Supporters hopeful AHL hockey in Tucson will draw in fans (purchase, school)

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Colt Cassidy

Not a hockey guy either, but I agree with the marketing aspect, and those refrigerated arenas are a plus for Arizonans wanting relief from the heat!

Except the AHL season usually runs from October to April, unless your team makes the Calder Cup playoffs, which goes into May, so escaping the heat doesn't really work in dead of winter, unless you think 50's and 60's are hot!

Tucson has a notorious reputation for being a terrible "sports town" except for Arizona basketball, especially for a metro area with 1 million people. That's why I think an average of 4,000 per game would be an amazing feat and considered great. Yes, Tucson has plenty of transplants from places who have NHL or AHL teams and they do get snowbirds from Canada, but it's also 40% Hispanic, where hockey is nonexistent, plus Tuscon not being a wealthy place doesn't help. That's why they need to have like 1,000 $12 tickets, out of the 7,000.

[elkotronics]

Tucson has a notorious reputation for being a terrible "sports town" except for Arizona basketball, especially for a metro area with 1 million people. That's why I think an average of 4,000 per game would be an amazing feat and considered great. Yes, Tucson has plenty of transplants from places who have NHL or AHL teams and they do get snowbirds from Canada, but it's also 40% Hispanic, where hockey is nonexistent, plus Tuscon not being a wealthy place doesn't help. That's why they need to have like 1,000 $12 tickets, out of the 7,000.

Maybe even offer 2,000 $12 tickets. Really!

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

Tucson has a notorious reputation for being a terrible "sports town" except for Arizona basketball, especially for a metro area with 1 million people. That's why I think an average of 4,000 per game would be an amazing feat and considered great. Yes, Tucson has plenty of transplants from places who have NHL or AHL teams and they do get snowbirds from Canada, but it's also 40% Hispanic, where hockey is nonexistent, plus Tuscon not being a wealthy place doesn't help. That's why they need to have like 1,000 $12 tickets, out of the 7,000.

It is funny this came up as I was just talking to a couple of neighbors who are snowbirds from Chicago and attend a few Blackhawks games each year.

I asked them about whether they would attend an AHL game while they are here in January - April. Their response was that they would prefer to head to Phoenix when the Blackhawks are in town.

I think that this entire conversation will end when the promoters ask the City of Tucson for $$$s to renovate the Tucson Convention Center.

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Arizona football ranks 5th or 6th in attendance in the Pac 12 which is not very impressive.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

It is funny this came up as I was just talking to a couple of neighbors who are snowbirds from Chicago and attend a few Blackhawks games each year.

I asked them about whether they would attend an AHL game while they are here in January - April. Their response was that they would prefer to head to Phoenix when the Blackhawks are in town.

I think that this entire conversation will end when the promoters ask the City of Tucson for $$$s to renovate the Tucson Convention Center.

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Arizona football ranks 5th or 6th in attendance in the Pac 12 which is not very impressive.

I'm a diehard Blackhawks fan and drove up to Phoenix, when I lived in Tucson, to see many a Coyotes game when Chicago was in town. They actually already renovated the TCC a few years ago, they still need to add a press box and fix the locker rooms before they start to play this fall. There was talk years ago to build a brand new arena using the Rio Nuevo funds, across the street, next to the federal building, which went nowhere.

There are a couple of "old barns" in the AHL, that have seen better days, and currently host an AHL team, some have been extensively renovated, while others have not. Minor league anything, baseball, hockey, basketball, is all about entertainment/socializing and giveaways during intermissions, or between innings or during timeouts, if the home team wins, that's just a bonus.

I've been to so many different minor league baseball games throughout the country and at every level from AAA to rookie league, most people don't even care what's going on with the game, it's all about socializing with friends and family or looking at their cell phone.

I'm surprised Arizona football is not in the bottom half, when it comes Pac-12 to attendance. Tucson is an Arizona basketball or bust kind of town, it's a "basketball school" who happens to have a football team!

[elkotronics]

I'm surprised Arizona football is not in the bottom half, when it comes Pac-12 to attendance. Tucson is an Arizona basketball or bust kind of town, it's a "basketball school" who happens to have a football team!

Exactly!

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by jlawrence01

They are talking about $20 per ticket according to the article. University of Arizona hockey is $10-15 at the last time I checked.

Looks like the cheapest tickets will be $10.

https://twitter.com/ryan_finley/stat...78255315570688

[elkotronics]

$10? Excellent!

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by elkotronics

$10? Excellent!

Ryan, the sports editor for the Arizona Daily Star, said that the prices will be from $10-$40 which are probably some of the cheaper tickets in the AHL. Hopefully they could average at least 4,000 people per game.

[azmemories]

Things may have changed since I was in Tucson, but I seem to recall the main attraction of U of A hockey was the many fights between players. Seriously, people who knew nothing about hockey could not wait to attend just for the chance to see some blood on the ice. The collegiate hockey fans may give the AHL a one-time chance, so they better put a good product out there.


I would have my doubts about an AHL team in Tucson. The evidently independent Tucson Saguaros should provide a good enough test market (even though it is a different sport and during the summer). Has there ever been baseball in Tucson without an MLB affiliation?


As for the MLB teams and those with affiliation: the Toros are no longer there and both the Indians and Rockies left for greener spring training pastures. Also, look at the hugely popular sport of football, both the NFL and college level. The Wildcats do not draw well despite being a PAC-12 team. People like a winner and the U of A hoops team represents the Old Pueblo very well.


I don’t much about the NBA D-League, but isn’t that kind of like the minor leagues for the NBA? How about that for Tucson being that basketball is already big? Expansion AHL hockey though??

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by azmemories

I don’t much about the NBA D-League, but isn’t that kind of like the minor leagues for the NBA? How about that for Tucson being that basketball is already big? Expansion AHL hockey though??

While Tucson is a big basketball city, it's a college basketball city, and I think the NBA D-League would actually be a bad idea because it would be competing against Arizona basketball since both seasons are at the same time.

The Suns announced that their new D-League team will be playing in Prescott Valley this fall, Northern Arizona Suns. I think putting their team there is perfect, where you have a nice new arena, only ten years old, and no real competition sports-wise.