The Vancouver Canucks: A conditional love from supporters
By Ben Steiner
The Vancouver Canucks have struggled to get fans into the arena as the team has lost. This year, things are looking up.
Is Vancouver really a hockey town? On the surface, one would think so. However, with the way things have gone in the past four dismal years for the Vancouver Canucks, it seems that many in the city only support a winner.
Yes, that comment will stir up some unrest among Vancouverites, however, it is not an untrue one. Allow me to explain.
When the Canucks were in their winning heydays of the late 2000s and early 2010s, tickets flew off the shelves, and the team had one of the longest sellout records in all of the North American sports. Since the play has taken a downward turn, so has the ticket demand.
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While the decrease in demand could be expected, it does not happen in other traditional hockey markets.
For example, the Toronto Maple Leafs consistently sold-out games through their many years of forgettable hockey as did the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers. Vancouver though? Well, this city turned out less than 16,000 in a 2017 home game against the Winnipeg Jets.
In 2011, demand for tickets was through the roof, and prices were sky-high.
The organization caps their season ticket memberships at 17,000, and back then they had a waiting list of over 6,000, according to Business in Vancouver. The team attendance dropped from eighth in the NHL to the middle of the pack. The decrease in season ticket demand is one example of how Vancouver is a town that often only supports winners, and not always a hotbed for hockey.
As the demand for tickets dropped, so did the prices on secondary selling websites. Some games were listed as low as $20 for upper bowl seats, and pre-season could drop to below that. Certainly not a good look for the organization.
The decline in attendance has not gone unnoticed by the organization. They have re-done their offerings off the ice, with hopes to draw fans despite the on-ice performances. A new sports bar was opened at the arena, allowing fans to endorse themselves in a full restaurant meal prior to taking in the game. The restaurant also features a bar and booths where fans can watch the game from their tables. Along with the sit-down restaurant, the team also revamped their catering options throughout the arena’s concessions.
The improvement of off-ice offerings may have softened the financial blow the team took from losing, but it did not do much in terms of pleasing fans or selling out hockey games.
As the team started losing, the Canucks saw their attendance decline. This is not only happening with the Canucks, as Major League Soccer’s Whitecaps and the Canadian Football League’s B.C. Lions have both had similar struggles.
Despite the doom and gloom, the Canucks are starting to come out of their dark bubble. Young stars are taking control of the team, and with the 50th anniversary festivities on the way, Vancouver may have finally found a way to bring the fans back.
Although it is nice to see the fans coming back, one thing has become clear: Vancouver is not as crazy of a hockey city as others.
Many Vancouverites support winners, and that is forcing the Canucks to become a winning club again. It’s a realization no one had before this, but since that has become clear — expect the Canucks to do everything they can to win. Because winning will fill up seats, and that’s what matters.