How bad is this years Flames? $8 tickets bad

[btimbit]

The tickets could be free, by the time you get yourself there, get a few drinks and a snack, you're over $100. All to watch a BS boring product with no physicality, and any time it starts to get good there's some ticky tack nonsense penalty call that pulls all emotion from the game and puts someone on their sixth powerplay of the night. Yawn.

[Hack&Lube]

The Saddledome has never been more appropriate, because even if you are paying like $10 for tickets, you are literally paying your hard earned money to buy yourself a ticket to a few hours of misery, depression, and then have to journey home in the cold and dark.

[jayswin]

I love the fake ticketmaster scarcity tricks some teams use. The Flames are a huge abuser of this. I'm willing to bet tomorrows game will be in the 15500-16500 range, so like 3-4k short of sellout.

But there are maybe 100 direct tickets available on ticketmaster right now (pink verified don't count as they're already sold to an original and can't be returned and therefor count towards total attendance already) which would imply an announced attendance of over 19000 and nearly a sellout, lol.

[jg13]

saw tickets going for $1 for the rangers game through gametime. was clearly just someone that wanted the tickets to be used but i felt like it was a good time to make this meme

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

One of the advantages of watching the game at home is, you can have a wank during intermission and it isn't weird. Try doing that in the Saddledome

If it’s because a bag of Fritos and a bowl of queso are setting you off, then it is exceptionally weird.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by Wormius

If it’s because a bag of Fritos and a bowl of queso are setting you off, then it is exceptionally weird.

Don't judge my sexual proclivities, you puritan!

[Britflamesfan]

I thought this might be the case and said so months ago. I cannot see how the Cap is going to be raised to the lofty hights that some on this site expect. Eventually you reach a point even with a successful team when fans simply cannot afford to pay the prices of tickets. Throw in a poor team and then you are in real trouble.

[SutterBrother]

The pandemic showed a lot of people how nice it is to be at home with a big screen TV.

You're never getting that genie back into the bottle.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by SutterBrother

The pandemic showed a lot of people how nice it is to be at home with a big screen TV.

You're never getting that genie back into the bottle.

Nice TV
better, cheaper snacks and drinks
More comfortable seat
Not having to deal with the general public or traffic

What exactly am I missing by staying at home? The atmosphere? Saddledome isn’t exactly the most exciting building outside of playoffs. I suppose less chance of hearing Eric Francis talk if I go to the game. That’s gotta be worth something.

[SutterBrother]

Originally Posted by codynw

Nice TV
better, cheaper snacks and drinks
More comfortable seat
Not having to deal with the general public or traffic

What exactly am I missing by staying at home? The atmosphere? Saddledome isn’t exactly the most exciting building outside of playoffs. I suppose less chance of hearing Eric Francis talk if I go to the game. That’s gotta be worth something.

If you stay home you will miss having your children sworn at by a random drunk adult in a filthy crowded bathroom.

That's a growth experience that builds character!

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

This is a big deal in my opinion that could potentially kill off a few of the Canadian markets over time. Every year, the number of NMCs increases and it will eventually get the point that only players on ELCs won't have them. For a league that uses trading a one of the primary ways to build a competitive team, it puts most of the Canadian markets, and even a few American markets at huge disadvantage.

Fans seem to be in denial about how bad this is. On a lot of teams, three-quarters of the veterans have NMCs. The cap and NMCs make trades in today’s NHL difficult full-stop. But the options available to the GM of a small-market Canadian team to improve his roster through trades are much worse. The great majority of trades batted around by fans - even the ones that are balanced in hockey terms - are non—starters for Calgary due to the cap and NMCs.

[Whynotnow]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Fans seem to be in denial about how bad this is. On a lot of teams, three-quarters of the veterans have NMCs. The cap and NMCs make trades in today’s NHL difficult full-stop. But the options available to the GM of a small-market Canadian team to improve his roster through trades are much worse. The great majority of trades batted around by fans - even the ones that are balanced in hockey terms - are non—starters for Calgary due to the cap and NMCs.

