The ’11 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic “raked in approximately $22 million in additional revenue for the city of Pittsburgh” last year, and Philadelphia over the next two weeks “is set to blow that number away" despite the game being played in a venue with 23,000 fewer seats than Heinz Field, according to Frank Seravalli of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. The Flyers are “squeezing in two other sold-out events" to Citizens Bank Park, a Flyers-Rangers alumni game on Dec. 31 and AHL Philadelphia Phantoms-Hershey Bears contest on Jan. 6. Total ticket sales “should exceed 125,000.” Comcast-Spectacor President & COO Peter Luukko said, "Certainly, less seats mean less out-of-town visitors, but for the first time in the Winter Classic history, we've had a huge marketing push for all three events." The Flyers “took care of all 18,000 season ticketholders for the regular-season game, guaranteeing them an opportunity to purchase as many seats for the Winter Classic as they do home games.” But Flyers season-ticket holders not only had “to purchase a ticket to the game -- not included as one of the 44 on their schedule -- but they were available only in a three-pack with the Phantoms and alumni games.” Fans buying tickets from the NHL, Rangers or Phillies “did not have the same stipulation.” The Flyers this week “announced additional public-skating times and capacity limits for fans to take a spin on the Winter Classic ice after the initial sessions sold out.” All tickets, priced at “$60 for adults, $45 for kids, and $10 for spectators, were sold out.” Comcast-Spectacor also “brokered three deals for additional games at Citizens Bank Park,” including two college games and a high school contest. Luukko said that “it costs ‘at least $20,000 per day’ to keep the rink up and running at the Bank after the main event is over.” Meanwhile, Luukko said that merchandise sales at Wells Fargo Center “alone have made for the best Christmas season on record.” More than 2,000 official Winter Classic jerseys “have been sold by the team, not including any sold by NHL.com or other commercial outlets” (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/28).
NOTE FROM THE COMMISSIONER: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the Winter Classic is emblematic of many of the progressive changes the league has made over the years. Bettman: "Take a look at what we've done with this game. Whether it was two referees or the four-on-four overtime, the shootout, or the rule changes we made coming out of the work stoppage. You know, we sometimes get stereotyped by traditional media in a certain way. But we are extraordinarily progressive. On the issue of concussions, going back to study groups as far back as 1997, this ownership group has been much more aggressive than they get credit for" (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 12/28).
