Full disclosure: I am the PA announcer for the Peoria Rivermen hockey team, and have been for 11 of the last 12 years. I love hockey. I desire to see the Rivs draw better. The front office works incredibly hard to try and draw more fans to Rivermen hockey fans. That being said…read on…Â
My good friend (and solid reporter) Dave Eminian is correct in today’s column in the PJStar when he says the Rivermen front office staff has struck some attendance gold in the last couple of months:
The Rivermen have hit a home run on a new marketing strategy, which is to bring in celebrities from soap operas, to Nickelodeon and Disney TV shows, pro wrestling and post-game concerts.
It has helped the franchise turn the corner at the box office, quite a feat at a time when most minor-league hockey teams are showing downtrends in attendance.
What David unfortunately does NOT mention is this year’s average attendance, which is now 4,194 per game. That figure ranks a lowly 21st in the 29-team AHL. That puts the Rivermen about 900 UNDER the league average, but ahead of fellow Illinois AHL teams in Rockford (25th at 3,683) and Quad City (27th at 3,432). Chicago (6,981, 4th in the league) is the best-drawing AHL team in the state.
Further, this year’s average is almost 200 below LAST year’s final average (4,386), which belies Dave’s comment that the we’ve “turned the corner”. Maybe from beginning of this year to the current date, but not when one compares the past.
Here’s the past few years:
2005-2006 – (1st year in AHL) – 4,7
2004-2005 – 4,785 (last year in ECHL), 10th overall out of 28
2003-2004 – 5,101, 3rd overall out of 31 teams!
2002-2003 – 5,394, 4th overall out of 27
As a matter of fact, this year’s attendance is lower than any since the team moved from the IHL to the ECHL in 1996. For the record, Dave used to give weekly updates in his column on Rivermen attendance, but they have not been there so much this year.
Again, I have been part of the Rivermen culture since I moved here in 1996. I love hockey. I cannot understand why the team cannot consistently draw the 6-7,000 fans it draws on occasional Saturday nights.
So I’m asking those in the Peoria blogosphere: Why? Why are there not more fans at games? What do you desire the team do to attract you to go to a game? More promotions? More fights on the ice? Less fights? Cheaper concessions? What is it?
Hockey is tremendous fun when it’s viewed live. You DO NOT need to “understand” the game to enjoy it. Heck, there’s really only two confusing rules: icing and offsides, which become completely understandable after you get a quick, easy-to-grasp explanation. Other than that, it’s a lot like basketball…teams pass and skate and try to put the “ball” (in this case, of course, a puck) into the goal. And it’s a lot like football…teams hit and defend and try to stop the other team from getting the puck across the goal line and into the goal.
So what is it going to take to get the attendance this sport deserves in Peoria (and Rockford and the QC for that matter)? What would make you go to the game?
10 responses so far ↓
1
mortonmalaise
// Mar 12, 2008 at 7:48 am
BJ,
I’ve often wondered the same thing. I’m one of few people from South Florida who grew up loving hockey. After I saw the Red Wings play the Panthers in person when the Red Army was together, I was hooked on seeing it live. Television will never be able to do hockey justice because there’s so much going on away from the puck. I think that if more people gave live hockey a chance, they would find that it’s an amazing game to watch and would keep coming back.
2
slbill
// Mar 12, 2008 at 11:34 am
I am actually working on just such an article, BJ. I interviewed Bart about 2 weeks ago, at the start of my road trip. I have received responses from the front offices of each of the other 4 minor leagues.
Quite frankly, it looks like everyone is in the same boat.
And MM is correct, hockey is best in person.
The road trip diary and a new article talking about the relationships between the NHL and the minors is up at http://equipmentmanager.blogpeoria.com/
3
reno
// Mar 13, 2008 at 10:03 am
Find me a non-druggie Lincoln babysitter for game night and I’ll see you there.
