I'm down in Tampa and went to the Lightning game last night. Got to see a shootout.
And, a sellout, too. Right?
Yeah it was pretty full, I didn't see many empty seats.
Well, upon further review, it seems that Toronto qualifies as a "Hockey Town."
And, my sister in Tampa tells me that Lightning ownership plays the games on video screen outside the arena for playoffs and sellouts.
Yes they do. They were advertising a watch party for Friday's away game, where people can watch on the screen outside. Tampa is one example of how a Southern city can get behind hockey.
Professional hockey has been in Raleigh since 1989. And more then half the population is from the north. It's not a lack of understanding the game. It's time for the "it's the south so they don't understand" stereotype to go away. The bottom line is this... When the team was decent between 2002 and 2009, the fan base was building. Ice rinks with youth leagues have been popping up all over the Triangle. Throw in the All Star game and this town was clearly buzzing. Bumper stickers were on a lot of cars. However since 2009 it has been an erosion. Constant losses, country club attitude by the core players and poor decisions by management, ... The fans have given up.
You do not have to look far to understand that it takes a winner to make a fan base. Look no further then Chicago or Pittsburgh. Chicago is one of the original 6 teams and they could not even get a radio or TV deal in the late 90's early 00's. It had nothing to do with the south or a lack of understanding of the game by the fan base. The arena was ghost town...it was not because the fans do not understand the game. It was because the team sucked so badly. Pittsburgh much the same. The financial picture for Pitt was so bad the team almost left the city. The team owed so much money to Mario, they gave him part ownership. He decided to build a winning team and the rest is history.
The Canes have suffered from so many "almost's" and pleads of "fans be patient" from the ownership, that after awhile it starts to ring hollow. Want to fill the building? Just win. I do think that in a couple of years Ronny will have us a winning team. Until then people need to stop with the nonsense this isn't a hockey town or it's in the south. That's not it. Take it from a former season ticket holder the last 15 years until this year. The team has to prove it, then the fans will come back.
It's not the location of the city, people want a winner.