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"My Take On The Preds"
TN • United States • 40 Years Old • Male
Okay...first let me say this is not a 'compare and contrast' article. The point of this post is not to bring up that people in Hamilton Ontario put down 14,000 deposits on tickets...the point here is to update you on the success we are having in a NON-TRADITIONAL hockey market...even with all that said I fully expect snide comments.

The team finished Thursday with a total of 8,764 full-season ticket equivalents, topping the 8,758 the Predators finished with in 2005-06. Yes I realize that is only 6 more than last year...but we are in the middle of July here in Tennessee where football is king and we have had 8 consecutive days of temps topping the 100 degree mark...hockey is not on the minds of the average person around here.

There was interesting comment made in the comments section of The Tennessean on this article.

I work for another similar NHL team in the Season Ticket department, and I have to say that it is unreal that the team has more season ticket holders now.

My organization is having incredible difficulty tracking down people to renew, or merely talk to them about next season. You can mock all you want about only 6 more tickets being sold at this point, but with new in-season promotions and playoff pushes, another 1,000 season ticket plans will be picked up, and that 6 will look a lot better as 1,006. To be at the number they are at now is remarkable.

Congrats to the Predators organization and the city of Nashville. The rest of the league has noticed.

This is great news if you are a Preds fan...especially with the news that the new ownership group is hoping for an additional three million in tax incentives from the city. This is still far from a done deal but this city is stepping up the best it knows how. We are finally seeing support from the downtown merchants (the ones who directly benefit from the 40+ home dates each year) and that is crucial.
Filed Under:   predators   ticket sales   hamilton  
August 17, 2007 12:56 PM ET | Delete
Please let this be the last time ANYONE mentions Hamilton, Kansas City or any other city when discussing the Predators. Please.With the additional tickets sold, the city of Nashville has shown it is more than merely a "non-traditional" hockey market. When this talented, hardworking team hits the ice and surprises most of the NHL, even more tickets will be sold, in game-packs, half-season packs and especially in gameday walk-up.Between my son's high school and travel practices running through the entire spring and summer, hockey has been non-stop in this and many more houses.Hockey in August, in Nashville, may not be king but it still holds it's own.
August 17, 2007 12:59 PM ET | Delete
it would be funny if it was the same people as last year, just 6 more people bought tickets
August 17, 2007 1:13 PM ET | Delete
You make the $3 million sound like a good thing? IMHO, I don't think governments should get in the business of helping to fund professional sports teams.
August 17, 2007 1:21 PM ET | Delete
First, the $3 mil is not for the team, but for improvements in the arena and lease concessions. Second, I seem to remember a government bailout for a Canadian team a few years ago.
August 17, 2007 1:42 PM ET | Delete
This is encouraging news, I hadn't heard much talk about the ticket situation in a while. Did anyone else hear the report about Sullivan? I accidently discovered it on tsn.ca/nhl. Rumour is he might not be completely ready for camp.
August 17, 2007 1:51 PM ET | Delete
Training camp? Sully don't need no stinkin' training camp!! He's about 80% sure for the start of the season. Heck, he's old enough to be game ready in a hurry.
August 17, 2007 3:57 PM ET | Delete
it would be interesting to see how many toronto fans would bail on the leafs to become hamilton fans.
August 17, 2007 3:59 PM ET | Delete
Hamilton deserves a team .... 14 000 desposits on tickets to 8,764 ... In good business sense Hamilton wins hands down ... And I like the Preds but in all fairness NHL screwed Hamilton by making them (the preds) cut off contact ... and all in all CANADA brought this game to where it is and we only have 6 out of 30 teams??? are you kidding me??? Our toronto Fan base tops probably the 6 most popular American teams put together .... Hamilton and Canada better get a team soon and not have an American run a sport in which he doesnt have any idea as to where it was born ... Ya I know he did good for the NBA in the states but there's another CANADIAN sport taken from us ... And what I mean is that for TWO SPORTS created and perfected in Canada than why are there barely any teams in the league???? This isnt the snow covered country people mistaken us for .. I dont know any one who isnt a sports fan here... So my point is WHY ARE AMERICAN TEAMS taking everything Canada creates.. and to call the systems NHL and NBA, Wheres the National part come in play, Canada with this couple teams and America with tons of teams... thats not National ... oh well the states are use to taking things of importance from other countries... look at the war on Iraq.. JOKE!
