37 replies to this topic

[SteveMacD]

kwey24, on 06 April 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

(don't think we can rely on Dayton existing in the ECHL much longer).

I seriously doubt Dayton will be back in the CHL. I'm betting that Dayton's AA hockey days are over for at least five years. The economy here needs to improve and we need a proper arena for hockey for anything to happen. I'm not sure how optimistic I am about that, but there have been rumors about a new arena, a casino-race track, and light industry coming to the area, so I guess anything's possible. Given the proximity of teams nearby, I could see Dayton even rejoining the ECHL someday, but not until we have a better economy, solid ownership, and a new barn. I think it's safe to say that will be a while.

[gradavee]

Two One and Dones at the Sears Centre...We have to remember that Craig Did save the Hounds mid season In The UHL..Also Ringmaster missed the playoffs for the 1st time ever this year.All said The Hounds fans that did come back and The New Express fans that I met Really liked this team..Is what It Is! I said to Mr.Ricchchet today that it will be 5-7 years minimum if ever that there will be a minor league team that we want like this ever! Wolves have horrible sight lines and Rockford Although a Big Boy Team there are fans like me that want that This is our team type deal..Im very sad I lost the Express...I do Have to say with the exception of one or two that knew what the heck they were doing mabey this could have worked for year two

[goalie41]

gradavee, on 09 April 2012 - 05:27 PM, said:

Two One and Dones at the Sears Centre...We have to remember that Craig Did save the Hounds mid season In The UHL..Also Ringmaster missed the playoffs for the 1st time ever this year.All said The Hounds fans that did come back and The New Express fans that I met Really liked this team..Is what It Is! I said to Mr.Ricchchet today that it will be 5-7 years minimum if ever that there will be a minor league team that we want like this ever! Wolves have horrible sight lines and Rockford Although a Big Boy Team there are fans like me that want that This is our team type deal..Im very sad I lost the Express...I do Have to say with the exception of one or two that knew what the heck they were doing mabey this could have worked for year two

No arguments from me. The Allstate Arena is the absolute worst place for professional hockey. I hate that place. Hated it since the day it opened. Just imagine if they had the old, squared seating configuration in that place still. It was even worse then! I just cannot come to terms how that place was ever approved to be built the way it was. Just think, that was supposed to be built for hockey and the old Chicago Cougars of the WHA. Old Chicago Stadium was built in the late 20's and was an engineering marvel compared to that 1979 built military hanger type arena. I love the Wolves, but hate the arena. Hell, move them to the Sears Centre.

Also have to agree that it is going to be a long time before we see hockey again at the S.C. However, Global Spectrum does have some pull and may be able to bring in some transplanted franchise from somewhere else.

As much as everyone here says it won't work, I beg to differ until someone can have 2-3 full seasons to prove otherwise . If there were deeper pockets involved with the Express, I think we could have had a better answer by the end of year 2 or 3. The Hounds drew flies, the Express had several 4K in attendance Friday nights. These were real #'s too. There actually was a bit of a fever to build off of towards the end of the season. There are a million people within a 10 mile radius of the Sears Centre, I still believe Chicago can withstand NHL, AHL, ECHL, & USHL level hockey. After 6 years, there were still people who came to the Express games that said it was their first time at the S.C. Arena.

[minor life]

The location is over saturated. Losses of 1.5 Million or so per year over three years would reqire profits of 500K for nearly a decade. The Express lost close to 1.5 Million by all accounts we have heard over roughly 18 months. They did everything right, and it still doesnt come close to working. IMO the only way SC see's any hockey again is when the arena is sold and new management takes over willing to take some losses to fill the dates.

[Mr Ricochet]

minor life, on 09 April 2012 - 06:23 PM, said:

The Express lost close to 1.5 Million by all accounts we have heard over roughly 18 months. They did everything right, and it still doesnt come close to working.

This is the concerning thing to me. From the get go Craig was on the mark getting the Ringmaster a year early and Welsh as a GM. Add that he advertised all over and as you point out ML, still came up way short.

But I can't totally disagree with 41 either. Good God the population in that area it seems rivals Japan's density. As much as I'm an advocate of hockey on the Southside I do wonder as 41 does, if someone had the dough to go all in I'm not so sure it couldn't work at the AA level.