I also think the players are living in a fantasy world on this too. They seem to be all too happy to reap the benefits of revenue from Canadian markets providing salary cap space but not willing to play there because the fans care. It’s a uniquely NHL situation, in the three big sports do you think the superstars can toil away in anonymity and collect big pay cheques -nope. The players may be on the verge of finding out in markets like Winnipeg, Calgary and Edmonton that the golden revenue stream isn’t guaranteed.

[Ace]

I bought $19CAD/seat all in, decent 2nd level seats to the last game. Entering the game was stoked at getting a great deal, and a night out with my son. After paying for parking and concessions felt like I way overpaid on the way out. We’d have more fun for less money going to Activate (highly recommend by the way).

Despite the poor on ice product, I’d consider going more if I could get a few snacks at reasonable prices. The flames should consider a budget concession with a few things at normal convenience store prices. Or maybe hockey happy hour (if they still do this), all night on weeknight games.

[The Big Chill]

Personally I think the atmosphere at the Dome just sucks. The price of going to a game (tickets, food, etc) is so high that it squeezes out many of the rowdy types who want to go to have fun and make noise. You end up with a building full of people just quietly sitting and watching a game.

The music is so loud between whistles that it prevents the crowd from starting chants because nobody can hear it.

I wish NHL buildings would copy soccer and have supporters sections, where everyone knows they can stand/cheer and people around them will actually join in. These tickets are often amongst the cheapest in the building too.

For me, it’s not that I can’t afford to go to a game now and again, but rather that I just simply don’t see the value.

[GullFoss]

I agree...the in game experience is poor because the crowd sucks more than anything else. I also think it comes down to ticket price and lack of caring to create affordable supporter sections.

It's not good value for money for many people. It's expensive and not super fun

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by codynw

Nice TV
better, cheaper snacks and drinks
More comfortable seat
Not having to deal with the general public or traffic

What exactly am I missing by staying at home? The atmosphere? Saddledome isn’t exactly the most exciting building outside of playoffs. I suppose less chance of hearing Eric Francis talk if I go to the game. That’s gotta be worth something.

Don't forget Connor McDavid talk in the intermissions

[BigT112]

The team being bad right now doesn't help, but I don't think enough is being said about the affordability aspect of things, especially in Canada, right now. We all see the headlines about attendance being down, but we see very little being written about how it's extremely expensive to attend an NHL game in person. And with the price of basic everyday needs skyrocketing, people are having to sacrifice entertainment for needs.

I think the downward trend in attendance in the NHL is a sign of where things are economically for people right now. On-ice product certainly doesn't help, but I think it much more a disposable income issue right now. NHL teams should be preparing for this trend to continue.

[The Fonz]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

For me, it’s not that I can’t afford to go to a game now and again, but rather that I just simply don’t see the value.

This is such a problem for the league in general. The value cannot be justified - $500+ all in to go to a game with your spouse/friend/child, and for what?

The NHL needs to compete for the consumer's entertainment budget, and they're doing a very poor job of it. That kind of money could be far better spent on other more enjoyable entertainment options, many/most of them far less expensive.

[Sainters7]

Referring to OP, finally some good news. I live walking distance from the Dome, nice affordable option in the winter when you're bored. I'd prob spend less at the Dome on the ticket/2-3 Dome beers than I would if I posted up somewhere on the Red Mile to watch it once you factor in the 20% tip and food.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I think I've been saying this now for years that the NHL is abusing their paying customers in a short-sighted attempt to jack up the salary cap. It's a gate driven league and they've completely driven away the paying public especially in canada. Absurd concession prices and overpriced tickets, I'm glad ownership is feeling the pinch. There needs to be a serious rethink of the game day experience and price is just one aspect

Wait until the new area! $20 Beers! It'll become an elitist place.

The NHL product is not fun and times are tough.