Commissioner talks about economy . . .

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Like most people and businesses, the WHL is bracing for the impending arrival of the gathering economic storm.
“The growth pattern we have been on . . . right now we are forecasting that to be flat or be off 10 per cent,” commissioner Ron Robison told a news conference Wednesday in the Kamloops Blazers’ boardroom at Interior Savings Centre. “We aren’t in the doom-and-gloom scenario
but . . . there certainly is going to be some impact.”
Robison said the 22-team WHL recently brought all of its marketing directors into Calgary for a conference.
“We addressed that right off the top, as to how we want to
position ourselves going forward, anticipating that we are going to be
affected like everyone else,” Robison said.
One prong of the attack involves more aggressive attempts to sell season tickets.
“We have to increase the season-ticket base,” Robison said. “We have to sell the inventory.
“We are too reliant on those casual sales and, when you get a downturn in the economy, you have to make sure your inventory is sold well in advance. That’s our focus right now.”
The commissioner added that the WHL feels it is well-positioned to deal with whatever situations may arise in the future.
“When you look at our price points, whether it’s tickets or sponsorships and so forth . . . we deliver great value,” he said. “But having said that, no one is not going to be affected and we are going to have to position oursleves in a very attractive and more competitive position.”
The WHL and its teams did most of their selling for this season over the summer of 2008, before the depths to which the economy appears to be sinking really became known. The approaching summer, then, might be a bit of a battle, something Robison said the WHL already is noticing.
“We don’t see it from a ticket-revenue perspective,” he said, “but we do see that in sponsorship and the larger long-term types of deals we are trying to negotiate.
“From a league perspective, we have a number of renewals coming up at the end of this season and we are already seeing corporations saying budgets are frozen or we’re going to be cut back in a 10 or 20 per
cent position, so we’ve got to look at things a little differently.”
Robison said a large part of the WHL’s game plan is to “develop new streams of revenue.” That will involve its teams becoming more involved in the communities in which they operate.
“When we look at sponsorship programs going forward we are looking at tying ourselves more closely to the community through cause-related programs,” he explained, “and attempting to connect ourselves into areas that have a real attachment to the community.
“Corporate research being done right now . . . a lot of it is based on the fact that corporations will continue to participate if there is a broad benefit to the community. We are looking to try and partner with that and become more of a medium or vehicle for delivery of thoses benefits as opposed to the property itself.”
At the same time, the WHL is keeping a close eye on expenses.
“Our costs are low going in,” he said. “We aren’t going to be adding new
initiatives . . . things that are on the baord will be put on hold until we
are able to secure the funding.”
One thing that is going forward is the implementation of video replay for all playoff games, something that was available only in the championship final the last two seasons.
The cost of equipment, Robison said, is $150,000. That doesn’t include the cost of installation to get overhead cameras above every net in the league.
“We are set up and ready to go,” Robison said. “We will make a decision on whether we will go 100 per cent in the regular season and that will be decided later. We will talk to the general managers in March.”
Among other things revealed by Robison:
l In terms of attendance, last weekend was the best in WHL history. There were four games that each drew more than 10,000 fans.
l Robison said “about 20” players have been selected for post-game random drug tests since the policy came into place in November. He said there haven’t been any positive tests.
Robison said he expects about 15 per cent of all players to be tested this season, with that number rising to 25 per cent next season.
“The focus,” he said, “is not on testing; it’s on education.”
l Robison said the WHL is “very happy where we are with” the Kamloops franchise under owners Tom Gaglardi, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Mark Recchi and Darryl Sydor, who took over the team in October 2007.
“It’s very rare that I get the opportunity to come into a centre where there really aren’t any issues . . . there really aren’t any concerns,” Robison said.
l Robison admitted that the WHL has cut a deal with the American Hockey League that will keep it out of Winnipeg. The Manitoba capital is home to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
“One of the most attractive markets for us has been Winnipeg . . . and we have agreed with the American Hockey League not to enter that market because we don’t believe two teams of similarly equal leagues could co-exist in that market,” he said.
At the same time, he said, the WHL is monitoring the situation in Abbotsford, which has been rumoured as the future home of the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate.
“Bring a team into Abbotsford and combine that with the (WHL’s) Chilliwack franchise,” he said, “and we believe both would be impacted.
“We are monitoring that very closely and in discussion with the AHL and they certainly know our views on that.”

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca