How the price of admission can potentially cost the game: 9 Things

Customer Insights.

It is the kind of research that good businesses do to help them understand what their customers want or need, what they see as problems for them, and ultimately…how much are they willing to pay?

And yes, that should include NHL hockey clubs.

That and more in this edition of…

9. You just do not see many toe-to-toe tilts in the NHL anymore like the one between Trent Frederic and Jack McBain. Frederic’s play has been uneven since coming to Edmonton. But the guy answers the bell. Fighting is not everyone’s thing. But one glance at the Oilers bench tells you the impact it had.

8. Injuries eventually hit all teams over time. But I sure am curious to see this bunch at full strength. I believe this is a Top 5 team all day. However, until all the pieces can be fit together a puzzle is never complete. Was Saturday’s strong win in Utah a preview of more to come? More on that in just a minute…

7. A lack of discipline sinks ships. And hockey teams. I hated the bench minor taken by the Oilers Thursday. Blame the referee if you wish. But any player needs way better game recognition (you are only down 1-0 despite being soundly outplayed) than that. It is called shooting yourself in the foot.

6. I know many would have liked the Oilers to acquire a Connon Hellebuyck-quality starting netminder. It would have been nice. But so far, I am liking the bet placed on twenty-four-year-old Devon Levi and his $812,500 cap hit. If the supports put in place around him (Tristran Jarry, very good Saturday, and Freddie Andersen) prove sturdy enough, Edmonton could have something here.

5. Heading into Saturday’s action Evan Bouchard led all NHL defencemen in scoring with 15 points in seven games. Quinn Hughes was three behind him. But of the Top 10 blueliners, Bouchard’s +14 was a full nine ahead of his next closest rival, which was Cale Makar at +5. And of the Top 5 scoring D-man, Bouchard has the second fewest Power Play points (3). He added another assist and was +3 Saturday.

4. I was one of the people who did not quite get the pre-season rush to anoint Shakir Mukhamadullin as the Edmonton Oilers 3-RD. But to be fair, I had also not seen enough of him to have an informed opinion. And I do not watch any player on any team as closely as I watch the Oilers. My main takeaway of the player so far? Is that he does not play like a 6’5 D-man. Looks imposing on paper, maybe. But I am beginning to worry that “this dog don’t hunt”. With Jake Walman back Saturday, Mukhamadullin watched from the press box.

3. I am on team “play Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together”. Very few NHL teams can handle them. But it is all predicated on the depth at center ice behind them. I feel good if a healthy Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jason Dickinson are slotted in next. But age and injuries have exposed what I see as the biggest hole in the Oilers plan. I hear the calls for the club to acquire a shooter or even another goalie. But to my eye, nothing would make this team better than another guy down the middle. I like Colton Dach a bunch but still feel he is a winger.

2. For years, even throughout most of the Decade of Darkness, the Edmonton Oilers could count on a full barn, game-in and game-out. So, when that did not happen for the Utah game Thursday night (attendance of 16,176) it was an attention getter. I used to be a season ticket holder in Edmonton, so I have some perspective on this. I am pro-business and any owner would be damn lucky if theirs came to be seen as a premium product. Well, such are the Oilers. And Oilers owner Daryl Katz should not apologize for that. However, he will ultimately have to decide just how much the market will bear when it comes to ticket prices and all the costs associated with attending a game in person. As will every team.

1.But the bigger problem for the sport in general in the long term will be accessibility. And while each market will have some of its own unique factors, this is certainly not just an Edmonton problem. We are seeing it across the league. As the price of the in-game experience for the fan escalates, so too does the cost of staying home and watching. I had my issues with Hockey Night in Canada. You probably did too. But at least once a week, Canadians of most every socio-economic situation could “virtually” gather and enjoy our national obsession. Now, thanks to the National Hockey League and Rogers (in Canada) most everything is a subscription. As I have said before, I am not so sure that is “growing the game”.

What I am trying to say is that while growing revenues should be a hallmark of any successful business, you subsequently need to keep a close eye on whether your product remains within reach of your clientele. What do they need (or, in the case of an entertainment product such as hockey, what do they want), what barriers do they face, and what are they willing to pay? Because someday, some clients will consider another option. And your business needs to be ready with a satisfactory answer. They too often aren’t prepared for that. It is why businesses fail.

It is why so many parents put their kids in relatively inexpensive soccer instead of increasingly pricey minor hockey. It is part of the reason why Starbucks is closing stored across North America. And it is also why people watch movies at home instead of theatres…theatres, by the way, serving the same exorbitantly priced drinks and popcorn that Rogers Place does. Hint, hint.

In the end, are these businesses (such as NHL teams like the Edmonton Oilers) asking all their customer bases these questions and even more importantly…are they listening? Because the long-term health of the game depends on it.

*This article is not AI generated. It can be found on The Cult of Hockey website, as well as Twitter, Threads, Bluesky and Mastodon.

Bruce McCurdy, 1955-2025.

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