The 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup has confirmed the National Hockey League wouldn't work in Saskatoon, in the near future anyways.
Although the Memorial Cup's attendance numbers look strong compared to some past years, it's a disappointment. In the opening contest between the Saskatoon Blades and the London Knights, 10,203 of the 15,195 seats filled up in the Credit Union Centre. In Game 2, 8,871 watched the Halifax Mooseheads take on the Portland Winterhawks. In Game 3, 8,934 bought tickets for the Blades-Mooseheads match. Every game should have had at least 10,000 seats filled. This is, after all, the best of the best junior hockey as to offer.
I have heard a handful of weak arguments on why people decided not to buy tickets.
The most common excuse - people want to go to the lake because it's the long weekend. That might be a reasonable argument if it wasn't for the fact the CHL's big dance has been held on the May long weekend for decades. Saskatchewanians have had more than enough time to plan around it. Moreover, there is no shortage of weekends to go to the lake, but the Memorial Cup only comes around The Land of the Living Skies roughly once every 15 years at best.
The Blades' lack of success in the playoffs is brought up as an excuse. Since the Medicine Hat Tigers swept them in the first round, most Saskatoon major junior hockey fans don't believe in their team. There is no denying it seems there is a slim chance Saskatoon will win it all, but watching The Bridge City Boys is only one of many reasons to go to the Memorial Cup. The tournament entails NHL Central Scouting Service's 1-2-3 ranked prospects of the 2013 draft: Portland Winterhawks defenceman Seth Jones, and Halifax Mooseheads snipers Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin. Not to mention, London Knights star draft prospects Max Domi, Bo Horvat, and Nikita Zadorov are also there.
Lastly, people believe the ticket prices are too high for junior hockey. The ticket packages range from $95 to $595. The packages cover the entire tournament.
The ticket prices are on par with past years, though. Therefore, the prices are fair and they shouldn't shock anyone.
Memorial Cup aside, Saskatoon just isn't large enough to carry an NHL club. Its population of approximately 223,000 and 260,000 in the metropolitan area is at least 150,000 shy of having what it takes to support a team.
It seems there isn't enough money in the city either. Could 8,000-10,000 people afford to lay down $5,000 - $8,000 for a lone season ticket? I highly doubt it.
Don Cherry, however, thinks The Bridge City could sustain an NHL club. Here is what he had to say last March on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada.
"I knew a month ago that Saskatoon had put in a bid -- big bid, firm bid, biggie. I didn't release it because I wanted to help them and everything. And what happens is? I, uh, got scooped.
"Around Saskatoon, you take 80 miles, there's 400,000 people, right? And you know how they are out West ... they'll go for a drive and they'll drive 100 miles. Eighty miles means nothing. It's the richest province in Canada ... There's more corporate sponsors out there ... potash is the biggest in the world, uranium, mining, I could go through the whole thing. They've got a firm offer in there.
"Now everybody laughed when I said Winnipeg and everybody said ... 'They'll never get it.' I can't guarantee they'll get in this year, but if they ever do, they'll do it.
"They are hockey people. They will sell out in 15 minutes, I'm telling you right now. I guarantee they'd be a success. Get them in!"
First of all, Cherry got the area's population wrong by roughly 100,000. If Saskatoon did hold 400,000 people, then it might work.
Secondly, Saskatoon is a hockey town? Wouldn't a hockey town's major junior team average more than 5,068 people a game in the last five years? The Portland Winterhawks and Quebec Ramparts average over 8,000, so the stats suggest so.
Maybe Saskatoon will have what it takes to host an NHL team one day, but right now, they aren't even close to being ready to join the big leagues. It is simply ridiculous to suggest it's feasible.
