Kootenay Ice season ticket sales down over 15%, club president “very concerned”

Jeff Chynoweth, president of the Kootenay Ice Hockey Club, announced today that season ticket sales for the 2010-2011 regular season are the lowest since the Cranbrook Recreation Complex opened in October 2000. A total of 1,726 season tickets have been sold for the upcoming hockey season, which is a decrease of 307 from last year. Up until this season the lowest season ticket sales in the Rec Plex were 1,946 in 2003-2004 (the highest sales were in 2002-2003, with 2,429).

“Obviously we are very concerned with the decrease in season ticket sales for the upcoming year. Season ticket holders are the lifeline of every organization and to see this big of a decrease is alarming,” said Chynoweth. “When we signed the new 15-year lease agreement (signed in January 2009) we reduced our season ticket prices to the lowest levels since the club relocated to Cranbrook in 1998. For the upcoming season the new HST tax is included in all ticket sales. Early Bird season tickets were subject to the HST, but our organization absorbed the cost instead of raising the price. All other tickets (regular season tickets, flex paks, walk-ups) are now increased to account for the HST. Despite our consistent record on the ice during the past ten years in the Rec Plex our average attendance continues to decline at a rapid rate, but the one constant until this season has always been a very strong season ticket base. With the Home Opener less than three weeks away, we need to have a real push with our season ticket numbers to reach the levels we expect.”