[gradavee]

Last post before I go 2 bed..$7.75 for a beer non friday night..The 2nd ever dollar beer night they had lines 60 plus deep.Team and or Levy had no clue!. Express gave everyone free ticks after that fiasco..That turned the goofs that just wanted to drink away.Last game I had goofs in front of me but drunk or not they told me they liked the game beer and would be back,Because they could get there beer.. I cant really say how everyone else was treated but my wife ordered a full package jersey for me in Aug paid in full..I was gonna go to The game 1st game ever in Toledo..Just had real bad issues with anything with this team..Any question was directed to someone else who said...UUUMMM..Then we got someone who did respond but never did anything about the issues we had...Kids jerseys...Cold night everyone was made to wait out side...Then no jerseys for the kids!! Turned a lot of folks off!! Me I just wanted to watch hockey..The team made that damn great run..Lutz If Ya watch him for a year ya will know what a great captain he is...35 years old and still the plus minus leader and great man

[minor life]

The probloem now is, no one with any sense is going to look at SC for a very long time. Even if it could work, I dont see anyone trying this again any time soon, if at all.

[bam320]

I said at the season opener that parking and food/drinks were way out of line. For a large portion of fans this has to be figured into what the evening out will cost. For a upper level team, such as NHL, people probably expect to pay more. But for this? No way! Management/owners of the Sears Centre are very proud of what they have there and seem as if they don't want to share it. Ok. I get it. I'll let you play in your own building by yourself. In the end that's what you'll do. Play in that big building all by yourself and let you just wonder why nobody else wants to come over & play too!

[goalie41]

bam320, on 10 April 2012 - 06:08 AM, said:

I said at the season opener that parking and food/drinks were way out of line. For a large portion of fans this has to be figured into what the evening out will cost. For a upper level team, such as NHL, people probably expect to pay more. But for this? No way! Management/owners of the Sears Centre are very proud of what they have there and seem as if they don't want to share it. Ok. I get it. I'll let you play in your own building by yourself. In the end that's what you'll do. Play in that big building all by yourself and let you just wonder why nobody else wants to come over & play too!

Can't agree more!

The parking fee of $10 was WAY out of line. Opening night, that was a huge point of discussion. Everyone was saying how that was too much. Next was the price
of concessions. Way out of line! $6.50 for a small slice of FROZEN pizza. $8.00 for a bucket of popcorn with free refills, $6.50 for a 32 oz soda with free refills. $7.50 for a 16 oz beer. $4.00 for 99 cent candy. $4.50 for a 20 oz bottle of Aquafina water! Shit, hotels charge $3 - $4 for the 1 liter size you find in the room! It was just nuts. Furthermore, everytime you went for popcorn refills, you got some cold, leftover crap.Never once did I get "hot" popcorn in that place.

In comparison, and I paid attention this, I checked out some prices at 2 different local movie chains last week. $6.50 for that same bucket of refillable popcorn. $5.25 for a 44/52 oz refillable soda. Movie theaters are supposed to have the reputation as the highest concession prices, well the S.C. broke all of those reputations.

First off, here is a solution to the parking fees. Tag $2.00 per ticket as a parking fee. Most major concert venues do this. Now all you need is a few lot attendants to direct traffic. I would guarantee that the revenue collected would be MORE than the $10 per car collected by the end of the season, and employee costs will be lower. You should have seen all the "car pools" that happened in Cabella's, Marriott's, and the shopping center parking lots.

Secondly, FIRE LEVY!!! It is absolutely stupid to have a big, professional concessions company in that arena. They do not have that many concessions in that place, nor events. Hire a single, professional food service manager and let him run with it. Adjust prices and give people "some value" for the products. The free refills were a great idea, but still too much. If you have to charge $6.00 for pizza, at least serve a big , NY style slice. It's OK too charge a little more, but give some value for it. Everything there was a rip-off! $7 for a beer? Fine, but serve a 20-22 oz cup. Perception is reality, if you charge more something, and actually give/serve something more for the price, then people will be OK with it.

As far as I am concerned, they can shut the doors and lock em up for good at that place.

[Mr Ricochet]

minor life, on 10 April 2012 - 05:49 AM, said:

The probloem now is, no one with any sense is going to look at SC for a very long time. Even if it could work, I dont see anyone trying this again any time soon, if at all.

Which is one of the top tragedies of this whole ordeal I mentioned in my first post in this thread....... Someone has to be totally loaded to try hockey at Sears again, or already affiliated with the Blackhawks.

As has been so eloquently mentioned by quite a few, Sears Centre totally gouged the customers, to the point that I'm guessing some stayed away just on principle even if they loved the hockey.......... The old adage applies to Sears, do you want 100% of nothing or 25% of something? Seems as though they're opting for the former, once again.

