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BSR: Baltimore Hockey Classic Back in September


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#1 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 21 April 2012 - 03:47 PM

Baltimore Sports Report: http://baltimorespor...mber-27302.html

#2 Nuclear Dish

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 03:31 AM

Kind of hard to get excited or even to call it a "Classic" if it's a pre-season game, isn't it?

I mean, it's not exactly the Saints-Dolphins game from 1992, when we were trying to prove to the league owners that we deserved an expansion team, is it?

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#3 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 10:55 AM

Kind of hard to get excited or even to call it a "Classic" if it's a pre-season game, isn't it?

I mean, it's not exactly the Saints-Dolphins game from 1992, when we were trying to prove to the league owners that we deserved an expansion team, is it?


No, it is the exact opposite actually. It is Ted Leonsis making an intelligent / strategic decision to engage the Baltimore audience (and to be able to rightfully claim later that Baltimore belongs to the Caps).

The NHL or NBA coming to Baltimore in the near-term (5-10 yrs) via expansion or franchise move is already unlikely, but this 'Classic' makes it even less likely to occur.

#4 NewMarketSean

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 11:03 AM

IMO, you have to build the new arena with the intention of landing another pro team. Otherwise it will be dark too often or hosting minor league sports or other events that won't draw. I mean if we aren't getting another pro team we might as well just keep the arena we have now. It makes tons of money and handles the circus, Blast games and concerts well enough.

As for the Caps I will root for them for the time being but they shouldn't stand in the way of getting an NHL team down the road. Leonsis can do all he can to engage Baltimore, but it shouldn't stop the NHL from coming to Baltimore if it can happen. Same with the NBA.
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#5 Oriole85

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 12:16 PM

No, it is the exact opposite actually. It is Ted Leonsis making an intelligent / strategic decision to engage the Baltimore audience (and to be able to rightfully claim later that Baltimore belongs to the Caps).

The NHL or NBA coming to Baltimore in the near-term (5-10 yrs) via expansion or franchise move is already unlikely, but this 'Classic' makes it even less likely to occur.

I think it's a balancing act. Leonsis wants this event obviously to be successful. But I guess you could say, not too successful. If Baltimore proved it could be a viable hockey market, thats taking away a good chunk of his base (not quite like O's losing DC). Apparently the NHL has 75 mile rule in place preventing relocation to an existing NHL market so it may be somewhat of a moot point anyways.
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#6 Oriole85

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Posted 22 April 2012 - 12:18 PM

Kind of hard to get excited or even to call it a "Classic" if it's a pre-season game, isn't it?

I mean, it's not exactly the Saints-Dolphins game from 1992, when we were trying to prove to the league owners that we deserved an expansion team, is it?

My guess is this being the 2nd year, it's not going to have the same buzz as last year, as you pointed out it's an exhibition game. If a regular season game came, and that's unlikely without a new arena, then I would say differently.
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#7 NewMarketSean

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 09:20 AM

If we get a new arena I think Baltimore will certainly get some regular season Caps games, especially if Leonsis wants to keep an NHL team out of Baltimore.
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#8 Oriole85

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 10:41 PM

If we get a new arena I think Baltimore will certainly get some regular season Caps games, especially if Leonsis wants to keep an NHL team out of Baltimore.

I've mentioned this before, but I don't see regular season hockey in Baltimore a regular occurrence as long as Verizon Center is sold out nightly. I think the season ticket holders would be upset. I know there's less games in the NFL, but it'd be like moving a Ravens home game to Europe. Without a new arena taking shape, it's a moot point anyways. And as I said previously, there's apparently some 75 rule preventing this from taking place. It's a very uphill battle to say the least.
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#9 DJ MC

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 11:08 PM

I've mentioned this before, but I don't see regular season hockey in Baltimore a regular occurrence as long as Verizon Center is sold out nightly. I think the season ticket holders would be upset. I know there's less games in the NFL, but it'd be like moving a Ravens home game to Europe. Without a new arena taking shape, it's a moot point anyways. And as I said previously, there's apparently some 75 rule preventing this from taking place. It's a very uphill battle to say the least.


It's like the Bills playing a game in Toronto every year. And actually not even much like that because DC to Baltimore is half the distance as a straight line (and less than a third of the distance by car).

Season ticket holders might be upset, but if the Capitals think they can get a bigger fan base and increase not only attendance but TV revenue (and maybe even get a radio affiliate) by playing a game or two in Baltimore every year, why wouldn't they do that?

As for the 75 mile rule, as we saw in MLB that isn't exactly an insurmountable barrier.

