendance in 2003-04, averaging 13,177 at the 17,113-seat Gaylord Entertainment Center, though that ranking was an improvement over the previous year when the Predators were last with an average of 13,228. Two other possibilities for relocation are Carolina, which ranked 29th in 2003-2004 (12,171) and Pittsburgh, which was last (11,877).
The Blues, citing the loss of more than $60 million during the previous three years, are for sale, but they ranked sixth in the NHL in attendance last year (18,560), and they are expected to remain in St. Louis.
The recently signed collective-bargaining agreement, which includes a salary cap and revenue sharing, is expected to help some of the beleaguered franchises, but it might not be a panacea.
"There is definitely a buzz around town," Poile said of the reaction to the collective-bargaining agreement in Nashville, "but how it's going to translate into ticket sales and whether the year away will hurt us, or people will want to see us even more, we're not sure."
Pittsburgh, which is still playing in antiquated 16,958-seat Mellon Arena, is a leading candidate, but the Penguins' anticipated selection of Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick in Saturday's NHL draft, could change things dramatically.
"That should spark interest in Pittsburgh in getting a new building," said Paul McGannon, president of NHL21. "But if a new building is not built in Pittsburgh, their lease runs out in '07. As for Carolina, it will depend if the fans will come back in a relatively new hockey market. Will the fans come back in a basketball-rich area? Nashville, the same thing... in a non-traditional market, will the fans come back?"
And now that the collective-bargaining agreement is in place for the next six years, McGannon doesn't see an expansion by two teams as out of the question.
"Ultimately, three things decide a city's getting an NHL team," he said. "One, is the facility. The Sprint Center will meet all the standards of the National Hockey League. The second thing they look at is ownership. What an owner of an existing team wants to do... do they want to move to another city because they think they'll perform better based on the facility, the lease arrangement, AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) being a partner? ...And the third thing is fan support, which we hope to demonstrate on an annual basis with NHL (preseason) games."
Kansas City's last experience in the NHL was short-lived with the expansion Scouts during 1974-76. Poile said it might be time to give Kansas City another shot, though not necessarily with his franchise.
"The whole goal is to grow the NHL," Poile said. "If there are places such as Kansas City where the NHL has potential and if there are any markets that are not doing well because of the new CBA, and with the arena being built there, I think Kansas City is a great place for hockey.
"It's always been a good sports town. Hockey had a little bit of a tough start there, and possibly it wasn't a great time for hockey. In places like Minnesota and Atlanta, the NHL at one time didn't do as well and has come back very strong the second time. Let's see how the new NHL unfolds, how good our game is, and how our fans return and possibly there will be NHL hockey in Kansas City.
St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
WHAT: NHL exhibition game
WHEN/WHERE: 7:35 p.m. Sept. 24 at Kemper Arena
NHL tickets
Ticket prices for the Blues-Predators game Sept. 24 are $100 for front-row seats and $40 for individual seats, though those seats can be purchased four for $100. Also, group discounted tickets in the upper level are priced at $15. Tickets are available at the Kemper Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com; or by calling (816) 931-3330.
Tickets for last year's game were refunded, so the September game will require new tickets. Anyone who still has tickets for the 2004 game must return them to the place of purchase, either Ticketmaster or Kemper Arena, for a refund.
This is from today's Kansas City Star. It discusses an upcoming preseaon game that will be held at Kemper Arena.
Kansas City Star's sports page (July 26):
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/sports/12221684.htm
"Exhibition may be window into KC's hockey soul"
Exhibition may be window into KC's hockey soul
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
Kansas City may never have a better test to measure its interest in the National Hockey League than this.
Four days after the NHL ended a lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season, the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues announced Monday they will meet in an exhibition game on Sept. 24 at Kemper Arena.
That gives NHL21, the organization promoting the game and trying to bring an NHL team to Kansas City, less than nine weeks to sell out the game and demonstrate this community is worthy of major-league hockey when the Sprint Center opens in 2007.
