Stadiums & Arenas of Canada, Part 3

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The new arena will very likely be built with curtain systems in place to adequately reduce seating capacity for 5k and 10k events without feeling like you are in an empty cavern. Availability could be an issue, as I wouldn't be shocked the 67's say 5k isn't big enough and end up going to Lebreton in a curtained off lower bowl setup.

I guess you're right that the LeBreton arena could function as both an 18k and 10k venue. That said, 67s will stay at Lansdowne since they are owned by OSEG, the group that runs all aspects of Lansdowne and depend on the 67s (along with the Red Blacks, Black Jacks and Atletico) to maintain critical mass. OSEG is actively working with the City on a new Lansdowne 5k arena and north side stadium, along with additional residential and retail.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

It's still a pretty nice rink to see a game in. Concourse is not fabulous, but I still enjoy hockey games there.

I love Brandt Centre. I went to a game there in October when the Winnipeg ICE were in town... it was my first time there since 1995. The building has real character and history. It strikes me as a scaled down version of the Northlands Coliseum. However, I can understand why folks in Regina are considering a replacement.

The one thing I thought was weird about Brandt Centre though, was the front row seats. I am 6'2" and even I am pretty well unable to see over the board from the front row. Anyone shorter than me, let alone kids, would have no chance of seeing anything from there. I don't get why there are even seats there when you would have to be NBA player height to see the entire rink.

Originally Posted by J.OT13

In the NCR, both the 18k seat Canadian Tire (Corel) Centre and 10k seat TD Place (Civic Center) that continue to attract big names, despite the terrible location of one and the other being supposedly obsolete. Meanwhile. the new 5k Slush Puppie in Gatineau doesn't seem to be attracting much of anything.


https://billetterie.centreslushpuppi...210.1672756272

I wonder how a new LeBreton arena and smaller replacement for the Civic Centre (5k) will play into things. I feel like we'll have quite a big gap in the market with the loss of that mid-sized 10k arena.

That is a really elegant looking arena. I like it a lot.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The new arena will very likely be built with curtain systems in place to adequately reduce seating capacity for 5k and 10k events without feeling like you are in an empty cavern. Availability could be an issue, as I wouldn't be shocked the 67's say 5k isn't big enough and end up going to Lebreton in a curtained off lower bowl setup.

I realize the 67s would miss out on the bigger weekend/special event crowds if they stay in the OCC, but it does seem like an appropriately sized venue for their needs even at 5K. I would imagine they will just jack up ticket prices a few bucks to offset the lost seats and leave it at that.

[TorontoDrew]

Originally Posted by esquire

That is a really elegant looking arena. I like it a lot.

To me it looks like a giant car sales showroom.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by TorontoDrew

To me it looks like a giant car sales showroom.

Ha, I can see that.

To me it has some slight echoes of the landmark Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

[jonny24]

Originally Posted by esquire

Ha, I can see that.

To me it has some slight echoes of the landmark Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland.

I guess "turn left at the big glass box" does count as a landmark.

[Coldrsx]

It can

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/app...fth-ave-store/

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

The new arena will very likely be built with curtain systems in place to adequately reduce seating capacity for 5k and 10k events without feeling like you are in an empty cavern. Availability could be an issue, as I wouldn't be shocked the 67's say 5k isn't big enough and end up going to Lebreton in a curtained off lower bowl setup.

If the 67s are purposely building a smaller arena at Lansdowne then they won't be travelling to LeBreton for games, especially if the ownership groups are different for the different venues.

Originally Posted by esquire

I realize the 67s would miss out on the bigger weekend/special event crowds if they stay in the OCC, but it does seem like an appropriately sized venue for their needs even at 5K. I would imagine they will just jack up ticket prices a few bucks to offset the lost seats and leave it at that.

Supply and demand, etc.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by jonny24

I guess "turn left at the big glass box" does count as a landmark.

That place is architecturally significant enough to be on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places! Put some respect on its name!

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by JHikka

If the 67s are purposely building a smaller arena at Lansdowne then they won't be travelling to LeBreton for games, especially if the ownership groups are different for the different venues.


Supply and demand, etc.

I don't know if an OHL team with an NHL team in the same market can play the "supply and demand" thing, hoping to convince people that they better hurry up and pay higher prices because there are only 5000 seats. I doubt the 67's really want a 5000 seat arena, I think it's a case of they can't convince the city to pay for the arena they want as well as pay for the stadium.

[JHikka]

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I don't know if an OHL team with an NHL team in the same market can play the "supply and demand" thing, hoping to convince people that they better hurry up and pay higher prices because there are only 5000 seats.

They cover different consumer bases, especially when the NHL team is in Kanata and the OHL team is in the city. The demographic that goes to an OHL game is different than that of an NHL game and there are price leverages that can be taken advantage of.

Originally Posted by Djeffery

I doubt the 67's really want a 5000 seat arena, I think it's a case of they can't convince the city to pay for the arena they want as well as pay for the stadium.

Whatever the reasoning they're downsizing in the same way that professional teams are. I think the Senators plan is to chop 3-4K seats off of what they originally had in Kanata.

