Predators' Finances Impacted By Missing Stanley Cup Playoffs

Predators Will Miss Out On Roughly $750,000 In Gross Profit For Every Home Playoff Game

The Predators' "failure to reach the playoffs will mean more than just an absence of postseason hockey in Nashville this spring, it will also impact the franchise's finances," according to John Glennon of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The Predators "will miss out on roughly $750,000 in gross profit for every home playoff game, a sum that over the past four seasons helped the franchise reduce its overall losses." Missing the playoffs "could make it more challenging for the Predators to retain current ticket-holders and sponsors, lure new season ticket-holders and sponsors, and increase next season's player payroll." However, Glennon noted the Predators have "forecast their first profit, albeit just $145,000, since their inaugural season" in '98, and that figure "did not depend on reaching the playoffs." Predators President of Business Operations Ed Lang said that the franchise "does not consider missing the playoffs as devastating." Lang: "Financially, the first round of the playoffs is really not that significant of a bump, especially this year because we would have kept our ticket prices flat. And when we do our budgeting, we don't bank per se on making the playoffs." Lang said that the season-ticket base "made noticeable gains after each of the first two trips to the playoffs" in '04 and '06. As for player payroll, Lang said that he "doesn't believe the money lost by missing the playoffs will have a serious impact on the ability to keep current talent or potentially add new players" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 4/12).

FALLING STARS: In Dallas, Tim Cowlishaw noted for "only the third time since they moved to Dallas" in '93, the Stars have not made the playoffs. For the Stars, after finishing 12th in the Western Conference, the "question is what next." It "stands to reason that a lot of Stars season-ticket holders have encountered economic difficulties in the past year that will keep them from renewing this summer." Add that to "decreased interest and you have a franchise with a lot of work to do" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 4/13).