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US Junior Team Part II

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Re: US Junior Team Part II

BoomGoestheDynamite said:
I don't think the number of Europeans is really an issue, because they won't make up a huge portion of the fan base. Not many people care enough to make a 900 dollar, 8 hour flight across the Ocean for this tournament. That and only the Russians really have a large number of recent immigrants/ethnic fans in this country. Czech-,Swedish-, Finnish-, and Slovak-Americans are either so assimilated they won't really get up for watching the motherland or and/or are so dispersed, holding it in one location won't draw in meaningful numbers.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, and I hope to see more American interest next year, but I just don't think a one off title and a bit of coverage on sports center means this tournament is ready hit Chicago, New York, or Boston.

Its worth repeating, what would the crowds be like at Slovakia-Finland in St. Paul? These tickets aren't going to be 10 bucks a pop.
Click to expand...

That is the problem to me...games between Canada, USA, Russia and Sweden will be well attended because they will be high quality games with high caliber future stars...but 2011 will have the following teams:

USA, Canada, Finland, Slovakia, Germany
Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Norway

If those are the groups, who attends the following games:
Finland vs Germany
Finland vs Slovakia
Slovakia vs Germany
Switzerland vs Czech Republic
Switzerland vs Norway
Czech Republic vs Norway

the 2010 tournament got an average of over 5000 fans to go watch games in Regina that didn't involve Canada or USA
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

USA and Canada will not be in the same group. Canada will be in the same group with Sweden and Finland however (I believe).
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

GreatLakerMohawk said:
USA and Canada will not be in the same group. Canada will be in the same group with Sweden and Finland however (I believe).
Click to expand...

Canada will be with Sweden, Russia, and the Czechs.

Group A
1:USA
4:Swiss
5:Finland
8:Slovakia
+ qualifier

Group B
2:Canada
3:Sweden
6:Russia
7:Czech
+ qualifier
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

scsutommyboy said:
I agree the non USA and Canada games would struggle. However, I guarantee St. Paul can sell out the X with all Minnesota residents for all USA games especially a USA/Canada game. I would also guess Plenty of the same manatoba residents that went to grand Forks would drive the extra three hours to fill up any Canadian games. Now is that enough to make money? I don't know.
Click to expand...
Except Grand Forks is 4.5 hours from the TC, not 3...:p
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

brianvf said:
Canada will be with Sweden, Russia, and the Czechs.

Group A
1:USA
4:Swiss
5:Finland
8:Slovakia
+ qualifier

Group B
2:Canada
3:Sweden
6:Russia
7:Czech
+ qualifier
Click to expand...
Canadians, Russians, Swedes and Czechs in the same group? Awesome. :D
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

MaizeRage said:
Those games don't draw well for anyone anywhere regardless of where you hold it. That's why the tournament usually utilizes a secondary rink for games with small crowds. When the tourney was in Grand Forks, they used the Baby Ralph in Thief River Falls. Tickets for those games are usually featured in a package and are a little cheaper.

A Twin Cities bid would likely be Mariucci and Ridder Arenas or something like the XCel Center and Aldrich Arena. Mariucci and Ridder make the most sense size-wise, though I could see the Olympic sheet on Mariucci being a mark against it.
Click to expand...

The thing is in Canada (and border cities) theres enough interest that the "throwaway" games still draw decent numbers. I remember looking at attendance early in the tournament this year and even the weaker games were drawing respectable numbers. I just thinks its quite possible you'd truly struggle to get even a decent draw in a non-border US city for half the opening round games.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

brianvf said:
Canada will be with Sweden, Russia, and the Czechs.

Group A
1:USA
4:Swiss
5:Finland
8:Slovakia
+ qualifier

Group B
2:Canada
3:Sweden
6:Russia
7:Czech
+ qualifier
Click to expand...

And the Qualifiers are Germany and Norway (I did get that right) ;)
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

bigblue_dl said:
Canadians, Russians, Swedes and Czechs in the same group? Awesome. :D
Click to expand...

