Vancouver Canucks end sellout streak after 11 seasons
Like their slogan says, “It’s a new game” for the Vancouver Canucks.
The team announced today (October 17) that after 474 consecutive sellouts, Canucks Sports and Entertainment has failed to sell out Saturday’s home game at Rogers Arena.
The team’s sellout streak began November 14, 2002 when over 18,000 fans gathered at the arena to witness the Canucks beat the Los Angeles Kings. According to an infographic on the Canucks website, “fans would sell out every regular season and playoff home game for the next 11 seasons”.
However, over the past year, box office sales have been dwindling. According to a CBC article from March 2014, season-ticket holders and scalpers said that the value of Canucks tickets were not what they used to be.
Many fans were disgruntled about how the recent Roberto Luongo trade to the Florida Panthers had unfolded. The team’s general manager at the time, Mike Gillis, sent a letter to season-ticket holders reassuring them that all was well.
About a month later after Gillis was fired and Trevor Linden was hired as president, the former Canucks player dodged questions about whether the move was simply to help prop up ticket sales.
A May letter from Linden directed at season ticket holders stated, “A Season Ticket Member sent me a message recently saying, ‘We all want ‘The Cup’ of course but we also want to enjoy the ride too.’ We’re going to do everything we can to make that happen. We want to put a team on the ice that creates buzz and anticipation in the city on game days. A team that has you planning your week around games and coming early to Rogers Arena to enjoy the atmosphere and to cheer your Canucks.”
Canucks Sports and Entertainment has continued to make more changes in an attempt to lure fans into the stadium.
Over the summer, star bartender Jay Jones was hired as the group’s director of wine and beverage. During preseason games, fans had a chance to sip and savour new offerings at Rogers Arena, including cocktails, gourmet hot-dogs, and even catered high-end sushi if you found yourself sitting in box seats.
After more than 8 million fans have attended games, the sellout streak has ended. There are still plenty of tickets left for Saturday’s game, when the Canucks host the Tampa Bay Lightning. Available seats start at $107 in the balcony, and go as high as $300.
Comments
12 Comments
Chris
Oct 17, 2014 at 2:24pm
$107?! Hahahahaha! If they lowered prices I'd think of going. I can see a great band for $30.
REDDPILL
Oct 17, 2014 at 2:37pm
It's just so over rated. Going to a hockey game isn't all that entertaining. Sitting next to strangers who get up, and say 'excuse me' 10 times just so they can get a plastic cup of beer doesn't strike me as awesome. I couldn't possibly care less if the Canucks never win a Stanley Cup. I'm not going to get a cheque in the mail, if they do.
It's just so stupid. Lastly? I would never spend 200 dollars on a jersey. Grown men who wear that shit, always look like an over grown boy child.
Who can afford it?
Oct 17, 2014 at 2:50pm
Too busy paying rent. The trolls of the housing industry has this town by the gonads.
ursa minor
Oct 17, 2014 at 3:32pm
'Sellouts' are a ruse to create artificial demand for tickets at inflated prices. If the Canucks hadn't put as many luxury suites into Rogers Arena and could actually seat 21,000 people like Montreal's Centre Bell or the United Center in Chicago, this streak would have ended much sooner. If the Canucks were that choked about the streak ending, they could have easily sold off a block of tickets quid pro quo to one of their sponsors, in the same way the lesser-rans of the National Football League do to ensure that the next home game isn't blacked out on local TV.
Whitecaps FC and the Vancouver Canadians are far better entertainment value - much more friendly and vibrant atmosphere at soccer matches and baseball games in Vancouver.
OMG
Oct 17, 2014 at 3:39pm
I can afford to go to a game, occasionally, but why would I when I can watch it at home on a reasonably decent TV and drink cheap booze to my hearts content?
Plus I'm not much of a hockey fan, which I guess is the real reason I don't go.
REDDPILL
Oct 17, 2014 at 4:10pm
A front row seat for the Florida Panthers is $49 bucks right now. That's a seat at the glass, for $49 dollars. The less expensive seats will cost you as much as $14 dollars. That's $14.00, about the same price we pay just to park.
Astro
Oct 17, 2014 at 7:02pm
I can't believe it took this long to end this sellout.
Android
Oct 18, 2014 at 2:21am
$107 for the cheap seats is ridiculous for such a mediocre team. Most people would rather put their $107 towards their mortgage payments or just go to a restaurant/bar and have a decent dinner & watch the game on the big screen.
Morgan
Oct 18, 2014 at 8:33am
Way too expensive! Watching Hidef is better than paying over $500 for a 2 people to see a game.
Johnny Wishbone
Oct 18, 2014 at 6:22pm
Perhaps the ludicrous gravy train that the boring Canucks have long ridden will slowly come to an end. Disposable income decreases as the wages of the general population further stagnate.