If you haven't already read it, I urge members and visitors to first scan my previous post on "Prognosis For Small Market Hockey". For, it's from there that I want to provide more on small market hockey. I think a lot of folks -- maybe even pro team marketing folks -- are going to find the following at least somewhat interesting.
-- Dennis Chighisola
More On Small Market Hockey
Maybe there's some good and some not-so-good to discuss here. So, let's first try to get the not-so-good part out of the way...
I had a great, long time hockey and floorball friend, Mike B, put me on to an announcement that was really awesome. As my followers should know, I've been a fan of floorball for many years, especially for its benefits as a cross-trainer for my favorite sport. In fact, I've dedicated a whole section here towards that aim within CoachChic.com, under "Floorball".
Okay, so Mike B tweets to me a link that takes me to the New York Islanders' home page on Twitter. I had to do some scrolling to get where he'd intended to send me, and I arrived at something that made me at least briefly smile. Ya, it was an announcement saying, "The #Isles kicked off a #floorball program in Brooklyn today to bring hockey to local elementary and middle schools!" Along with that tweet were a couple of cute pictures showing kids involved in the Isles' special program.
I did say I only smiled briefly, though, huh? God, who runs their marketing department up there in Brooklyn? I mean, there was no link to an article should folks be interested in knowing more, and I plugged "Islanders' floorball program" and "Isles' floorball program" into Google, and came up with pretty much zippo. No big splash article as I'd hoped, or as their fans probably hoped. No, in fact the second link in that search brought me to a Google+ post Mike B had made, which in turn brought me to a related story on Floorball Central.
The Islanders' marketing department aside, someone in New York is thinking, and at least that part is the good news.
Now, the reason I wanted you to go to my earlier article was because I touched briefly in there about the way the Boston Bruins got out into their surrounding communities during the 1970's. With the arrival of a young Bobby Orr, Bruins brass surrounded him with the likes of Esposito, Cashman, Cheevers, Stanfield, Green, and a ton of other great players I'm momentarily forgetting.
Back in the days of the Original Six, it wasn't hard for an exciting, young team to grab the hearts of local fans, or pack an old barn like the Boston Garden. Thirteen thousand fans does not a true base make, however. No, like a lot of US hockey cities, the B's were initially competing -- for attention and for the sports dollars -- with the local Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. And that's when I think the Bruins did the smart thing.
The Boston players got out into the neighborhoods -- during the off-season, and they got involved in the floorball of that time, street hockey. I don't know who did the organizing back then, but those neighborhood games seemed to be frequent and everywhere, including in the inner cities.
Okay, so let's fast forward to today... As anyone in floorball knows, I've been a champion of that sport since close to the time it started being played in the US. I've been at odds sometimes with those who control that sport here, but I have as many friends in the sport. Ya, I'm a lifelong hockey guy, but I learned pretty quickly what an awesome cross-trainer floorball is for the developing young hockey player. (For those who don't know, many of the top European born players who are offensive threats in the NHL grew up and enhanced their stick skills in floorball.)
Better yet... Like the old Bruins gained from their ventures out into the neighborhoods, I think all NHL teams today can -- and should -- build up a fan base, and that should be without regard for whether certain of those new fans ever buy a ticket or not.
Listen, kids like those shown in the Islanders' Twitter photos should have had a blast playing floorball. I perceive there to be a problem -- or there's something I really fear, in that the Isles' dabble with floorball was a one-time thing, or maybe only a one day photo op.
Imagine instead, however, fun leagues being formed all over Brooklyn, with thousands of kids seeing themselves as a mini-Tavares or the next Frans Nielsen, or emulating the motions of a Jaroslav Halak. Oh, I understand that some floorball is available there now, but I'm thinking it's not at the magnitude it could be, unless more Islander players regularly visit and mix with players, coaches and parents.
What I'm getting at is a more comprehensive plan that would have the cross-over interests grow and grow between floorball folks and their idol Islanders.
Just so readers know, I'm aware of what at least some NHL teams are doing to grow their future fan bases.
For example, that article on Floorball Central mentions the Dallas Stars being aided by a floorball program that has been started in the local schools (and I'm pretty sure the guy who got that going is an old friend).
Just today, I discovered an article and video titled "Coyotes cultivating next generation of fans", that describing some typical but very positive promotional steps they're taking out in Arizona. If I have one criticism, I think the Coyotes' involvement in local youth hockey takes them only partway, or it tends to miss the kinds of kids who could be brought into the fold through a far, far less expensive sport like floorball.
In winding down, let me say that I'm not currently privy to what all the NHL teams are doing to promote hockey in their immediate areas. Climate might come into play in some areas, but that's something I also mentioned in my previous post. I mean, with an absence of outdoor and even indoor ice in the warmer climes, I still suggest that folks in those areas have an advantage with all we know today about off-ice training. And, the reason I'm pushing floorball so much for the small market southern locales, is because it could be played outdoors almost year-round.
Okay, all that said, I'm surely willing to field comments from those who feel they know more, and from those who have different opinions. I'd also love to hear what's being done in areas I haven't had a chance to yet explore.
PS: As a quick followup to the above, something happened just before I pressed a button to publish the above post. The NY Islanders made my day by tweeting minutes ago about a followup floorball session to take place this coming Sunday. Good for them, that maybe that previous session was only part of something bigger, better and a whole lot more effective.