4
RomanII
// Mar 13, 2008 at 10:10 am
A better hockey team would be starts;it’s been a while since we have seen anything worth watching. Bruce should move or get off the pot, quit talking about selling and do it, or put something into it, not just money.
5
Billy Dennis
// Mar 15, 2008 at 12:40 pm
Simple: Sentence people who are convicted pf minor crimes like littering and not wearign their seat belts to attend hockey. Other than that, I got nothing. Peoria just isn’t a hockey town.
6
chef Kevin
// Mar 16, 2008 at 9:55 am
Want my reason? The last two times (and they were the last two) I was at a hockey game, I had the extreme misfortune of having beer spilled on me by loud, foul mouthed jerk offs that made it damned near impossible to enjoy the game. When I pay for a lower bowl seat, I don’t think I should have to move to some nose bleed obscure area of the arena to void myself of above mentioned beer spilling foul mouthed idiots. Yeah, maybe a stroke of bad luck, but enough to make me not go back. I used to go to several a year, just like I do Chief games, but not in the last few years. Maybe (if there aren’t already) beerless, family sections?
7
mortonmalaise
// Mar 17, 2008 at 11:42 am
Kevin,
While I do thoroughly enjoy getting wasted and heckling the opposing team at baseball and hockey games, I firmly agree that there should be a family section at most, if not all sporting events. I’m able to show restraint and keep my mouth shut if called for by the situation or the crowd around me. Unfortunately, there is a large element of white trash in the Greater Peoria area that are unable to do so. Many ML ballparks (not sure about NHL arenas) now have several sections reserved as “Family Only”, with specific rules about alcohol consumption and profanity. It’s only a matter of time before it trickles down into the farm system.
8
bjstone
// Mar 17, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Roman: Bruce and Bart have nothing really to do with the product on the ice. That is up to the Blues to provide. You’re right, though, winning does seem to help. The question begs…would you rather see a 50-win team in the ECHL, or a 35-40 win team that misses the playoffs in the higher level AHL? I know what I prefer, but I’ll keep it to myself to see what everyone else thinks.
Kevin and MM: That is a problem, indeed. Again, not the fault of the Rivermen. I don’t mean to sound like I’m passing the buck, but the Civic Center is the venue, they’re in charge of beer sales, and they’re in charge of ushers/security/enforcement. I know others in the same boat such as yourself…sadly, it happens in every arena, not just Peoria.
And yes, the team does feature a “Family Section” that is non-alcoholic and non-cursing (in theory). It is Section 9, upper bowl, I believe. A funny aside: When I was full time on the Rivs staff, we’d be selling groups for Church Night, and the ONE section the church groups DIDN’T want to be in was the “family section”. Can’t cut into the beer drinkin’ on Saturday when you gotta go to church on Sunday, ya know.
9
mortonmalaise
// Mar 19, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I would much rather see a .500-level AHL squad than a 50 win ECHL team. The play on the ice is much faster, and there seem to be less dumb penalties the closer you get to the NHL level.
10
chef Kevin
// Mar 23, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Sorry I’m getting back late to respond. Section 9, good to know. Not the best seating in the house, but better than leaving the civic center feeling like I was the Budweiser dunk tank attraction at a Richard Pryor Swear-a-like convention. Maybe I’ll catch some games again if this seating holds true. I’m not a prude about drinking at events like this, but the purpose is to get the beer in your mouth, not on the head and down the back of the person sitting in front of you. Another issue is this and I hear it a lot from the restaurant people. 15 years ago having entertainment was a sure sign of having a full house on the weekends. Now, it isn’t. There are so many new places having so many different atmospheres and events to draw people in, that the “people pool” is stretched. since the Peoria area hasn’t increased population wise dramatically over this time frame not all events can be equally supported. I know one particular weekend night, there was an art opening that I wanted to attend, two bands playing that I normally support with my attendance and something else…can’t remember. Hard to get to them all.
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