Fuck you all

[elocomotive]

It's growing a little on some people... but unfortunately hockey is not very popular in Arizona for obvious reasons. I mean when it's 75 degrees outside for 9 months of the year you're bound to be a baseball/football state. We've sold out a few games recently but our attendance is still putrid.

What it lacks in marketing savvy, it more than makes up with honesty...

 

[DragonfromTO]

It's growing a little on some people... but unfortunately hockey is not very popular in Arizona for obvious reasons. I mean when it's 75 degrees outside for 9 months of the year you're bound to be a baseball/football state. We've sold out a few games recently but our attendance is still putrid.

Yeah but there are so many people living in Arizona that moved there from elsewhere though, aren't there? Most of the people that I know that live there are from Minnesota, and most of their friends aren't "native" either.

 

[pixburgher66]

The owners put a Tim Horton's kiosk in the arena to attract/appease the Canadians. No, really.

 

[Vadered]

Yeah but there are so many people living in Arizona that moved there from elsewhere though, aren't there? Most of the people that I know that live there are from Minnesota, and most of their friends aren't "native" either.

Haha, my sister lives in Arizona.

Guess where she's from...

 

[elocomotive]

Haha, my sister lives in Arizona.

Guess where she's from...

Greenbow, Alabama?

 

[Winged_Wheel88]

Haha, my sister lives in Arizona.

Guess where she's from...

Greenbow, Alabama?

ince$t jokes aren't funny, Eloco. Come on, man!

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Yeah but there are so many people living in Arizona that moved there from elsewhere though, aren't there? Most of the people that I know that live there are from Minnesota, and most of their friends aren't "native" either.

Very true. Tons of transplants... but still no excuse. The other professional sports teams in AZ have strong fan bases (minus the Dbacks fan base which isn't awful, but they are still a young franchise and growing each year... can't say the same for the Yotes)

Hockey just isn't big here. Wish it was, but the reality is it'll take another deep playoff run or two to attract the bandwagoners.

 

[dash]

10,229 was the attendance last night (and that likely includes at least a couple thousand Flames fans).

 

[esls79]

The owners put a Tim Horton's kiosk in the arena to attract/appease the Canadians. No, really.

Good thing Don Koharksi doesn't ref anymore or Jim Schoenfeld coach anymore then.

 

[mattola]

10,229 was the attendance last night (and that likely includes at least a couple thousand Flames fans).

ownership really fixed that place

 

[DragonfromTO]

Very true. Tons of transplants... but still no excuse. The other professional sports teams in AZ have strong fan bases (minus the Dbacks fan base which isn't awful, but they are still a young franchise and growing each year... can't say the same for the Yotes)

Hockey just isn't big here. Wish it was, but the reality is it'll take another deep playoff run or two to attract the bandwagoners.

I wasn't saying that the fact that they are transplants means that they aren't invested in the local teams, I was saying that the fact that they now live in "a baseball/football state" probably can't entirely be blamed for them not being fans. Wouldn't the transplants bring their love of hockey with them?

 

[forty_three]

Very true. Tons of transplants... but still no excuse. The other professional sports teams in AZ have strong fan bases (minus the Dbacks fan base which isn't awful, but they are still a young franchise and growing each year... can't say the same for the Yotes)

Hockey just isn't big here. Wish it was, but the reality is it'll take another deep playoff run or two to attract the bandwagoners.

They shouldn't aim for bandwagoners... What's the youth / high school hockey scene like? How many rinks, and how easy are they to get to? Do they do try hockey for free days and the like? Do the Coyotes do street hockey events or have equipment banks for kids to try the game? I really don't know. I know the USA Hockey registration numbers aren't good, comparatively, but I am genuinely curious if anything is being done to fight that.

The measure of whether the team will be successful long term is how many kids are playing now. Sure, the transplants will buy tickets now, but if the kids play - once they grow up they will continue going. It's the only way to build a fanbase. The kids connect to the game.

Here in Columbus, even though Nash is long gone it seems like every team at Pee Wee level or above has a kid wearing #61. On my team we had three kids who requested it. Their parents are not die hard fans, but they sure will be. Attendance is steadily getting better and we sure as hell haven't had any deep playoff runs to latch onto.