The previous NHL exhibition game in Kansas City in September 2003 between St. Louis and Chicago, had 11 months lead time and drew a sellout of 17,285, the largest crowd to see a hockey game at Kemper. Last year's game scheduled between Nashville and the Florida Panthers sold 11,000 tickets in six months before the NHL work stoppage and cancellation of that game.
This game is a way for Kansas City to show us and the Blues and the rest of the NHL what the interest is in Kansas City for the National Hockey League," said David Poile, executive vice-president/general manager of the Predators. "You never know where the NHL game might lead someday for Kansas City."
Certainly, the inclusion of the Blues will be a critical component to filling the building, because of many transplanted St. Louis natives in the Kansas City area as well as those fans in mid-Missouri. But Nashville is the host for this game, and the Predators are considered to be one of the clubs targeted as a possible candidate for moving to the 18,500-seat Sprint Center.
Nashville ranked 28th among the 30 NHL teams in home attendance in 2003-04, averaging 13,177 at the 17,113-seat Gaylord Entertainment Center, though that ranking was an improvement over the previous year when the Predators were last with an average of 13,228. Two other possibilities for relocation are Carolina, which ranked 29th in 2003-2004 (12,171) and Pittsburgh, which was last (11,877).
The Blues, citing the loss of more than $60 million during the previous three years, are for sale, but they ranked sixth in the NHL in attendance last year (18,560), and they are expected to remain in St. Louis.
The recently signed collective-bargaining agreement, which includes a salary cap and revenue sharing, is expected to help some of the beleaguered franchises, but it might not be a panacea.
"There is definitely a buzz around town," Poile said of the reaction to the collective-bargaining agreement in Nashville, "but how it's going to translate into ticket sales and whether the year away will hurt us, or people will want to see us even more, we're not sure."
Pittsburgh, which is still playing in antiquated 16,958-seat Mellon Arena, is a leading candidate, but the Penguins' anticipated selection of Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick in Saturday's NHL draft, could change things dramatically.
"That should spark interest in Pittsburgh in getting a new building," said Paul McGannon, president of NHL21. "But if a new building is not built in Pittsburgh, their lease runs out in '07. As for Carolina, it will depend if the fans will come back in a relatively new hockey market. Will the fans come back in a basketball-rich area? Nashville, the same thing... in a non-traditional market, will the fans come back?"
And now that the collective-bargaining agreement is in place for the next six years, McGannon doesn't see an expansion by two teams as out of the question.
"Ultimately, three things decide a city's getting an NHL team," he said. "One, is the facility. The Sprint Center will meet all the standards of the National Hockey League. The second thing they look at is ownership. What an owner of an existing team wants to do... do they want to move to another city because they think they'll perform better based on the facility, the lease arrangement, AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group) being a partner? ...And the third thing is fan support, which we hope to demonstrate on an annual basis with NHL (preseason) games."
Kansas City's last experience in the NHL was short-lived with the expansion Scouts during 1974-76. Poile said it might be time to give Kansas City another shot, though not necessarily with his franchise.
"The whole goal is to grow the NHL," Poile said. "If there are places such as Kansas City where the NHL has potential and if there are any markets that are not doing well because of the new CBA, and with the arena being built there, I think Kansas City is a great place for hockey.
"It's always been a good sports town. Hockey had a little bit of a tough start there, and possibly it wasn't a great time for hockey. In places like Minnesota and Atlanta, the NHL at one time didn't do as well and has come back very strong the second time. Let's see how the new NHL unfolds, how good our game is, and how our fans return and possibly there will be NHL hockey in Kansas City.
St. Louis Blues vs. Nashville Predators
WHAT: NHL exhibition game
WHEN/WHERE: 7:35 p.m. Sept. 24 at Kemper Arena
NHL tickets
Ticket prices for the Blues-Predators game Sept. 24 are $100 for front-row seats and $40 for individual seats, though those seats can be purchased four for $100. Also, group discounted tickets in the upper level are priced at $15. Tickets are available at the Kemper Arena box office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com; or by calling (816) 931-3330.
Tickets for last year's game were refunded, so the September game will require new tickets. Anyone who still has tickets for the 2004 game must return them to the place of purchase, either Ticketmaster or Kemper Arena, for a refund.