[Coldrsx]

Downsizing:

1. capital cost to build those extra seats are $$$
2. lower avail of 'normal seats' = higher demand = higher $/per
3. those seats are at the expense of loge, box and corp = $$$$$$$

The revenue model has really changed.

[Djeffery]

Originally Posted by JHikka

They cover different consumer bases, especially when the NHL team is in Kanata and the OHL team is in the city. The demographic that goes to an OHL game is different than that of an NHL game and there are price leverages that can be taken advantage of.


Whatever the reasoning they're downsizing in the same way that professional teams are. I think the Senators plan is to chop 3-4K seats off of what they originally had in Kanata.

Yes, the trend is for some pro leagues to downsize a bit, maybe 10-20%. OHL isn't a pro league. The 67's aren't going to spike demand and higher ticket prices by cutting seating capacity by half. People aren't going to all of a sudden be fine paying 40 and 50 bucks for what is now 20 or 30. They might not want the 10,000 like they have now, but I doubt they want 5000 either. And 5000 really makes the arena kind of useless for other events too.

[JHikka]

A lot of that comes down to boxes and suites in the new arena. Currently, AFAIK, they can't use the vast majority of the boxes at Lansdowne because the roof cannot support the weight. At this point it would be a net positive on ticketing revenue just having access to boxes and suites even if they're chopping total capacity in half.

For a lot of the events that they've been trying to host indoors - Davis Cup, Volleyball, etc. - 5,000 is a better number than 10,000. I only recall them filling 10,000 on a handful of occasions, perhaps for the occasional hockey game and concert. Ottawa is bereft of medium-capacity concert venues (a place like the NAC only has a cap. of 2K, IIRC) and so 5,000 slides into that area quite well. For events like concerts they can upcharge on supply and demand quite easily.

Since its an ongoing event, the ticket reselling prices for the U20s in Halifax at the moment are getting a bit wild. Ottawa potentially hosting with a 17K and 5K arena would generate similar ticket reselling prices, certainly more-so than the 19K and 10K they had for the 2009 event. Hosting at the new arena in Gatineau instead of the new arena at Lansdowne would be equivalent, for what it's worth.

[blueandgoldguy]

The Ottawa 67s don't need a large arena. 5000 seats is more than enough based on their past decade of attendance.

https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attenda...h.php?tmi=7314

[Oilkountry]

For the Winnipeggers. Couple questions on Canada life centre. I'm trying to invision the exchange restaurant. Is it Underneath the stands of the lower bowl? I cant make sense of where it would be? I also don't remember seeing it when i was there. help me out on this.

Also just out of curiosity i remember seeing on a video once the event level parking was extremely small in comparison to other arenas. Is their room for jets players to park down there or do they walk to the arena from a parking spot like the rest of us simpletons?

[Oilkountry]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

The Ottawa 67s don't need a large arena. 5000 seats is more than enough based on their past decade of attendance.

https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attenda...h.php?tmi=7314

Honestly I think were forgetting they operate TD place if they wanna hold big events with standing room the new arena at TD will seat 7k for concerts and if they have a bigger event to book they have a 33000+ seat stadium (with standing room) a rock throw away that wouldn't look too out of place with 20,000 people in it. I'm not sure the extra revenue from the additional 2000-3000 extra seats for 4-6 concerts a year in a hockey barn is worth the damage it does to the atmosphere for OHL games 34 times a year. I actually think they are opening a market up for themselves at that size. Any promotor looking for 8000+ seats would most likely want the flexibility of the new downtown arena whos lower bowl will most likely seat 11k- to 12k in a horseshoe concert configuration and the 67s are guaranteed to host anything smaller.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

The Ottawa 67s don't need a large arena. 5000 seats is more than enough based on their past decade of attendance.

https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attenda...h.php?tmi=7314

Yup. Attendance was pretty good until 2012-2013 when they moved to Kanata while the Civic Centre was under renovations. When they returned to Lansdowne for 2014-2015, they could never quite recover from the attendance drop.

The Civic Centre is also home to the Ottawa Black Jacks CEBL team, with an average attendance of 1,816, with their highest attendance at 3,538.

From the perspective of the sports teams, I think the smaller arena makes sense however, I think Lansdowne will overall lose out on many events such as concerts and stand-up (Trevor Noah, for example).

[MonctonRad]

A few drone pics from last night showing activity on the Ian Fowler Oval in front of the Avenir Centre in Moncton, and people watching the Canada/USA game on the big screen on the stage next to the oval. Our part in the World Juniors may be over, but the aura of hosting Group "B" and a couple of quarter final games remains. It was an excellent experience. My favourite game was going to USA/Finland on New Years Eve with my eldest son, then meeting up with his girlfriend and step son on the plaza afterwards as they skated on the oval, and with a couple of thousand people exiting the Avenir Centre watching the subsequent Canada game on the big screen. I'm sure the experience was just like Maple Leaf Square in Toronto. The Finland/Sweden quarter final was really good too.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Nice.

[Coldrsx]

That looks great and certainly did on TV as well.

Well done folks.