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Post by wagner3 on Dec 30, 2008 14:37:19 GMT -5
According to the Edmonton Sun: "There is much discussion about what might happen in Tampa Bay next month. With the Bolts in last place and attendance falling fast, all eyes are on owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie. The belief is there's a $10- million US payment due to Palace Sports and Entertainment in January as part of the sale. The Bolts owners could either negotiate an extension on the payment or former owner Bill Davidson could take the team back, which means Jay Feaster would be back as GM. The talk is the Bolts might trim payroll."www.edmontonsun.com/Sports/Hockey/2008/12/28/7865106-sun.html |
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Post by jhendrix70 on Dec 30, 2008 14:39:26 GMT -5
I think there's more talk about the Bolts; Bolting! I cannot see them there 2 years from now.
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Post by pbonomo on Dec 30, 2008 14:46:48 GMT -5
I still like the old Jets' slogan, "Lightning On Ice"...  |
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Post by dbp1990 on Dec 30, 2008 21:43:26 GMT -5
I still like the old Jets' slogan, "Lightning On Ice"...  |
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Post by pbonomo on Dec 31, 2008 11:09:52 GMT -5
I sense a theme -- precognition, maybe?? -- with the wallpaper I designed earlier this year...  |
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Post by mcguire4 on Dec 31, 2008 16:14:30 GMT -5
that is SWEET! I would hang that on my wall!....any way to do that? |
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Post by pbonomo on Dec 31, 2008 16:20:40 GMT -5
The highest resolution I made was 1600x1200... >Download here<There are other sizes available, on my "other" site (Shaw account -- see my sig)...  You could print one up fairly large, I'm sure -- I don't think it would look too bad...!  (At 50dpi, you could print it out as 32"x24"...) |
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Post by jhendrix70 on Jan 17, 2009 19:15:34 GMT -5
Lightning able to pay Lecavalier his $500-K bonus
TAMPA, Fla. -- Vincent Lecavalier was paid the US$500,000 bonus he was due from the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and the NHL club insisted it remains on solid financial ground.
General manager Brian Lawton told reporters in Tampa that a report in Montreal La Presse this week was off the mark when it quoted sources close to the team as saying there was doubt that the Lightning would be able to pay the bonus.
La Presse later reported that Lecavalier would receive his bonus, but said the team was still looking at trading its star centre, and that his hometown of Montreal is a possible destination.
"Vinny was paid his bonus today (Thursday), just as all our other players were paid according to their contracts and the provisions of the CBA," said Lawton "It's time to stop this foolishness.
"The team is on solid financial ground and it will continue to operate that way. Nobody needs to worry about whether our players are going to get paid or not. It's foolish and it's irresponsible to report anything different."
Reports surfaced last week that Lecavalier may be traded because the team's owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules were in difficulty due to the worldwide financial crisis.
ESPN.com reported that the Lightning's financial stability has improved since the owners restructured their loan with Palace Sports and Entertainment after a meeting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman last week.
But Lecavalier has an 11-year US$85-million contract that kicks in next season and speculation is rising that the club will trade him to ease its financial burden.
"I think that's a fair comment for people to say, but it's not true," said Lawton. "We signed (Lecavalier) with the intent of keeping him here.
"We'd like to see the economy pick up. We'd like to see our team do better. As far as where we are today, we signed him with the intent to keep him here."
Montreal and other teams have reportedly express interest in Lacavalier.
** Editors Note: What you just read is BULL*HIT! **
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Post by Alex on Jan 17, 2009 20:19:49 GMT -5
Bring Vinny to MTL! Don't give up Gorges though!  |
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Post by misterman on Feb 12, 2009 6:59:43 GMT -5
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Post by Oracle on Feb 12, 2009 13:50:58 GMT -5
^ What a joke. How long can this charade go on?
There have been many interviews with Bettman the last one with Stombo on the CBC. They always ask the question, how's the NHL doing? Bettman give his standard 'more popular than ever, more revenue than ever' answer.
But once, JUST ONCE, I would like to see the interviewer pull out some pictures of those invisible fans at NHL games, put it in front of Bettman's face and then put it in front on the camera for the audience to see and then ask the obvious questions.
A picture says a thousand words. It would be so easy to call him on it.
Why hasn't anyone done this?
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Post by misterman on Feb 16, 2009 9:30:38 GMT -5
Tampa distributing over 2,500 freebies a game..... Thousands get free tickets to Tampa Bay Lightning games
By Damian Cristodero, Joe Smith, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Monday, February 16, 2009
TAMPA — The Lightning announced a crowd of 17,249 for Saturday's game with the Capitals at the St. Pete Times Forum.
But if a recent pattern is an indication, tickets sold likely were significantly fewer.
Numbers provided by Hillsborough County, which owns the 13-year-old facility, show that through December (the latest data available) the team sold an average of 14,119 tickets for 16 dates. Announced crowds, however, averaged 16,698.
NHL teams announce attendance based on tickets distributed, which means Tampa Bay gave away an average of 2,579.
Not surprisingly, the Lightning's poor record for a second straight season plus a difficult economy have slowed ticket sales. Getting fans in the building with freebies means they probably are buying food, drinks and souvenirs. And if they like the show, perhaps they buy a ticket next time.
