Bruins Receiving the Wrong Type of PR

ver the last few weeks, the Boston Globe has reported how the Boston Bruins plan to raise tickets prices right along the boards. Management says that these tickets are extremely under priced compared to other teams in the league. Um..when was the last time the Bruins made the playoffs? When was the last time the Bruins won the Stanley Cup? Is this a wise move?

The NHL now has a hard cap so the Bruins do not have to worry about other teams spending more for salaries every year. I understand the team wants to make money, but is this the right image they want to present to their fans?

This morning, the Globe reported:

"Bruins season ticket-holders received invoices last week, and as noted here a couple of weeks ago, the front-row loge seats took a big bump, from $90 to $150 per game (66.7 percent increase). The same seats will go for $175 per game at the box office. Cost for a pair of seats along the glass for a full season: $12,610. According to information provided to season ticket-holders, the Bruins will freeze the $150 price for three seasons, and ticket-holders also will receive memberships at Legends, the Vault's third-floor bar/eatery."

Season ticket holders will have the opportunity to sell back tickets to the team, but this bump in ticket prices is NOT a smart move. Here’s why:

· The NHL is continuing to repair the relationships with its fans. They have connected with the “hard core” fans, but need to do some major work connecting with the peripheral fans. These peripheral fans, over time, become hard core fans and that is important for any sports team.
· For a team that has not made a strong run in the playoffs recently, the team is turning away fans buy increasing these tickets by 66.7 percent.
· The Bruins are going to receive PR over the next few days leading up to training camp highlighting this increase in tickets, but I sure don’t think it is going to be positive coverage.
· The Bruins must continue to generate a rolling thunder media campaign to attract fans to attend the games as well as watch games on television. From what I remember reading last year, the NHL saw a drastic drop in its television audience. There is still a lot of work to be done.

The hard core fans are going to root for the Bruins in good times and bad. I bet most of the season ticket holders who sit along the glass have had these tickets for generations. Why in the world are you going to have them start the season with a sour taste in their mouths? I understand money rules the world, but I disagree with this business decision.