Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Hope all goes well under Bertagna's leadership.

Huh

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

That has to be one of the most delusional things I’ve ever read.

What is delusional? The reporting? Or the schools wanting a national TV contract or something similar to the NCHC (Oh I don't know, maybe a freakin' NESN package like there was forever)?

[buoldtimer]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

One man's opinion - I think the caliber of play in HE is as good as it's ever been, probably better. Attendance issues? Aging out of sizable segment of core audience, fewer marquee players stay for 3-4 years, fewer marquee players are local. These will be tough problems for any commissioner to solve. But as Nick said below, HE needs to aim high.

[Drew S.]

What is delusional? The reporting? Or the schools wanting a national TV contract or something similar to the NCHC (Oh I don't know, maybe a freakin' NESN package like there was forever)?

I wish my employer would double my pay, but they’re not going to do it just because I want them to. It’s like the administrators are living in some alternate reality right now. The things they should be focused on are lowering ticket prices, providing a better game day experience, and having a better schedule. Instead they’re chasing some fantasy tv deal and believing the right marketing pitch will fill the rinks.

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

We shall see what happens then with this new commissioner. I'm certainly not saying it's a guarantee they will be able to do the things the schools want but at the same time I won't pretend like losing Joe Bertgana is a big deal. It isn't. It doesn't hurt to try and aim high. If they fail in that regard the league itself is very stable. There is nothing Bertagna did that can't be replaced.

[Yuppie Scum]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I wish my employer would double my pay, but they’re not going to do it just because I want them to. It’s like the administrators are living in some alternate reality right now. The things they should be focused on are lowering ticket prices, providing a better game day experience, and having a better schedule. Instead they’re chasing some fantasy tv deal and believing the right marketing pitch will fill the rinks.

Merrimack season ticket prices went down. [emoji2369]

[The Zlax45]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I wish my employer would double my pay, but they’re not going to do it just because I want them to. It’s like the administrators are living in some alternate reality right now. The things they should be focused on are lowering ticket prices, providing a better game day experience, and having a better schedule. Instead they’re chasing some fantasy tv deal and believing the right marketing pitch will fill the rinks.

My PC season tickets have gone from 99 dollars for a Family of Four package to 250 (which includes a 75 dollar donation to the program) per ticket price. That is a substantial increase in six years.

[Dan]

I wish my employer would double my pay, but they’re not going to do it just because I want them to. It’s like the administrators are living in some alternate reality right now. The things they should be focused on are lowering ticket prices, providing a better game day experience, and having a better schedule. Instead they’re chasing some fantasy tv deal and believing the right marketing pitch will fill the rinks.

In what world does striving for the latter prevent them from addressing the former...?

If the schools (and those are mainly school centric issues) don’t wish to address the former than I see no problem searching for a commissioner who can bring other assets to the table. If the schools and the league wish to address your concerns, I also see no problem with them trying to find someone who can accomplish both goals - in lieu of a commissioner who accomplished neither...

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

We shall see what happens then with this new commissioner. I'm certainly not saying it's a guarantee they will be able to do the things the schools want but at the same time I won't pretend like losing Joe Bertgana is a big deal. It isn't. It doesn't hurt to try and aim high. If they fail in that regard the league itself is very stable. There is nothing Bertagna did that can't be replaced.

Amen.

[Nick Papagiorgio]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

Back from vacation in Maine and getting caught up. So.... we're looking for more marketing and revenue? Is that what I'm reading from Ed T?

Would folks attribute marketing to equal better attendance at Hockey East rinks and/or the tournament at the Garden? Maybe something else? Attendance is dropping everywhere across all sports in part due to this television/streaming/internet thing (small tie in to revenue here). It's fairly well documented. So raising attendance is going to be a program to program thing as they have their upcycles. We're talking about a niche of a niche sport with a lot of small, private schools with little to no brand. And one of the prime marketing machines for the league are the players themselves - the Eichel's and Gaudreau's of the world that seem to be staying for shorter and shorter stints in the league - another thing trending in the wrong direction. I get the whole tv deal thing, yea you need NESN but the Bruins are on the upswing as well and this entire league is based in New England fighting against all these pro sports. As the Sox wind down, Bruins ramp up on NESN. There is room there even if Pats dominate coverage elsewhere from Sept to Jan but at what cost to the schools and what is NESN willing to provide? Is viewership worth it to NESN to produce these games (or the schools to take on the cost) rather than show a rerun of Charlie Moore fishing with Dwight Evans or Tim Wakefield? Is viewership on the television what we need to increase to get a better tv deal to better the marketing? Would locals find it more appealing if they could watch a Hockey East game and see not only the best players in the country or world but also have a tremendous local flavor? Does a team full of 25-year olds from Saskatchewan pull in the local viewer in Reading, MA?

I'm not saying I dislike this move. I just think it's misguided to be looking for some pot of gold and buck the national trend if that is the motive for making a change. I just like making the change for the sake of changing up the Good Ole Boy network personally.

If our ADs have an eye on the NCHC, can we get a good direct comparison to the two situations?

[Split-N]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

...If our ADs have an eye on the NCHC, can we get a good direct comparison to the two situations?

Comparing the NCHC to HEA is like comparing apples to pomegranates. Both are red on the outside but that's about as far as it goes. For one thing, the NCHC programs (with the exception of Denver) are usually the only sports show in their respective towns whereas HEA teams (with the possible exceptions of Maine and Vermont) are overshadowed by a multitude of pro sports teams in an overwhelmingly pro sports-oriented area. Also, a goodly portion of the butts in the NCHC seats are townies having no formal connections to the home teams' college/university. (Not much to do in Grand Forks on a weekend night other than go to the Ralph.)

And it is a fact that the younger demographic consumes entertainment, including sports, in an entirely different way than us older fuds do. DVR and streaming is now how it's done so putting butts in the seats will be a tall order except maybe for "experiences" like the Beanpot and HEA semis and finals. All of that being said, I do believe that a clever marketing campaign targeted at that part of the general public that finds itself priced out of pro sports events (especially the B's and C's) might work. Getting to see the "stars of tomorrow" at reasonable cost just might have some appeal.

But if the mandate for the new commish is to make HEA more like the NCHC, the new guy/gal will need lots of luck.

[Chuck Murray]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I'm not saying I dislike this move. I just think it's misguided to be looking for some pot of gold and buck the national trend if that is the motive for making a change. I just like making the change for the sake of changing up the Good Ole Boy network personally.

Well, the article initiating this discussion proposed a list of about 10 folks from the GOB network as the successor, so I wouldn't hold my breath on dramatic changes.

The phrase "re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic" does come to mind, though ...

[NCAA watcher]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

I just like making the change for the sake of changing up the Good Ole Boy network personally.

Don't know the details, but I'm hearing there is a Hockey East/NESN deal in the works for the upcoming regular season

— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) September 1, 2019

[J.D.]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

****, wouldn't want that to interfere with Red Sox spring training games and Charlie Moore reruns!

You can tell me how all games are available via streaming, it's just not the same as being able to sit on the couch and watch it on tv (ya ya I know you can stream something from your computer to the tv)

[Darius]

Re: Hockey East: 2019/20 season is Joe Bertagna's last as commish

****, wouldn't want that to interfere with Red Sox spring training games and Charlie Moore reruns!

You can tell me how all games are available via streaming, it's just not the same as being able to sit on the couch and watch it on tv (ya ya I know you can stream something from your computer to the tv)

There is no question that streaming PC > TV is lesser quality than cable box > TV.