#10 JeremyStrain

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 11:24 PM

You'll never see an NHL team in Bmore. Quote me now. This isn't a big hockey area, 75% of Caps fans right now are bandwagon fans just rooting for them because it's the "cool" thing to do. When they struggle the seats might be sold (season tix) but they don't show up. I went to a couple games this year that were barely half full even though they claimed sellout.

You may see the AHL return there, a package deal with the Caps but that's about the best hope.
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#11 Oriole85

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Posted 23 April 2012 - 11:47 PM

It's like the Bills playing a game in Toronto every year. And actually not even much like that because DC to Baltimore is half the distance as a straight line (and less than a third of the distance by car).

Season ticket holders might be upset, but if the Capitals think they can get a bigger fan base and increase not only attendance but TV revenue (and maybe even get a radio affiliate) by playing a game or two in Baltimore every year, why wouldn't they do that?

As for the 75 mile rule, as we saw in MLB that isn't exactly an insurmountable barrier.

The Bills have trouble selling tickets to their home games in Buffalo. The Caps don't have that problem so that's a big difference. I don't think any NHL teams play annual games in a different city, let alone one that has sold out for three seasons. Yes, I think they care more about what their 13,000+ most loyal fans think and many more who can't get season tickets, than about 14k who will come for a single game. I don't think any additional revenue is substantial enough to justify moving two sold-out games. They already have TV rights to the Baltimore area. Would people be willing to pay bigger than Verizon Center prices to see a game?

I know there are many loyal Baltimore fans of the Caps, but I saw segments of both DC and Baltimore opposed to the exhibition last year. On the DC side, one was the ice conditions. But the other thing was city pride on how it didn't want to be associated with Baltimore(dumb if you ask me). On the Baltimore side, I saw many saying they would support a hockey team, but a Baltimore one. Anotherwards playing some token games wasn't going to sway them.

When the Orioles were selling out in the 90s, should they have moved a series out of OPACY every year to RFK to try to prevent the Expos from coming? And there's double the amount of baseball games, so this in theory is more viable.

That rule applied to television rights, hence why Angelos was very well compensated with the set-up of MASN, the Orioles didn't have legal rights to DC. I think they might have been able to block an AL team, but didn't apply to the NL. I don't think it's an insurmountable barrier on the territory restrictions alone, but the whole package including the arena makes it difficult. You don't hear Baltimore mentioned in possible NHL cities, despite the fact last year it had the 2nd highest ratings of a non-NHL city.

Bottomline is this, I don't think playing a game or two annually will do much. The Bullets did that after they left Baltimore until Verizon Center opened, don't remember those games being a big deal. It's nice and all, don't get me wrong to have the Caps play in Charm City. And you might even pick up a few more fans. Since the Caps are a prominent team, I think the fans in general who are here are here. You have different tier of fans. You have the ones who won't support anything DC-related. You have the ones who are casually interested because the Caps are the closest hockey team. Then you have the ones who like hockey and have adopted the Caps as "their team." And lastly you got the hardcore Baltimore hockey fan, who treats the Caps as the equivalent of another Baltimore sports team.

As I've already said, If a new arena opened in Baltimore, I could see the Caps playing a game there as a nice gesture. But I wouldn't count on it as a regular thing.
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#12 NewMarketSean

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Posted 24 April 2012 - 08:52 AM

You'll never see an NHL team in Bmore. Quote me now. This isn't a big hockey area, 75% of Caps fans right now are bandwagon fans just rooting for them because it's the "cool" thing to do. When they struggle the seats might be sold (season tix) but they don't show up. I went to a couple games this year that were barely half full even though they claimed sellout.

You may see the AHL return there, a package deal with the Caps but that's about the best hope.


If the Caps stop selling out most their games, I think Caps games in Baltimore would be a great business decision.

The Caps have a pretty good sized fanbase in Baltimore and many non-Caps fans would go just to see hockey in person in their hometown. I would.

It feels like the Caps are sliding downward on their popularity...unless they win the Stanley Cup. From the outside it feels like the last few seasons have really let down some fans who expected a championship.
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#13 Oriole85

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Posted 24 April 2012 - 09:35 AM

You'll never see an NHL team in Bmore. Quote me now. This isn't a big hockey area, 75% of Caps fans right now are bandwagon fans just rooting for them because it's the "cool" thing to do. When they struggle the seats might be sold (season tix) but they don't show up. I went to a couple games this year that were barely half full even though they claimed sellout.

You may see the AHL return there, a package deal with the Caps but that's about the best hope.

