Will the NHL Ever Go to a Wider Rink?

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

I say no to this. However it wouldn't surprise me that sometime in the future it happens.

[Learn2LuvIt 245]

Add 10 ads to the boards and 4 more to the ice at 250,000 a pop = 3.5 mil. Now we got 2.65 mil left. Increase average ticket prices by 3 bucks a ticket and average concession sales by 1 dollar per person. 4 x 17,000 = 68,000. X 41 = 2.79 mil. Ding ding ding.

Okay, now we've gone from an economic model that doesn't work, to absurd random guessing at an attempt to win an economic debate. 10 more ads on the boards? Don't think there would be enough space to add 10 more ads, plus and a good portion of the current sponsors are involved in bigger bundled packages that include TV (Belle Tire, DMC), Vendor Participation (Miller Lite, Molson, FoxSports), or are non paying/net revenue sponsors (Little Caesars) so it's not just about throwing up an ad on the boards, there has to be companies willing to pay that money$...but let's focus on the bigger absurdities. 4 more ads/sponsors on the ice....there are only two sponsors (4 ads ) right now?? Where would you put these ads??? I don't get it.

Okay, moving on. Raise the ticket prices across the board $3 and raise the average concession prices by $1?? Not to throw reality into your thought process, but you can win ANY economic debate by raising revenue/income to whatever random level achieves your number$. Our economy is failing....just raise the GDP$ to whatever number$ that makes our economy look like it's not failing?? BTW...raising the ticket prices and concessions actually puts your product/attendance in some jeopardy...there is only so much consumer disposable income and amount they will pay. This actually may reduce your numbers because people can't afford to attend the games. There is a price of diminishing returns with any price bump.

But IF, IF, IF they were to attempt to do all of which you state....they would only breaking even with their old revenue model!! Why would owners do this? Put their attendance at risk to make the ice surface bigger?? They just proved to us throughout the lock out that the actual game of hockey is secondary to how much money they make as a business.

And then there is the parking revenue lost for those 1000 attendee's. Granted, not all would park at parking garages/spaces where Olympia Entrtnmt derives revenue, but some/good portion would.

And

then there is the actual cost to overhaul the building(s) to make these changes. Throwing out random numbers$ on this is silly cause I don't even know "ball park" figures, but I'm guessing it's not cheap at all. I would however bet it's a couple of million dollars at least. But I may be way off.

Then the kicker....you are just considering Detroit and Joe Louis Arena. HockeyTown. One of the premier hockey markets in the NHL. How in the world would the above go over in shaky hockey markets like...Columbus, FLA, Phoenix, Carolina, Long Island, Nashville, etc!!!!!???? "Hey Coyote fans!!!...Hang on to your hats cause we've got some great news....although you barely come out and see the games now and the status of IF we actually will exist as a hockey team tomorrow is in constant limbo...we're gong to raise prices on tickets and concessions so you can potentially more exciting hockey on a bigger ice surface!!!!"

Again....Not happening. Booya - Ding!

[Nhurdi 42]

It's such a fundamental change that I myself cannot see it occurring. It's not just the arenas of the NHL cities, it's the arenas of all North American Hockey rinks that would come into question. Yes it's true that CHL, AHL, WHL and even pewee hockey rinks wouldn't have to change but a new pressure would be put on them to change.

If we are considering outlandish ideas to create more space, why not simply drop the amount of skaters to 3 forwards and 1 D for a total of 4 per side. Heck 2 forwards and 2 D, I don't care..... and yes i'm kidding.

[Guest The Axe]

Okay, now we've gone from an economic model that doesn't work, to absurd random guessing at an attempt to win an economic debate. 10 more ads on the boards? Don't think there would be enough space to add 10 more ads, plus and a good portion of the current sponsors are involved in bigger bundled packages that include TV (Belle Tire, DMC), Vendor Participation (Miller Lite, Molson, FoxSports), or are non paying/net revenue sponsors (Little Caesars) so it's not just about throwing up an ad on the boards, there has to be companies willing to pay that money$...but let's focus on the bigger absurdities. 4 more ads/sponsors on the ice....there are only two sponsors (4 ads ) right now?? Where would you put these ads??? I don't get it.

Okay, moving on. Raise the ticket prices across the board $3 and raise the average concession prices by $1?? Not to throw reality into your thought process, but you can win ANY economic debate by raising revenue/income to whatever random level achieves your number$. Our economy is failing....just raise the GDP$ to whatever number$ that makes our economy look like it's not failing?? BTW...raising the ticket prices and concessions actually puts your product/attendance in some jeopardy...there is only so much consumer disposable income and amount they will pay. This actually may reduce your numbers because people can't afford to attend the games. There is a price of diminishing returns with any price bump.

But IF, IF, IF they were to attempt to do all of which you state....they would only breaking even with their old revenue model!! Why would owners do this? Put their attendance at risk to make the ice surface bigger?? They just proved to us throughout the lock out that the actual game of hockey is secondary to how much money they make as a business.

And then there is the parking revenue lost for those 1000 attendee's. Granted, not all would park at parking garages/spaces where Olympia Entrtnmt derives revenue, but some/good portion would.

And

then there is the actual cost to overhaul the building(s) to make these changes. Throwing out random numbers$ on this is silly cause I don't even know "ball park" figures, but I'm guessing it's not cheap at all. I would however bet it's a couple of million dollars at least. But I may be way off.

Then the kicker....you are just considering Detroit and Joe Louis Arena. HockeyTown. One of the premier hockey markets in the NHL. How in the world would the above go over in shaky hockey markets like...Columbus, FLA, Phoenix, Carolina, Long Island, Nashville, etc!!!!!???? "Hey Coyote fans!!!...Hang on to your hats cause we've got some great news....although you barely come out and see the games now and the status of IF we actually will exist as a hockey team tomorrow is in constant limbo...we're gong to raise prices on tickets and concessions so you can potentially more exciting hockey on a bigger ice surface!!!!"

Again....Not happening. Booya - Ding!

Initial costs would be HUGE. 2 mil is way under. Id say upwards of 10 to 20 mil. The complexities of the plumbing underneath the ice and the angles of the seating would only leave an option to raise the level of the ice surface. Big time process to do that. Not to mention all the revenue losses the arena would incur for concerts, etc. Its obvious that new arenas are the only ones that could get the bigger surface. I think its necessary for the game, tho.