Flames President Ron Bremner announced Friday that the
"troubled" team must sell 14,000 season tickets before June
30 or the team's ownership group "will begin entertaining
offers from prospective buyers -- including would-be owners
in other cities," according to Charles Frank of the CALGARY
HERALD. Bremner said that "slumping ticket sales have
resulted in" a C$8M revenue shortfall for the Flames that
will leave them with a C$1.5M operating loss this year and
"the prospect of significantly greater losses in coming
years." The team had less than 9,000 season-ticket holders
this season and averaged only 13,130 fans per game at the
17,100-seat Canadian Airlines Saddledome. Flames Vice Chair
Harley Hotchkiss: "We need a resolution of this matter by
the end of June or the team will be for sale. ... At this
point, we are looking for solutions, not to move the team.
We are not making threats." Bremner said that in addition
to the season-ticket push, the team "would be approaching
its marketing partners and suite owners for additional,
unspecified help and working to change its financial
relationship with the Saddledome Foundation, from whom it
contracts to run" the Saddledome. The team "will also look
to maximize marketing revenues" from its logo and signage at
the arena and "will pursue an operating strategy similar"
that of the Oilers. Meanwhile, the Flames will not qualify
for the C$3.4M payment from the NHL's Canadian Assistance
Program because of their low attendance (CALGARY HERALD,
4/15). The team is hoping to generate at least C$15M more
from its new ticket and marketing initiatives. But without
the additional revenue, the Flames "could lose" between
C$58-70M over the next four years. Hotchkiss: "We've
covered losses in the past, but are not prepared to cover
losses of this magnitude in the future" (CALGARY SUN, 4/15).
After Friday's announcement by Hotchkiss, the Flames sold 65
season tickets Saturday (CALGARY SUN, 4/16).
SHOULD THEY STAY OR GO? Calgary Mayor Al Duerr, on the
team's status in the city: "Do we really want to be in the
same league as Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal? Or do we
want to be like Quebec City and Winnipeg" (CALGARY HERALD,
4/17). In Calgary, Eric Francis wrote that the Flames'
announcement was greeted with "an appalling amount of
animosity" from local fans. Francis: "Personally, I'm
ashamed. ... The owners deserve praise for offering to fight
the fight and keep the team in town" (CALGARY SUN, 4/15).
Also in Calgary, Jim Taylor called the Flames' financial
troubles an NHL "problem, a greed problem, a study in
uncaring arrogance by the [league] and its players. It
would not be here if there was league-wide profit sharing
... [or] a league-wide salary cap" (CALGARY SUN, 4/15).
WRONG APPROACH? After the Flames' announcement, Oilers
co-Owner Cal Nichols thinks that the ticket "ultimatum card
has been overplayed" by Canadian NHL teams. Nichols: "To
keep hearing it, I just think the [Flames'] ownership group
should be working quietly behind the scenes. People should
be using the ownership base to network suppliers,
neighbours, friends, customers" (GLOBE & MAIL, 4/17).