Still, the numbers reflect a tough financial situation.
"There is no question the struggling economy is hurting companies right now, especially those of us asking people to spend their hard-earned money on nonessentials," team spokesman Bill Wickett said.
Lightning owner OK Hockey already has restructured its $70 million financing agreement with previous owner Palace Sports & Entertainment. And last week, it asked St. Pete Times Forum employees to pay $30 a month to park in a lot across the street from the arena that OK Hockey leases. The funds will help pay the $250,000 yearly rental, Wickett said.
The real key, though, is getting paying fans into the arena.
"We have worked to be creative and responsive in pricing our tickets," Wickett said, "in particular an all-inclusive ticket that includes parking, food and drinks for two people. That has been well-received, especially for weekend games." www.tampabay.com/sports/hockey/lightning/article976225.ece |
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Post by flippy on Feb 26, 2009 16:32:27 GMT -5
And those who do pay don't pay much: www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/26/lightning-cut-prices-season-tickets-next-season/Lightning Cut Prices On Season Tickets Next Season TAMPA - The Tampa Bay Lightning are slashing season-ticket prices by an average of 10 percent for next season, with almost 4,000 seats available at the St. Pete Times Forum for only $239. Reacting to a sluggish national economy, the National Hockey League club kicked off its ticket renewal campaign Thursday by announcing price decreases for nearly 90 percent of the seats in the downtown arena. Single-game ticket prices for the 2009-10 season have yet to be determined, but new season-ticket buyers are eligible for the same significant discounts as returning customers. The campaign begins on Friday. "With one of the biggest arenas in the NHL, a difficult economic time facing our fans and team performance not where we hoped it would be, we know the right thing to do is to decrease prices in many of the areas,'' Lightning owner and governor Oren Koules said in statement. "We continue to be very bullish about our future, excited for the organization and for our fans as we move forward.'' The Lightning entered Thursday night's action in 13th place in the East with a record of 20-29-12, 16 points out of a playoff spot and only 10 points removed from the conference basement. Tampa Bay is 11-12-8 at home, where Tampa Bay's average crowd of 16,353 represents 85.5 percent of the building's capacity. Almost 1,300 upper-level seats have been reclassified to be included in the $239 season-ticket package that averages out to $5.69, plus tax, per game. Nearly 20 percent of the arena's seats will feature that $239 designation and half-season packages in the same area will cost $149.The remainder of season-ticket prices in the terrace level will decrease by 20 percent and some season tickets in the plaza level will average as low as $35.69 per game, plus tax.The club is also offering an 8-month payment plan for ticket buyers, allowing payment to be spread out and monthly costs lowered. Fans that pay for their season-ticket accounts in full by March 27 will receive a 3 percent rebate in Forum dollars, which can be used at any time for food and beverage or merchandise inside the building at Lightning events. "We hope these price structures, along with the cornerstones we have in place for our future growth on the ice, energize our fans for next season,'' Koules said. |
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Post by WHA on Feb 26, 2009 16:59:14 GMT -5
Yikes! $239.00 for 41 plus games. It cost me twice that much for 1 Bomber season ticket. Or some NHL single game tickets cost more than $239.00. Hey on the bright side their attendance numbers will be higher. You can not get a Moose season ticket any where near that amount. Did Gary approve these new prices? Must be a typo error. This will mean that the Salary cap limit is going to get trashed, and players will not be very happy about teams in Tampa etc. Simply bizarre how the NHL operates.
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Post by TheDeuce on Feb 26, 2009 17:14:35 GMT -5
Yikes! $239.00 for 41 plus games. It cost me twice that much for 1 Bomber season ticket. Or some NHL single game tickets cost more than $239.00. Hey on the bright side their attendance numbers will be higher. You can not get a Moose season ticket any where near that amount. Did Gary approve these new prices? Must be a typo error. This will mean that the Salary cap limit is going to get trashed, and players will not be very happy about teams in Tampa etc. Simply bizarre how the NHL operates. Bomber season ticket? Heck, I don't think you can get Moose season tickets for that much. I pay more for my Moose 11 game minipack! m. |
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Post by leer2006 on Feb 26, 2009 22:46:48 GMT -5
Hell I paid that for 2 tickets for 1 Wild game vs. the Sen's.
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Post by jhendrix70 on Feb 26, 2009 23:56:47 GMT -5
Hell I paid that for 2 tickets for 1 Wild game vs. the Sen's. As did I......February 14th/09. $350 for two tickets..... |
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Post by bromine on Feb 27, 2009 20:17:42 GMT -5
The cheapest Moose season tickets are $588... more than twice what the cheapest lightning season tickets are.
There's something VERY wrong with that.
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Post by White-Out on Feb 27, 2009 21:31:27 GMT -5
The cheapest Moose season tickets are $588... more than twice what the cheapest lightning season tickets are. There's something VERY wrong with that. ITS AN OUTRAGE! That's what it is... |
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Post by WHA on Feb 27, 2009 22:05:24 GMT -5
That's why the Moose get zero dollars from me! They are taking advantage of their hockey monoply!
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(At 50dpi, you could print it out as 32"x24"...)
