How shocking is it to have an owner for this team that not only seems to “get it”.. whatever “it” might be – but to also have one that seems to never make a mistake. The Hawks just announced today that season ticket prices for next year are staying put. From the official site:
“Chicago Blackhawks fans are unique in that they have remained loyal to our team through many seasons of challenge,” Blackhawks Chairman W. Rockwell “Rocky” Wirtz said. “We are incredibly grateful of this support and recognize that during these challenging times, we are acting in the best interests of our fans and our community by keeping our season ticket prices flat for the 2009-10 season.
Now – the Hawks could just be playing it smart of course. I know you all pay the utmost attention to this site and other Hawks news but you might not know America ain’t doing so well in the wallet right now. They could just be freezing ticket prices because people wouldn’t buy ’em if they were pricier.
But as the article goes on to say, the Hawks have also sold out all 30 home games this year – 33 going back to last year. They lead the NHL in average attendance and have had 11 crowds of 22,000+. The team is guaranteed a playoff spot and very likely will get home ice advantage. In a few years, if not next year, the Hawks could easily make the race for the Central Division lead much tighter. If they really wanted to – they could raise prices.
The article doesn’t mention tickets for individual games or partial plans so there’s still the possibility that those could go up in price. Overall though this is a fantastic move by the Hawks front office and makes it even more tempting for me to buy a full season ticket plan next year.