Quote:
Originally Posted by Kev
Hmm, 150k to fill a 7k building yet Ottawa 800k and Winnipeg 650k can't be expected to fill a 20k building??
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That's not entirely fair for 2 reasons:
1) A large part of Winnipeg not getting a team is that they have insufficient corporate dollars for an NHL team. Also, note that Winnipeg's arena (while nice and newer) only has a capacity of 16k which is below league requirement. With much lower salaries in the AHL, TV contracts, crowds over 5000 etc. are not required to sustain the league.
2) If the commute last Sunday was any indication, the target area for the Heat is significantly bigger than the 150k. I know I drove in from Burnaby and many came from Chilliwak, Abbotsford and surounding area. I assume weekend games will be well attended as the 45 minute commute from Vancouver/Burnaby is manageable. I think however, that it will be vital for this team to build a winning atmosphere the first few seasons. A playoff birth and solid run would go a long way toward solidifying this team in Abbotsford. The stadium was split at least 50/50 if not better for Heat fans over Moose fans and from what I could tell as the general atmosphere, the people were acking for competitive hockey and have embraced what the owners have done to get a team there.
