Playoff Weekend
- Thread starter E.D.S.
- Start date
Surely it’s plain to see that unless Steelers and Nottingham ( home ice ) make the finals…it will be poorly attended ! Why ? Because it’s an overpriced event that tries to mug decent genuine hockey fans off and has done for many years ! Perhaps the EIHL should now consider moving the play offs around the U.K. and at least guarantee full attendances.
Steelers have a large fan base, they didn’t make the play offs so it was obvious that many who were originally going to attend didn’t ! Same for Panthers on home ice. What does that tell me ? It tells me that those who had purchased tickets are not 100% hockey fans, and will only be there if their team makes it to the play offs. Having said that, I’m missing this years play offs simply down to the fact that I feel standards have dropped overall and I’m not paying inflated prices for inferior standard hockey.
Steelers have a large fan base, they didn’t make the play offs so it was obvious that many who were originally going to attend didn’t ! Same for Panthers on home ice. What does that tell me ? It tells me that those who had purchased tickets are not 100% hockey fans, and will only be there if their team makes it to the play offs. Having said that, I’m missing this years play offs simply down to the fact that I feel standards have dropped overall and I’m not paying inflated prices for inferior standard hockey.
Managed to land a few complimentary tickets so came up today! Jeez, Sad to say but the attendance figure is shocking. I know it was expected with the crazy pricing but it’s such a shame to see the place about 55% full. Atmosphere is rubbish compared to previous seasons and there are swathes of unoccupied seats throughout the arena. Awful decision by whoever made it.
Blocks are almost unrecognisable apart from Cardiff, Dundee, Steelers, Panthers, Clan, Guildford and Giants.
No idea where the Blaze, Flyers or Storm blocks are even meant to be!
If the prices are not sensible next year it will absolutely kill the playoff weekend. I can’t see many really wanting to come back again if it’s this bad.
Blocks are almost unrecognisable apart from Cardiff, Dundee, Steelers, Panthers, Clan, Guildford and Giants.
No idea where the Blaze, Flyers or Storm blocks are even meant to be!
If the prices are not sensible next year it will absolutely kill the playoff weekend. I can’t see many really wanting to come back again if it’s this bad.
The sad thing is, this year the quality of player across the league was higher than it was back in the days of the Superleague (using things like NHL games played, points scored etc as metrics).
But they got the pricing so wrong.
£90 and the place would be sold out. Dixon has commented on the atmosphere at playoffs, but that will always be lessened when it’s so empty.
And a sold out arena at £90 is an extra £200k or so as compared to the arena as it is today at the price they chose for this year.
But they got the pricing so wrong.
£90 and the place would be sold out. Dixon has commented on the atmosphere at playoffs, but that will always be lessened when it’s so empty.
And a sold out arena at £90 is an extra £200k or so as compared to the arena as it is today at the price they chose for this year.
There is absolutely no way that the quality of player in the league this year is higher than Superleague. Pre-covid, the EIHL was on a par, perhaps even ahead of the Superleague standard - but it’s not at that level anymore, no chance. There is more parity across the league this year but the standard of play has gone back at least 3 years in my opinion.
Would agree. The pricing was a massive own goal for the clubs (I would guesstimate it was 60% full but tricky to be exact as we were on the 'fuller' side) but the atmosphere for the final was still excellent. Wasn't there Saturday so can't comment on the semi finals but the final was the best game of hockey I have seen this season which is as it should be. Devils were outgunned but Dupont and Franny appeared to outcoach Keefe and the match-ups they went for stymied the Giants first line and (just about) neutralised the second.
The league have to look at the structure and pricing of the weekend (and maybe put together a 'Magic Weekend' event that involves all teams?) but there is not a lot wrong with the product on the ice on this evidence.
I went thinking this might be a damp squib but it ended up as a firecracker
The league have to look at the structure and pricing of the weekend (and maybe put together a 'Magic Weekend' event that involves all teams?) but there is not a lot wrong with the product on the ice on this evidence.
I went thinking this might be a damp squib but it ended up as a firecracker
It’ll be interesting if the league make any acknowledgement of this and try for a building bridges PR release as right now as a brand they are very much out of step with their fan base. If they try and style it out with silence it could well snowball into the gift that keeps giving. They really need to show some humility as all the press releases about being nothing without fans during the pandemic now just look all the more insulting. Many other sports in the UK have sold there soul when £ has been involved and the Eliteleague is very much at a cross roads.
I’d go as far to say if they don’t release some sort of press it’ll be one of the most arrogant and cowardly pieces of sports management to simply price nearly half your fan base out of the sport. You are custodians of the sport not rulers over it.
I’d go as far to say if they don’t release some sort of press it’ll be one of the most arrogant and cowardly pieces of sports management to simply price nearly half your fan base out of the sport. You are custodians of the sport not rulers over it.