 

[pixburgher66]

They shouldn't aim for bandwagoners... What's the youth / high school hockey scene like? How many rinks, and how easy are they to get to? Do they do try hockey for free days and the like? Do the Coyotes do street hockey events or have equipment banks for kids to try the game? I really don't know. I know the USA Hockey registration numbers aren't good, comparatively, but I am genuinely curious if anything is being done to fight that.

The measure of whether the team will be successful long term is how many kids are playing now. Sure, the transplants will buy tickets now, but if the kids play - once they grow up they will continue going. It's the only way to build a fanbase. The kids connect to the game.

Here in Columbus, even though Nash is long gone it seems like every team at Pee Wee level or above has a kid wearing #61. On my team we had three kids who requested it. Their parents are not die hard fans, but they sure will be. Attendance is steadily getting better and we sure as hell haven't had any deep playoff runs to latch onto.

This is basically how Pittsburgh built a fan base. Build the game in the area, not just the team.

 

[forty_three]

And Western Pa is the third strongest hockey area according to USA hockey behind Michigan and Boston area.

Yes, they've even passed Minny.

 

[pixburgher66]

And Western Pa is the third strongest hockey area according to USA hockey behind Michigan and Boston area.

Yes, they've even passed Minny.

Starting to see the benefits a bit as well, past few years of WJC. Heck, seeing guys from the West Coast too. Building the game, building the game. The funny thing with the Ohio area, is the east side has been lumped into the Pittsburgh market, but as the Columbus area grows, the Ohio area will only get stronger.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Question, where do you guys see the USA hockey numbers? I'd be curious to see the list and I'm far too lazy to search for it.

 

[forty_three]

Question, where do you guys see the USA hockey numbers? I'd be curious to see the list and I'm far too lazy to search for it.

Membership Statistics | Membership Resources | Membership | USA Hockey National

PDFs off that page break down by year and region.

Somewhere, which I can't find now, breaks down numbers of registered players as a total percentage of population which showed W Pa third strongest market.

Even so, there are many players in W Pa as in all of Ohio. Impressive.

 

[DragonfromTO]

They shouldn't aim for bandwagoners... What's the youth / high school hockey scene like? How many rinks, and how easy are they to get to? Do they do try hockey for free days and the like? Do the Coyotes do street hockey events or have equipment banks for kids to try the game? I really don't know. I know the USA Hockey registration numbers aren't good, comparatively, but I am genuinely curious if anything is being done to fight that.

The measure of whether the team will be successful long term is how many kids are playing now. Sure, the transplants will buy tickets now, but if the kids play - once they grow up they will continue going. It's the only way to build a fanbase. The kids connect to the game.

Here in Columbus, even though Nash is long gone it seems like every team at Pee Wee level or above has a kid wearing #61. On my team we had three kids who requested it. Their parents are not die hard fans, but they sure will be. Attendance is steadily getting better and we sure as hell haven't had any deep playoff runs to latch onto.

Yep. That's the "hockey for life!" angle that USA Hockey pushes.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

They shouldn't aim for bandwagoners... What's the youth / high school hockey scene like? How many rinks, and how easy are they to get to? Do they do try hockey for free days and the like? Do the Coyotes do street hockey events or have equipment banks for kids to try the game? I really don't know. I know the USA Hockey registration numbers aren't good, comparatively, but I am genuinely curious if anything is being done to fight that.

The measure of whether the team will be successful long term is how many kids are playing now. Sure, the transplants will buy tickets now, but if the kids play - once they grow up they will continue going. It's the only way to build a fanbase. The kids connect to the game.

Here in Columbus, even though Nash is long gone it seems like every team at Pee Wee level or above has a kid wearing #61. On my team we had three kids who requested it. Their parents are not die hard fans, but they sure will be. Attendance is steadily getting better and we sure as hell haven't had any deep playoff runs to latch onto.

To answer your first paragraph, there are hardly any rinks or hockey leagues in Arizona. I honestly haven't heard of any place you can go play hockey in the East Valley (minus Polar Ice which is more of a family oriented ice rink) I wasn't a hockey player in HS myself, but I'm sure there's at least a couple more places out there that I'm unaware of. I think that's where it all stems from to be honest. Hockey is by far the least played sport in this state and it's not close.

 

[Johnnydollaz89]

I still find the title of this thread to be highly offensive lol