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Post by MOC on Feb 24, 2005 11:42:09 GMT -5
The Brandon Wheat Kings "they decided to host four games at MTS Centre this season in an attempt to boost their weekday attendance." (Sun Sports) Guess that isn't really happening.
Their first game brought 3,800 fans (granted, the roads were bad), their second about the same, and last night brought 3,700.
I thouroughly enjoyed last nights game. Lots of goals, good fights, an energetic group of guys playing hockey. Too bad more people weren't there.
For a city who many say would benefit more from having a junior team instead of an AHL team, where were they these past few games? As a whole, I would've expected double the attendance if Winnipeg really did want WHL instead of AHL. But maybe I'm missing something?
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Post by AO8/EM71 on Feb 24, 2005 12:05:26 GMT -5
I believe it had to do with the advertising. Only the die hard Wheaties fans I know even knew that they were playing here. We host the first round of the playoffs so I think that they'll advertise it better and the attendence will be up. It's kinda stupid that the prices are so steep too, I'm sure if they were cheaper that more people would go. I'm sure there are a lot of Winnipeger's thinking "$24, I could go to a Moose game for that!", yeah well you could watch worse off hockey too while you're at it. Anyways point is that if they set a constant price of say $12-15 they would sell more. As you may have noticed, the arena was packed in sections, mostly where the cheaper tickets were.
*People say the majority of Winnipeggers are cheap... they're right.*
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Feb 24, 2005 13:17:01 GMT -5
I agree with the lack of advertising. True North hasn't adverised the games at all. I did not know about the second game until 5PM, when I was working the 3-11PM shift, so there is no way I could have attended.
If they advertised like the Moose I guarantee at least 5500 would be there. It's Chipman's idea not to advertise in a attempt to justify not letting a Winnipeg-based WHL play at the new arena ever.
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Post by blackthorne on Feb 24, 2005 15:07:10 GMT -5
Uh hello? The games were on a WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
Do you know why Moose games are so well attended? Because 90% of their home games are on a Friday night, Saturday night, or Sunday afternoon.
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Post by AO8/EM71 on Feb 24, 2005 17:15:34 GMT -5
Uh hello? The games were on a WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Do you know why Moose games are so well attended? Because 90% of their home games are on a Friday night, Saturday night, or Sunday afternoon. Also a key factor that I forgot to mention. Give the Wheaties a Saturday night game.. or maybe even Friday and actually spread the word and the attendence should be higher. Do you really think Chimpan's doing this to be a d*ck? I'm starting to see that a bit...
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Feb 24, 2005 17:21:41 GMT -5
Also a key factor that I forgot to mention. Give the Wheaties a Saturday night game.. or maybe even Friday and actually spread the word and the attendence should be higher. Do you really think Chimpan's doing this to be a d*ck? I'm starting to see that a bit... There is no question he is. When the arena was financed, he was quoted as saying a Winnipeg-based WHL team would be welcome in the new arena. By 2003, he had gone back on his word. No advertising + Weekday Games = Poor Attendance
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Post by MOC on Feb 24, 2005 19:08:22 GMT -5
Uh hello? The games were on a WEDNESDAY NIGHT. No need for yelling. Anyways, Wednesday or not, if the WHL were to place a team in Winnipeg, games would be during the week. I'm sure they'll be less attended than a weekend game, but still. I don't think they could justify 3500 for half their games, especially of that 3500, a decent portion was from Brandon. Calgary averages 9000 a game, and the Vancouver Giants, judging by the game I watched last night on Sportsnet, were playing in a fairly full house. As for advertising, it usually isn't the venue's job to promote a product. True North isn't promoting the Monster Truck thing going on there, nor are they promoting the Junos or Green Day, at least not by being the main promoter. Maybe the Wheat Kings themselves are at fault for it, by not throwing large ads in the papers a couple weeks before the games? It was, after all, a plan in order to boost weekday attendance and I'm not sure what exactly that would be, but 3700 would hardly be a boost worth celebrating.
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Post by maurice on Feb 24, 2005 22:30:54 GMT -5
I was at that game last night and it was better than any moose game I've been to. Those guys skated hard , hit hard and fought hard. I think if we had no moose and only WHL, it would do good here, Moose suck! I hate trying to cheer for a farm team.
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Post by blackthorne on Feb 24, 2005 22:50:08 GMT -5
Maurice I used to think you were a big jerk, but.... maybe I was wrong.
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GForce
Veteran Member
Posts: 241
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Post by GForce on Feb 24, 2005 22:53:04 GMT -5
If the games were at the Arena, I would have went to all three..! ;D Hehe..
