|
Post by wade on Jan 11, 2014 10:20:18 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by naitch on Jan 11, 2014 14:20:29 GMT -5
Well, well, well...the East is not the utopia of Senior hockey after all. Full barns, rabid fans have not translated to success on the books. It seems they share the same plight as the rest of the nation re: having a viable league and teams.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Jan 11, 2014 17:13:11 GMT -5
They're like anywhere else...they have their struggles.
But the thing that amazed & frustrated me about this article was how ignorant it is towards the realities faced in all other parts of the Senior hockey map.
Don't kid yourself, naitch, In Newfoundland...senior hockey is healthier than it is anywhere else in Canada. They might do a piss poor job running it and it might have been better back in the day...but...attendance is easily double of what anyone else averages.
|
|
|
Post by barrywheeler on Jan 14, 2014 21:07:06 GMT -5
They're like anywhere else...they have their struggles. But the thing that amazed & frustrated me about this article was how ignorant it is towards the realities faced in all other parts of the Senior hockey map. Don't kid yourself, naitch, In Newfoundland...senior hockey is healthier than it is anywhere else in Canada. They might do a piss poor job running it and it might have been better back in the day...but...attendance is easily double of what anyone else averages. Hi Guys. Just followed the link to here from my logs - I run NL Hockey Talk where the article is posted. Actually, Senior Hockey in Newfoundland is very fragile in Newfoundland and Labrador. Talk to the people behind the scenes they'll tell you that in private but it's a topic that many skirt in public. Revenues are down across the board & all eyes are on at least 3 teams this season who are struggling to stay afloat. Even the most successful team is having problems filling the arena at times, showing a 5-10% drop in gate revenues. Other teams are showing a 40% drop. When you're at an arena, the number of empty seats is overwhelming. That article pissed off many of the teams as it put out in public what they didn't want to have out there. I know, I wrote the article after researching it for 3 weeks, talking to people involved with the teams and some sources that provided a scary outlook towards the future. If I'm to read you correctly, other senior leagues across Canada are experiencing similar challenges? It would be interesting to hear those perspectives aswell.
|
|
|
Post by wade on Jan 16, 2014 9:17:54 GMT -5
I think most of this forums readers are up to speed on the attendance numbers Clarenville does...and I think most of us agree...those numbers dwarf national averages. (If there was such a statistic)
Also..I wonder if your article would've been better received by NLSHL teams if you had been able to use actual quotes from people able to go on record with their statements. I know there is a lot if "off the record" talk that goes with SR teams. Many people (myself included) make the mistake of presenting an "official" viewpoint when it's not quite the same as what executives of teams actually want to say...and sometimes...the reasoning behind these type of things is more complicated than what we understand at a glance.
Bottom line...YES...SR hockey isn't making money.
I've been saying it for 10 years already.
And yet...people accuse teams of paying out huge $$$ for players.
They can't afford to pay players because they can't even afford to pay for their icetime.
|
|
|
Post by barrywheeler on Jan 16, 2014 17:24:44 GMT -5
Wade,
Clarenville numbers are way down, the team is cutting back on practices, on programs etc, and the info comes from people who are in-the-know with respect to that team. Trust me, I asked them to give me an official quote but they wouldn't as it would mean drama for them much larger than what's happening now since the article went out. To be honest, I'd be surprised to see Clarenville in the league post 2015 Allan Cup unless there are some major changes. That partly has to do with declining revenues and more so volunteer burnout.
What's also interesting, other teams have clearly indicated that their revenues are down big time, and that comes from people who are directly involved with team operations.
I get tonnes of emails from people speculating about the future of the teams & the league. I also get some pretty reliable information & have been privy to some aspects of the league's operations that makes me shake my head.
The CRA audit a few years back assessed the teams with massive tax bills. What another writer revealed with his reporting of team finances was absolutely amazing. Senior hockey in Newfoundland is BIG business.
It's definitely a 12 month operation and the imports the teams are bringing in are costing a fortune. Then there are locals 'stars' that play 24 games a year and command big money for a weekend of hockey.
The interest in the game is at an all-time high however. My site does between 8-10 million page views just during hockey season (November - March). I still do 3-4 million page views in the other 7 months.
My interaction with the NLSHL & most of the teams was initially very friendly. In fact, it was created after someone affiliated with the Corner Brook Royals asked me to design something for the fans. When the fans were given a voice & some true 'insiders' started discussing the games, the politics of the league etc in the open forum, it pissed off many of the team mangers, operators etc ... the 'old boys club' as it was so often referred to didn't like the backroom deals & discussions being opened up to the general public.
Is Senior Hockey alive here in NL .. yep, without a doubt. Will it survive? I truly don't think so. I give it 2-3 years before we see it disappearing like we did in the hay day of the 80s.
|
|