7 replies to this topic

[Shtikl]

My spy got a letter from the L-Devils offering playoffs tickets for rounds 1 & 2. They're offering a pay-as-we-play option and a pay-in-advance package. Tickets at the door will be $19 for round 1 and $20 for round 2, and STHs get a $4 discount. They're going to lose a lot of money if they make the playoffs.

[Falstaff]

I did not get a letter but I will go to as many games as possible, assuming they make it of course. It's kind of sad that I might be bringing my 3 year old to his last Lowell Devils game on Sunday.

[Shtikl]

And Sunday's bobblehead will be... San Jose Sharks' Jay Leach! Pretty clear that they ordered the bobblies back in October. You can pretend it's Olivier Magnan, since he wears #2 for the Lowlies, but the name will be wrong.

Nothing you can do about the team leaving town, and it wasn't your fault. The Sun, the city council, UML, and the people who like hockey but stayed away from the Devils because of the logo made the decision for us all. You can still take your little one to UML games, if you want to see hockey at the Tsongas.

[bostondevil11]

And Sunday's bobblehead will be... San Jose Sharks' Jay Leach! Pretty clear that they ordered the bobblies back in October. You can pretend it's Olivier Magnan, since he wears #2 for the Lowlies, but the name will be wrong.

Nothing you can do about the team leaving town, and it wasn't your fault. The Sun, the city council, UML, and the people who like hockey but stayed away from the Devils because of the logo made the decision for us all. You can still take your little one to UML games, if you want to see hockey at the Tsongas.

So has the offcial word been anounced yet? I guess APril 11th will be my last Lowell Devils game unless I can make a playoff game.

[Shtikl]

So has the offcial word been anounced yet? I guess APril 11th will be my last Lowell Devils game unless I can make a playoff game.

I haven't seen an official announcement yet. I'll probably be amongst the last to notice, though, so watch for it. I think it will be posted here soon after the ink dries. Interesting to see who gets the word out soonest. Somebody should run a pool.

[Martyisth3b3st]

Why are they going to lose money if they play in the playoffs?

[Shtikl]

Why are they going to lose money if they play in the playoffs?

Attendance will be around 300-500 at home, based on the number of fans in the seats on Wednesday nights (when there are no group sales), and they likely won't have the same sweetheart deal with the arena that's kept them from going out of business in the 4 regular seasons. Plus they'll have operating costs and travel expenses. I don't know if the playoff pool will cover salaries and bonuses; if not, that will add to the burden.

[Devils1985]

Playoffs are always money losers in the minors unless you go deep*. These leagues are family driven and it's spring time - families have kids and kids play outdoor sports. Plus during the playoffs you don't have the advantage of waiting for the weekends, most games are during weekdays which are death.

*and that greatly depends on who you play and where they're at. When Trenton won the Cup in 2005 they played Alaska in the conference final and Florida in the final and took such a bath ownership throttled back spending the next year and it set the stage for them to sell the team.