Reaching the Stanley Cup Final in any other year would have provided four rounds of ticket revenueGETTY IMAGES
Multiple Stars employees were told this week that they are "going to be furloughed for a second time this year," according to sources cited by Sean Shapiro of THE ATHLETIC. Most of the affected employees had "already been furloughed earlier in the year and were brought back to work when the NHL season re-started and was completed between July and September." The furloughs come with an "undetermined end, likely dependent on a more firm date for the 2020-21 NHL season, which right now has a tentative Jan. 1 target." Reaching the Stanley Cup Final in any other year "would have been a financial boon, providing four rounds of high-priced ticket revenue." While the Stars playoff run led to some interest in the team, the games being played in Edmonton's bubble "minimized the Stars' ability to really capitalize beyond some additional merchandise sales and season-ticket interest." Meanwhile, NHL players showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement "also impacted the business." Stars President Brad Alberts has confirmed that when C Tyler Seguin and F Jason Dickinson took a knee during the national anthem before the round-robin game against the Golden Knights, the team "had some season ticket holders cancel their accounts." A source said that there also was "blowback from one local sponsor ... that threatened to cancel support of the team" (THEATHLETIC.com, 10/13).
