“Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” may have been the theme of the Vancouver Canucks’ Summer Summit on July 23.
With apologies to Mary Poppins, the dinner and subsequent question-and-answer session for season ticketholders included a cameo appearance by Pavel Bure, the “Russian Rocket” whose number 10 will be retired during the 2013-14 season.
That was the sugar. Now for the medicine.
Canucks’ fans were informed that the March 2 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic against the Ottawa Senators across the street at BC Place stadium would not be included in their subscriptions.
“It doesn’t mean that they are so independent that you don’t have access,” explained Canucks Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Vic de Bonis.
Translation: you’ll have first right of refusal to pay extra. In 2011 at Calgary, Flames fans paid $49 to $249 per ticket at McMahon Stadium.
“The affordability of the event depends on where you want to sit,” de Bonis told the 2,000 fans.
“It’s a league event, first and foremost, so this isn’t about making money at all for the Vancouver Canucks. The opportunity here is to bring...”
De Bonis was interrupted by widespread laughter.
“Hey, run that by them again, Vic,” interjected emcee Barry Macdonald of Team 1040. “It started with a little chortle in row 18, then it kinda gathered momentum.”
Excuse the fans for their cynicism. Especially those who have waited patiently since 1970, through three lockouts and three Stanley Cup finals losses, for a Stanley Cup banner. They’ll have to pay extra to watch the Canucks wear Vancouver Millionaires jerseys to commemorate the 99th anniversary of the city’s one and only championship.
At one of the other 40 regular season home games, Bure’s number and the 1994 Stanley Cup appearance will be marked.
The BC Place event will be the last of the NHL’s six 2014 stadium games and the only one in a controlled climate. There is no guarantee the retractable roof will be open, so expect the centre-hung, shoebox-style video board to be the star of the show.
While ticket pricing and sales details remain under wraps, other questions persist. Will other local teams, like the Vancouver Giants, get a chance to play on the temporary rink? The G-men are scheduled to host the Kelowna Rockets on March 1 at the Pacific Coliseum.
The other notable, non-Bure applause was after four-season ticketholder Keith Roy asked why full price is charged “for a bunch of unwanted pre-season games.” De Bonis wasn’t prepared for the question.
“If we could turn back the clock and think about how we priced our games back when this franchise first started in 1970, we, um,” de Bonis said. “What’s the best way to answer this?”
De Bonis recovered by reminding Canucks’ fans that there is no variable pricing: no premium prices for top-shelf teams like the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs or Pittsburgh Penguins, nor are there discounts for the lesser lights.
“The pre-season is always going to be part of a season ticket package and we just have to work hard to deliver the value and look at your package overall based on what you’re getting,” de Bonis said.
For those in section 110, a two-seat, 45-game package for 2013-14 costs $10,820.70. The last two seasons have featured four home exhibition games each.
Here’s a modest proposal. If subscribers are so tired of paying full price for games that don’t count in the standings, why don’t they group together and petition ownership to cut prices?
Would the Aquilini family really cancel subscriptions if, say, 1,000 accountholders threatened to withhold payment for exhibition games while bucking up for the regular season?
Money talks in the NHL.
Meanwhile, 2014 marks another milestone for the Canucks. The West Tower residential/office/retail complex will connect with Rogers Arena. Two more towers are on the way. It will be the Aquilini family’s answer to Bentall Centre.