[hockeypalooza]

I agree that I think Chicago could support AA hockey, but it does sound like they were charging way too much.

They need to bring their prices more in line with a team like the Kane County Cougars. Yes, I get that AA hockey and single-A baseball are apples and oranges, but still. Parking at Kane County is $5. Tickets range from $8 to $14. I bet concessions are also cheaper by about the same amount...and then of course the Cougars have promotions where tickets and concessions are even less than normal from time to time.

Edited by hockeypalooza, 12 April 2012 - 06:37 AM.

[Mr Ricochet]

hockeypalooza, on 12 April 2012 - 06:37 AM, said:

I agree that I think Chicago could support AA hockey, but it does sound like they were charging way too much.

They need to bring their prices more in line with a team like the Kane County Cougars. Yes, I get that AA hockey and single-A baseball are apples and oranges, but still. Parking at Kane County is $5. Tickets range from $8 to $14. I bet concessions are also cheaper by about the same amount...and then of course the Cougars have promotions where tickets and concessions are even less than normal from time to time.

Unless they've changed from last year, and has always been the case at KC, parking is free. You can purchase up close parking for a fee, but general parking was free last year.

[josh]

artie fufkin, on 06 April 2012 - 08:34 AM, said:

So ... where does Martinson end up? Bloomington Blaze? Potential new pro team in St. Charles?

Bloomington could not afford to pay their coach and have to be taking just as huge of a loss as Chicago. How a lottery winner like Drecktrah (and great guy) can back away from a bad business decision and have Bloomington stay in business for another year of huge losses is a head scratcher. I can see Bloomy folding in summer when pre sales on tickets and sponsorship are poor.

[Lucher]

Miracle on Vanrick, on 06 April 2012 - 08:45 AM, said:

artie fufkin, on 06 April 2012 - 08:34 AM, said:

So ... where does Martinson end up? Bloomington Blaze? Potential new pro team in St. Charles?

In all seriousness if the Fort Wayne Komets wanted to make a splash in the ECHL next fall they would dump Sims and bring in Martinson. Instant credibility to a new league and has all the connections to make a first year successful. We saw how Franke and Sims went into the CHL a few years back.

The Express were the first true rival for the K-Wings in our ECHL tenure and made this year a blast. When I went over for the season opener against Kzoo and paid $10 to park you knew the writing was on the wall immediately. It is too bad an owner like Craig couldn't find success there.

Madore to Kzoo please!!

The Frankes are pretty loyal people and with the success that Sims has had over the past 5 years I don't see him losing his job just becasue the Komets are jumping leagues. They might not have gotten the bes start in the CHL but they did make the playoffs in the first year and as Hit said, took Rapid city to game 5 them won the whole thing in year 2. That's good experience there. IMO, unless the K's have two to three dreadful opening years, Sims will be the coach until he wants to stop being the coach.

[Mr Ricochet]

Lucher, on 06 June 2012 - 04:26 AM, said:

The Frankes are pretty loyal people and with the success that Sims has had over the past 5 years I don't see him losing his job just becasue the Komets are jumping leagues.. IMO, unless the K's have two to three dreadful opening years, Sims will be the coach until he wants to stop being the coach.

I think you're right, Luch. Sims deserves the chance to coach the Komets in the ECHL. The level of the CHL and ECHL are damn close, and Sims has won in the CHL.

[Gibbie42]

At the press conference where they announced that they were joining the ECHL, the Komets also announced that Sims had renewed his contract. I don't remember the length of it.

[RemembertheBombers]

1-Martinson went to Allen

2-AA hockey in Dayton ain't gonna happen for a while, if at all. There's already 2 strikes. Nutt House is too big and Hara is too ___________ .

3-You're probably looking at FHL or bust

[RemembertheBombers]

SteveMacD, on 08 April 2012 - 07:24 PM, said:

kwey24, on 06 April 2012 - 08:14 AM, said:

(don't think we can rely on Dayton existing in the ECHL much longer).

I seriously doubt Dayton will be back in the CHL. I'm betting that Dayton's AA hockey days are over for at least five years. The economy here needs to improve and we need a proper arena for hockey for anything to happen. I'm not sure how optimistic I am about that, but there have been rumors about a new arena, a casino-race track, and light industry coming to the area, so I guess anything's possible. Given the proximity of teams nearby, I could see Dayton even rejoining the ECHL someday, but not until we have a better economy, solid ownership, and a new barn. I think it's safe to say that will be a while.

If ever