As if this year's group wasn't tough enough. Russia, Sweden and the Czech Republic have to be thrilled. They get rid of Finland for Canada.:p
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Puck Swami said:
Perhaps you didn't fully understand my post. The Grand Forks experiment was successful because of the proximity of Winnipeg-based Canadian fans being so close to Grand Forks. Without Canadian fans, Grand Forks would have been half full and a financial disaster. USA Hockey MUST have easy driving access for Canadian fans if they want to host this thing with any degree of success. That's why the tournament is going to be in Buffalo next year, and not Albany or Boston or Minneapolis. There simply aren't that many Americans who are interested in this tourney.

Minnesota has never shown much appetite for junior hockey. High School Hockey? Yes. College Hockey? Yes. Junior Hockey? Not so much. I'd don't think you'd sell out the X for this tourney. 10,000? Maybe.
Click to expand...

Maybe, although you may be overstating it a bit.

You look at the turnout for the non-Canada/US games in Regina, which is in Canada and has a population of 3 or 4 times that of Grand Forks, compared with the non-Canada/US games in Grand Forks, which is only close to Canada, for the most part Grand Forks drew 1-2000 more people per game.

I think it's almost all population based, certainly with a heavy accent on Canadian attendance. Thief River Falls, which is closer to Canada than Grand Forks, drew nothing for it's games.

I think St. Paul would be successful. Canadians would clearly make the trip, and with a huge hockey base in Minnesota they would more than likely draw the 5-6000/game that attended the non-Canada/US games this year.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

bigblue_dl said:
Canadians, Russians, Swedes and Czechs in the same group? Awesome. :D
Click to expand...

Yeah, especially if Russia and Czechs are better next year after their poor showing this year. Sagard said it on ss.com, but that is the Group of Death.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

Puck Swami said:
The Candians will stream down from Toronto in numbers and buy up scalped seats from cash strapped Buffalonians who got the tickets for face value.
Click to expand...
Ummmm.....when do tickets go on sale, and is there a limit to how many my dog can buy?
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

BoomGoestheDynamite said:
The thing is in Canada (and border cities) theres enough interest that the "throwaway" games still draw decent numbers. I remember looking at attendance early in the tournament this year and even the weaker games were drawing respectable numbers. I just thinks its quite possible you'd truly struggle to get even a decent draw in a non-border US city for half the opening round games.
Click to expand...

I'm not 100% sure, but I'd be willing to bet that those numbers were the result of ticket packages where you had to buy some crap games to get tickets into the big games and not because those people were especially pumped to see Tomas Tatar or whomever.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

MaizeRage said:
I'm not 100% sure, but I'd be willing to bet that those numbers were the result of ticket packages where you had to buy some crap games to get tickets into the big games and not because those people were especially pumped to see Tomas Tatar or whomever.
Click to expand...
Lets be honest, with buffalo proximity to canada, the USA gold this year and the USA and Canada being in seperate groups, attendance will probably increase from the 2010 tournament...
EDIT: Nevermind...the B arena is Niagara's and it only seats 2,100 so that will make it tough
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

MaizeRage said:
I'm not 100% sure, but I'd be willing to bet that those numbers were the result of ticket packages where you had to buy some crap games to get tickets into the big games and not because those people were especially pumped to see Tomas Tatar or whomever.
Click to expand...

I don't know the exact situation, but it seems like numbers for those games were much lower in Europe, so if they're bundled together it must be something relatively new.
 
Re: US Junior Team Part II

HarleyMC said:
Kinda like your prediction of a fifth place finish for Team USA.:p Anywhere in America? Please don't pontificate when you don't know what you're talking about and yet act like it. Even Saskatoon had attendance issues and was only operating at 89% capacity for the tournament. Once again, location, venue, proven market strategies, price and accessibility to ticket sales are key issues for success. The 2005 WJC in GF was well attended and successful. As one example, it would also work at the X in St. Paul, especially now with Team USAs success.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

89% for the entire run is pretty **** good. (9 out of every 10 seats sold!) it's one thing to go see the young maple leafs play their handful of games... but something else to go see thailand vs nigeria (and yes i'm exaggerating - but you get the point i hope).
 
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