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Post by AO8/EM71 on Feb 25, 2005 1:28:58 GMT -5
I'm sure if they tried, the Wheat Kings could outdraw the Moose!
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Post by hatrick007 on Feb 25, 2005 9:31:22 GMT -5
Who exactly decided that all the games would be on Wednesday's though? Was that the Wheat Kings decision, or the Moose/CHipman.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Feb 25, 2005 12:20:58 GMT -5
Anyways, Wednesday or not, if the WHL were to place a team in Winnipeg, games would be during the week. I'm sure they'll be less attended than a weekend game, but still. I don't think they could justify 3500 for half their games I'm suprised there were even 3800 at the games, when most hockey fans, let alone Winnipeggers know nothing of the Wheat Kings playing here. Uhh...yes they are. Check the website, and/or the digital box outside the arena. Monster Truck and the Junos are being heavily promoted. Green Day is being promoted. No mention of the Wheat Kings.
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Post by MOC on Feb 25, 2005 12:55:26 GMT -5
Uhh...yes they are. Check the website, and/or the digital box outside the arena. Monster Truck and the Junos are being heavily promoted. Green Day is being promoted. No mention of the Wheat Kings. Check the website again. The Wheat Kings are there on the front page, as well as in the calendar of events. But, what I mean by promoting the event is outside of the venue. Where were the newspaper ads, the commercials, the radio spots? Those aren't the MTS Centre's responsibility.
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Post by AHLMooseFan on Feb 25, 2005 15:27:23 GMT -5
Who exactly decided that all the games would be on Wednesday's though? Was that the Wheat Kings decision, or the Moose/CHipman. The Sun had run a story a while back about how the Wheaties were having trouble with attendance at weekday games in Brandon and decided to move their Wednesday games to Winnipeg. The Wheat kings chose to use Wednesday games and decided to keep the weekend games for their fans in Brandon. As for advertising, every hockey fan that I know knew that the Wheaties were in town, but didnt go because of the prices. It was advertised in the local papers, radio and at the Moose games. There just arent that many people interested in paying $25 to watch them. We'll see if the playoffs are different when they come back for the first round.
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Post by joelzillmanwpg on Feb 25, 2005 15:34:25 GMT -5
The Sun had run a story a while back about how the Wheaties were having trouble with attendance at weekday games in Brandon and decided to move their Wednesday games to Winnipeg. The Wheat kings chose to use Wednesday games and decided to keep the weekend games for their fans in Brandon. As for advertising, every hockey fan that I know knew that the Wheaties were in town, but didnt go because of the prices. It was advertised in the local papers, radio and at the Moose games. There just arent that many people interested in paying $25 to watch them. We'll see if the playoffs are different when they come back for the first round. Wheat Kings tickets are cheaper than Moose tickets. On top of that, the WHL is an exciting league to watch, while watching the Moose is like going to the Dentist...
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Post by AHLMooseFan on Feb 25, 2005 16:19:06 GMT -5
Wheat Kings tickets are cheaper than Moose tickets. On top of that, the WHL is an exciting league to watch, while watching the Moose is like going to the Dentist... Too bad only 3500 people showed up to prove it.
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Post by blackthorne on Feb 25, 2005 16:33:21 GMT -5
WHL is better than the AHL...
A WHL team would be more cared about in Winnipeg than the Moose.
I have absolutely no doubts of that.
No callups... rivalries... most players would be from Manitoba..... roadtrips to Brandon!!.... players that want to WIN..... players that care about the city they're playing in... cheaper tickets... great hockey.
I could go on and on... a Winnipeg WHL team at the MTS Centre... the Moose' future in Winnipeg is bleak at best
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Post by AHLMooseFan on Feb 25, 2005 16:41:53 GMT -5
Ya ya, we all know how you feel about it. Somebody asked a question, I answered it. The Wheat Kings brass are the ones who chose to have weekday games here. You didnt like the answer and you change the subject by turning another thread into a WHL vs AHL discussion. Fact is that not many people bought tickets to see Brandon play. Attendance numbers clearly show what Winnipeg hockey fans would rather see. Im a Wheaties fan too, so im not saying that having 3,000-3,500 people show up is good. Ive been going to the games, and I will be at the playoff games as well and I would rather see the place sold out. Without a big name like Tootoo it looks like it wont happen this year.
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Post by AO8/EM71 on Feb 25, 2005 20:36:39 GMT -5
Without a big name like Tootoo it looks like it wont happen this year. I guess that Fehr, Stone, Konsorada and Monych aren't big enough for you? Moose fans are dense.
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