I think you are very likely right on Baltimore not getting an NHL team. It's nice and all to talk about but unrealistic.

I think you are right to an extent with the bandwagon fans, but I don't think the fans are hoping off quite yet. Leonsis does a great job with market research and raised the prices on the upper deck seats because he found out that many of the people sitting in those seats made six figures. People with disposable income I think will continue to pay for the near future. Believe me I thought this year they might end the sellout streak. I think next year you are more likely to see more empty seats but still paid attendance strong. The Caps still have a season ticket waitlist and if they wanted to they could go all NFL and not allow the casual and/working class fans in, but they choose instead to make them pay a premium to see a game or two.

I like hockey, wouldn't say I love it, but what bothers me is how watered down the regular season is. Of all the major sports, it matters the least where you finish as long as you get into the playoffs. I wouldn't have half the teams make the playoffs in the first place. But maybe the 8th seed should only get to host games 3 and 5? Just an idea to put them at even more of a disadvantage. The fact that in 3 of the last 4 years, the team that won the President's Cup, lost in the first round is pretty sad.
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#14 JeremyStrain

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Posted 24 April 2012 - 10:39 AM

Hey, don't pick on 6-figure incomes in the upper deck :( In fairness our seats are in the first row of the upper deck, I just like the view ;) It was a GREAT value when he started it, the team was terrible and he gave us a full season (that he wouldn't sell otherwise) for less than I paid for 13 O's games. Hence why I think the O's should do the same.

THAT is what brought fans back to DC, not the team itself. But while fans were there, they got good, which hooked them.
When the team starts going bad, the fans that THINK they know hockey start demanding people get traded or cut and drive me crazy, but aside from that it's still nice seeing a sellout crowd standing and cheering.

I think you might see him do a game here or there in Bmore, he understands that we share a market. It's not the DC area and Bmore area, it's the DC/Bmore area. Even though we have split a bit because of the Skins/Ravens, and Nats/O's we should all still be one big DMV family.
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#15 DJ MC

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Posted 24 April 2012 - 11:17 AM

I think an AHL team is far more likely, too. Associating with the Capitals would only make the entire market stronger.

It's too bad the Caps didn't pounce when Comcast decided to knock down the Spectrum and move the Phantoms out of town. An affiliate swap with the Flyers would have put Philadelphia in Hershey and given Washington a team they could either move into the arena right away or do what that team is doing now and playing elsewhere until a permanent home is found. Now the Phantoms are going to move to a new arena in Allentown, though.

#16 Oriole85

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Posted 20 September 2012 - 01:40 PM

Baltimore Sun: Baltimore Hockey Classic at 1st Mariner Arena canceled because of NHL lockout

http://articles.balt...r-arena-lockout
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#17 Oriole85

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Posted 17 September 2013 - 09:41 AM

Baltimore Sun: Former Baltimore hockey stars ready for Capitals-Bruins game

 

http://www.baltimore...0,3518209.story

 

Game is on CSN, saw they only sold about half of the tickets tonight but most of the lower bowl, blocked off the obstructed seats. I'm not sure this game will continue, a lot will depend on the ice conditions.


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#18 DJ MC

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Posted 17 September 2013 - 09:54 AM

I have a tour this evening, so I was thinking about walking up afterwards and seeing the game. Maybe wear my Bandits jersey, too :P


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#19 BSLChrisStoner

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Posted 17 September 2013 - 10:49 AM

I'm not a hockey fan, but I would have had interest in attending at a new Arena. Another event you would never drag me to at the current Arena.


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#20 Luke Jackson

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Posted 17 September 2013 - 04:47 PM

Baltimore Sun: Former Baltimore hockey stars ready for Capitals-Bruins game

 

http://www.baltimore...0,3518209.story

 

Game is on CSN, saw they only sold about half of the tickets tonight but most of the lower bowl, blocked off the obstructed seats. I'm not sure this game will continue, a lot will depend on the ice conditions.

 

In 2011, the ice was a disaster. This year, they've made a lot of adjustments...I've read they've made the building much cooler. They've also prepared the ice for an NHL game...in 2011 they prepared the ice like they would for any other ice event (figure skating, etc). Hopefully it works out. Another poor showing re: the ice and the Caps probably won't come back. 

 

As far as a minor league club affiliated with the Caps...I'd imagine it'd have to be an ECHL team because they have a very strong relationship with Hershey's AHL squad.

 

Last time I went to the Baltimore Arena had to be more than 10 years ago...seemed like a dump then, can't imagine how bad it seems now.


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