I've been reading (or re-reading) Ken Dryden's book "The Game" from 1983.Dryden, as some of us "old-timers" may remember, was the sensational Cornell goalie who led the Big Red to multiple national championships between 1965 and 1969. Moving to the NHL, Dryden joined the Montreal Canadiens and acheived the improbable feat of winning six Stanley Cups in eight playing seasons (1971-79).
He retired at the top of his game and this performance has never been rivaled. In the modern era of the NHL, where dynasties cannot survive due to free agency, this record is probably unbeatable.
He retired at the top of his game and this performance has never been rivaled. In the modern era of the NHL, where dynasties cannot survive due to free agency, this record is probably unbeatable.
"The Game" was written in early retirement, just at the time when the Islanders had put an end to the Canadiens' dynasty. It is hard to imagine dynasties like the Canadiens, Isles or Oilers any longer in this or any sport. There are too many teams, and free agency has created more parity. In the pre-expansion era NHL, historical rivalries existed between Boston and New York, and between Toronto and Montreal. The Canadiens remain one of the premier dynasties in all of sport, having won the Stanley Cup twenty-five times since the formation of the NHA (precursor to the NHL) in 1915. If you throw in the Canadiens' ancestors (the Montreal Maroons), the dynasty becomes even more impressive.
One of the sections in Dryden's book is about ticket prices. Dryden wrote an "Overtime" chapter for the book's 2003 reprinting, which discusses, among other things, prices and salaries. Too soon we forget that seat prices were $12/game, as recently as 1979. Inflation since that time would account for an increase to $35. But average ticket prices are now about $50, and so, hockey seems to be leading the inflation curve.
Think about what that means for a family of four. $48 in 1979 is equivalent to $140 in today's dollars. But the family has to fork over $200 just to get four bodies in the seats, and that's before the kids ask for fries and ice cream. Instead, teams focus their marketing efforts on corporate buyers, building arenas with exclusive private suites with rents in the five figures per season. If you are lucky enough to work for a corporate sponsor, or be invited as a guest, the game can be enjoyed from the elite privacy of a booth with its own bar. It's a far cry from shinny and hot chocolate, if you ask the Tattler.
There's no easy answer to this economic problem, except for minor league hockey which can be enjoyed for half the cost of the NHL product. That is, if you live near a minor league team. In the New York metro area, blessed with three professional teams, the closest minor league franchises are the ECHL Trenton Devils (58 miles from Newark) and the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers (59 miles from the Big Apple). In Trenton, ticket prices range from $10.50 (per child) to $27.50 (per adult). Bridgeport's prices are little higher, $18 - $44.
The NY area is not as fortunate as many other NHL cities which are able to maintain pro and minor league franchises side by side. Such is the fortune of having three pro teams in one place. But there is an out. On cable TV, college and AHL hockey are occasionally aired. The seat is cheap, but not free. There is that pesky monthly fee paid to the local cable monopoly. Think of this over one year as paying for 12 seats at a single game. It might go down more easily that way.
Hockey Rules (but it costs).
One of the sections in Dryden's book is about ticket prices. Dryden wrote an "Overtime" chapter for the book's 2003 reprinting, which discusses, among other things, prices and salaries. Too soon we forget that seat prices were $12/game, as recently as 1979. Inflation since that time would account for an increase to $35. But average ticket prices are now about $50, and so, hockey seems to be leading the inflation curve.
Think about what that means for a family of four. $48 in 1979 is equivalent to $140 in today's dollars. But the family has to fork over $200 just to get four bodies in the seats, and that's before the kids ask for fries and ice cream. Instead, teams focus their marketing efforts on corporate buyers, building arenas with exclusive private suites with rents in the five figures per season. If you are lucky enough to work for a corporate sponsor, or be invited as a guest, the game can be enjoyed from the elite privacy of a booth with its own bar. It's a far cry from shinny and hot chocolate, if you ask the Tattler.
There's no easy answer to this economic problem, except for minor league hockey which can be enjoyed for half the cost of the NHL product. That is, if you live near a minor league team. In the New York metro area, blessed with three professional teams, the closest minor league franchises are the ECHL Trenton Devils (58 miles from Newark) and the AHL Bridgeport Sound Tigers (59 miles from the Big Apple). In Trenton, ticket prices range from $10.50 (per child) to $27.50 (per adult). Bridgeport's prices are little higher, $18 - $44.
The NY area is not as fortunate as many other NHL cities which are able to maintain pro and minor league franchises side by side. Such is the fortune of having three pro teams in one place. But there is an out. On cable TV, college and AHL hockey are occasionally aired. The seat is cheap, but not free. There is that pesky monthly fee paid to the local cable monopoly. Think of this over one year as paying for 12 seats at a single game. It might go down more easily that way.
Hockey Rules (but it costs).
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