Avs To Freeze Early Playoff Prices For Season-Ticket Renewals

Avalanche Freezing Some Playoff Ticket Prices

Avalanche season-ticket holders who commit to early renewals for the '08-09 season will pay the same price for rounds one through three of the NHL Playoffs this year that they pay for season tickets. Season-ticket holders received the offer yesterday. Fans who purchase new season tickets for next season will receive the same price guarantee on playoff tickets this year as fans who renew. The program is designed to accelerate renewals and expand the season-ticket base. While attendance is down 4-5% for the Avalanche this season, Kroenke Sports Enterprises Exec VP & CMO Paul Andrews said, "It's not a knee-jerk reaction to whether our attendance is up or down. We feel this offers an opportunity to renew the highest percentage of our season-ticket base as possible." The team will need to increase the percentage of its renewals by 3-4% to make the economics of the package work. Kroenke Sports is considering making the same offer to Nuggets fans (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal). In Denver, Terry Frei notes ticket prices "would double" if the Avalanche make the Stanley Cup Finals. Meanwhile, season-ticket holders were sent a letter informing them "prices will go up" $1-6 per game next season (DENVER POST, 2/5).

BETTMAN VISITS: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman yesterday confirmed Kroenke Sports has "expressed interest in playing host to an outdoor regular-season game." Bettman noted several other teams have mentioned the possibility, and said that "many hurdles would have to be cleared" before one is scheduled. Bettman said, "We think the outdoor game was a good thing for us, so it's something we'll do again. ... We haven't decided locations yet, and we're not going to overdo it." Bettman, who attended last night's Coyotes-Avalanche game, said that he "didn't consider the dropoff in Avalanche attendance to be alarming." Bettman: "I know that this is a great hockey market and there is great fan support. This team went for 11 years having a sellout every single game" (DENVER POST, 2/5).