August 17, 2007 4:18 PM ET | Delete
ducey.. chill brother. this is a predator blog not a national( or international) debate pitting usa versus canada. im not sure where the war in iraq comes in at. use your universal healthcare system and get some free chiill pills.
August 17, 2007 4:22 PM ET | Delete
i should .. its free ... i know its a Preds log but the whole Hamilton/Nashville thing is completely unfair ... so i voiced it .. Im a Toronto/Detroit fan but i can even get a ticket to a Toronto game so i suffer all year not making a game .. a team in Hammy would have helped me see something i love ... but i am glad the Preds kept their team .. jsut hate bettman and how he keeps Canada from growing in the NHL .. so i used the War on Iraq as a forshadow
August 17, 2007 5:48 PM ET | Delete
I think that we will see an additional Canadian team in the next 3-5 years but it will come via expansion...not sure what i think about expansion but I do agree that Canada should have more teams. I can imagine how MLB or NFL fans would feel if we only had teams in 6 markets...we'd be bitter too!
August 17, 2007 6:48 PM ET | Delete
Congratulations to Nashville, I hope they can increase their fanbase and somehow become a hockey market. In the meantime it's a $100 deposit per seat to get on a 6 year waiting list for season tickets in Vancouver!
August 18, 2007 11:06 AM ET | Delete
This is excellent news. I think once folks realize the team is still good, more folks will renew from last year who haven't yet. That number will go much higher into the season. This is just a start!
August 18, 2007 11:26 AM ET | Delete
I'm not harping, I'm just surprised that Vancouver has a six year waiting list for season tickets. Do they cut off season ticket sales at a certain number? Two years ago, I was in Vancouver and easily bought a seat on gameday at the ticket window. This was vs The Maple Leafs. A game you would think would sell out in advance.Btw, Hamilton is not getting screwed. Even if Balsillie purchased the Preds, he would still have to overcome the 14,000 minimum in ticket sales. It looks like the Preds are well on their way to achieving that number. This is great news in a non-traditional market. Great for Nashville, and eventually, great for hockey. Hockey can't grow in popularity if it doesn't have the exposure in non-traditional markets. It takes time to grow a fanbase. In 10 years, you haven't tapped into the next generation of hockey fans yet. That's where the awareness and popularity grows. Eventually, it becomes a tradition to take your kid to the games. They grow up and take their kids etc.Nashville is almost there. More time is needed. If given the chance, Nashville will not only become a traditional hockey market, but judging by the atmosphere at the games, it will become one of the most rabid hockey markets in the league.
August 18, 2007 4:11 PM ET | Delete
Great comments Predaceous - you are right on the money when you talk about building a tradition in this market...it takes time. My little ones are going to grow up watching hockey in person and on TV. Something that didn't happen here ten years ago.
August 18, 2007 11:43 PM ET | Delete
Predaceous, if Balsillie had purchased the team he would've exercised the contracts buyout option. What's 30 million extra when you've just dropped 200 million on a team? Regarding game day tickets, Arenas keep some tickets and sell them off on the day of the game. They do the same thing online as well. This is the only way I can get tickets to the leafs :(. Regrading "non traditional markets", I think when the 6 canadian teams are generating over a third of the NHL revenue, you shouldn't be looking into non traditional markets, you should be looking at solidifying the markets you have. One last thing... Everyone keeps talking about the 14,000 tickets that hamilton presold ... keep in mind that was 14000 IN 48 HOURS. That was the last report we got on ticket sales, so it could be more...
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