A Canadian hockey coach has put $250,000 of his own money behind a concept he dreamed up: a hockey fighting tournament live on pay-per-view.
The total cost of the event will be north of $1.4 million, most of which will be covered by a disparate group of Canadian investors, said Darryl Wolski, the 39-year-old Manitoba resident promoting “Battle of the Hockey Gladiators,” to be staged at the Target Center in Minneapolis Aug. 20-21. It will award a $100,000 first prize to the winner of a double-elimination fighting tournament, decided by judges, to crown the “Toughest Man on Ice.”
He predicts pay-per-view buys of 100,000 to 125,000, similar to what mixed martial arts and lower-tier boxing broadcasts generate. A DVD will be released Oct. 15.
Wolski predicts light turnout, but he thinks there is pent-up demand for hockey fights on pay-per-view and DVD.
“There are no legal hockey fight DVDs, just underground stuff,” Wolski said. “We felt people really, really want something like this.”
In Demand, a cooperative among the major cable operators, has agreed to offer “Hockey Gladiators,” and Wolski said he is close to an agreement with DirecTV and Dish Network. He also has deals with all the major providers in Canada.
The pay-per-view special will air Aug. 21 and be priced at $19.99 on both sides of the border. Cable and satellite operators will keep 60 percent of the pay-per-view revenue but agree to help market the event.
Wolski, who runs a company called PROactive Sports Management Group in Manitoba that promotes youth hockey tournaments, has tried to stay out of the NHL’s way by not going after retired players who work as broadcasters or in the front offices of clubs.
Active players cannot participate because it would violate the standard player contract, a league spokesman said. He had no other comment.
The 32 pugilists are a mix of minor league players and a few ex-NHLers.
