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LowellSun.com is reporting the New Jersey Devils have exercised their two year option to play at Tsongas Arena through the 2009-‘10 season. The decision was announced today by Devils CEO Lou Lamoriello. According to Executive Director Chris Ciceri, “the fans have welcomed us to the community, and they are important to our long-term plans.”
The news is a pleasant surprise in these quarters. I frankly expected Lowell’s AHL entry to skip town at the end of the upcoming season, and wasn’t shy about saying so in this space. While I welcome today’s announcement, I wonder how rock solid the Devils future in the Mill City really is. Attendance was horrible in 2006-’07, and unless there’s been a massive season ticket drive we don’t yet know about, I can only see it getting worse. Today’s new might help, but I question how many ticket sales that will translate to.
The fact ownership is willing to commit another two years to a fan base that’s basically turned its back on the franchise throughout its history tells me the lease is a sweetheart of a deal for the hockey club. And that’s where I still worry despite today’s news. The city signed off on a renegotiated lease with the Devils that calls for an increase of $125,000. Even at that, City Councilors were very cool to the idea of keeping the AHL entry in town, preferring instead to wholeheartedly support and root for a restructured deal with UMass-Lowell. What happens if attendance continues to sag, the city continues to lose money because of the pro hockey team’s presence, and government officials decide to stop paying game day costs, much as they threatened to do this spring? Thanks to today’s announcement, a costly legal battle is what happens, that’s what.
Again, the hope in this corner is that the Devils are here forever, and that they and the River Hawks thrive at Tsongas Arena. Today’s announcement is a good start, though not necessarily a guarantee of long-term success. For that to occur, a lot more fannies are going to have to pack the seats. If not, we’ll find ourselves back where we were last spring…a faceoff between ownership and city government.
I know we've covered the topic plenty of times in the past, but today's announcement adds a new twist...what do you think? A reason to rejoice? Or are we going to end up in the same place again next year, with plenty of political posturing and an arena hemorrhaging money?
Aw, come on! You knew the political posturing never really stopped. It just went backstage for a short intermission.
Now you can look forward to some extra months of free entertainment while everybody in town sings the Masochism Tango. On the bright side, you've got months of guaranteed blog fodder.
I really wanted to enjoy the hockey games this season neat, without the side order of acrimony. Well, I guess I can still hope for the best.
Maybe a few more fans will get interested now that the team isn't officially a lame duck and instead has made a longer-term commitment to the community. Maybe that will give the players a boost so they will feel like it's worth the extra effort, and the pain, to stay in the game. Maybe that will translate to a better financial situation for everybody.
Hey, maybe the Tsongas will be full of fans cheering for the HOME team the next time the farm club from Rhode Island comes to town.
Well, maybe not.
Maybe I better just hope for a few more fans in the seats this season and let it go at that. Do you happen to know if ketchup or A-1 steak sauce are good for disguising the taste of acrimony?
Such cynicism and sarcasm Terri. You should write your own blog. However, I do agree with your tone. The casual observer might perceive today's news with optimism. I think we know better, don't we?
Wow, Shocker to say the least. I can only imagine that this must be "one heck of a deal" not to give the NJ Devils pause to re-up with Lowell. I am disapointed with the attendance as most folks are..but hey you know I do my part season tix and adult beverages..so I am not hanging my head.
Will this change attendance..no. If the likes of all star caliber players like eventual Stanley cup winners Eric Stall and MVP Cam Ward did not bring them in..(during a NHL Hockey Shutdown)then nothing probably will. I can only hope that I'm wrong but I'm probably not.
Hockey in Lowell wow whoever thought it would be so complicated? It's the Devils arena, No its the UMass Lowell arena. No it's the Devils areana and the UMass Lowell arena. Make up your mind people who is going to play there and who is not going to play there? Lets play some hockey and make life simpler like it should be. I mean why cant both teams play there and everyone is Happy?!!! Yes cant that work?
It's cheaper for the Devils to play there for a season than for a family of four to attend a game. No matter how you slice it- $18 for a minor league game isn't going to sell you a lot of tickets with the type of "players" that will be on the ice...
Why attack the minor league Lowell Devils players? At least they're not making $7,500,000 to sit at the blue line and flub passes.
The players on that Lowell team were horrible- yes, they are "Devils" players meaning they can play the clutch-and-grab with the best of 'em but I saw no actual hockey skill on that team whatsoever.
If I have a choice of sitting in primo seats in Lowell and paying $18 for it vs going to the Garden and watching far better hockey played by far more talented players (for about the same price if sitting in the balcony) I'm going to choose the major league experience every time. Lowell has had plenty of good teams over the years and the fans never came out to watch them. Why watch a minor league version of the most boring NHL franchise in history?? If they didn't come out to see a team with Staal and Ward I can't see them coming out to see the little Devils.
I guess you'll be forking over for airline tickets to Ottawa or Buffalo or riding the train to New York, then, since you want to have a *major league* experience. Enjoy.
Umm... No. I managed to buy $10 tickets to Johnny Buckyk Night at the Garden last February. Managed to get a statue of the Chief and catch a game vs the Oilers for 4 of us for a grand total of $40.
Can't do it every game they play but it's just as affordable to go to Boston right now than to watch a game in Lowell. Can't charge major league prices for minor league talent.