swflyers25
7-24-05, 11:39 PM
http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20040124/nash_78188.jpg
Canadian Press
7/24/2005 2:11:38 PM
Doug MacLean sighs at the end of the phone when asked how he feels when time and time again his Columbus Blue Jackets get lumped with Florida, Nashville, Carolina, Anaheim and Atlanta as markets that may struggle mightily coming out of the NHL lockout.
"It irks me to no end," says the Jackets GM. "And I've said it on more than one occasion to the ones who have said it. It just seems to be an easy name to throw in that mix. It's out of ignorance is what it is. It's a lack of knowledge of what's really going on in our market."
If ticket sales are any indication, the Jackets remain a hot item despite the year without hockey. The club is sitting at over 12,000 season tickets, with 70 per cent of the holders keeping their full investment on their account during the lockout. The Jackets averaged 17,376 fans per game at the 18,136-seat Nationwide Arena in 2003-04, including 16 sellouts. They've sold out 95 of their last 138 home games.
"People who say they want to get rid of Columbus, that's just frustrating," says Jackets centre Todd Marchant. "They've obviously never seen a game there or else they would never dream of thinking that.
"When we get a Pittsburgh coming in on a Wednesday night and we sellout or close to, that says it all."
While apathy appears to reign in several U.S. markets, that's apparently not the case in Columbus, where the Jackets are the only professional team among the Big Four - though Ohio State football remains king.
Fans had just started to fall in love with the likes of Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev in 2003-04 before the lockout cut that short.
"There's great anticipation here," said MacLean. "And I think it comes back to our players. The last 20 games in our last season, when Zherdev got rid of his issues (getting out of a Russian contract), Rick was in the scoring race, the whole fan base finally realized: `Hey, we've got two of the best players in the world here.' That really jump-started it.
"Now there's a great buzz of where we're headed here. Everywhere I go, every person I talk to in the city and the state, people are excited."
Marchant feels the sky's the limit for the Jackets, a franchise that hopes to mirror the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars in terms of on-ice and off-ice success.
"I think Columbus will come out of this as good if not better than anyone," said Marchant, a former Oiler. "We'll be able to compete with the Detroits of the world. We have a great young core and unbelievable fans. It reminds me of Edmonton that way - the fans are phenomenal in Columbus."
The Jackets have an impressive young core led by Nash and Zherdev up front, Rostislav Klesla on defence and both Marc Denis and Pascal Leclaire in goal. Add in the likes of prospects such as Alexander Svitov and Dan Fritsche, and you begin to see a franchise with solid building blocks.
Sure they would have loved to have won the draft lottery Friday, given that they had three balls in it, but MacLean remains upbeat about where his team is.
"I think we're in tremendous shape and really poised to take a major step, from a personnel point and also from a fan, corporate and revenue standpoint. I don't see any downside to be quite frank."
MacLean figures he'll have about 17 players under contract at around $17 million US heading into free agency Aug. 1. He's got plenty of cap room to add a few free agents although he also has to re-sign Nash - a restricted free agent who will be looking to cash in after sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal-scorer with 41 in 2003-04.
"Were' going to try to do some fun things this summer that's going to make us a pretty good hockey team, I'm excited about that," MacLean said.
Nash, 21, returns to the NHL a different player, bringing his game to yet another level after a sensational world hockey championship for Team Canada in Austria in May and a superb season in Switzerland with Davos.
"It was the same for a lot of our guys," MacLean said. "He's the one that obviously jumps out, but it was a good experience for Klesla to go back and regain some confidence, it was great that Zherdev patched things up in Russia, it was great for Svitov to have a full year in the minors for the first time in his career and be an all-star, Fritsche wins the Memorial Cup in London, David Vyborny is the captain of the world champion Czech team in Austria - it was a huge year for a lot of our guys."
TSN (http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=131313)
Canadian Press
7/24/2005 2:11:38 PM
Doug MacLean sighs at the end of the phone when asked how he feels when time and time again his Columbus Blue Jackets get lumped with Florida, Nashville, Carolina, Anaheim and Atlanta as markets that may struggle mightily coming out of the NHL lockout.
"It irks me to no end," says the Jackets GM. "And I've said it on more than one occasion to the ones who have said it. It just seems to be an easy name to throw in that mix. It's out of ignorance is what it is. It's a lack of knowledge of what's really going on in our market."
If ticket sales are any indication, the Jackets remain a hot item despite the year without hockey. The club is sitting at over 12,000 season tickets, with 70 per cent of the holders keeping their full investment on their account during the lockout. The Jackets averaged 17,376 fans per game at the 18,136-seat Nationwide Arena in 2003-04, including 16 sellouts. They've sold out 95 of their last 138 home games.
"People who say they want to get rid of Columbus, that's just frustrating," says Jackets centre Todd Marchant. "They've obviously never seen a game there or else they would never dream of thinking that.
"When we get a Pittsburgh coming in on a Wednesday night and we sellout or close to, that says it all."
While apathy appears to reign in several U.S. markets, that's apparently not the case in Columbus, where the Jackets are the only professional team among the Big Four - though Ohio State football remains king.
Fans had just started to fall in love with the likes of Rick Nash and Nikolai Zherdev in 2003-04 before the lockout cut that short.
"There's great anticipation here," said MacLean. "And I think it comes back to our players. The last 20 games in our last season, when Zherdev got rid of his issues (getting out of a Russian contract), Rick was in the scoring race, the whole fan base finally realized: `Hey, we've got two of the best players in the world here.' That really jump-started it.
"Now there's a great buzz of where we're headed here. Everywhere I go, every person I talk to in the city and the state, people are excited."
Marchant feels the sky's the limit for the Jackets, a franchise that hopes to mirror the Colorado Avalanche or Dallas Stars in terms of on-ice and off-ice success.
"I think Columbus will come out of this as good if not better than anyone," said Marchant, a former Oiler. "We'll be able to compete with the Detroits of the world. We have a great young core and unbelievable fans. It reminds me of Edmonton that way - the fans are phenomenal in Columbus."
The Jackets have an impressive young core led by Nash and Zherdev up front, Rostislav Klesla on defence and both Marc Denis and Pascal Leclaire in goal. Add in the likes of prospects such as Alexander Svitov and Dan Fritsche, and you begin to see a franchise with solid building blocks.
Sure they would have loved to have won the draft lottery Friday, given that they had three balls in it, but MacLean remains upbeat about where his team is.
"I think we're in tremendous shape and really poised to take a major step, from a personnel point and also from a fan, corporate and revenue standpoint. I don't see any downside to be quite frank."
MacLean figures he'll have about 17 players under contract at around $17 million US heading into free agency Aug. 1. He's got plenty of cap room to add a few free agents although he also has to re-sign Nash - a restricted free agent who will be looking to cash in after sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy as the league's top goal-scorer with 41 in 2003-04.
"Were' going to try to do some fun things this summer that's going to make us a pretty good hockey team, I'm excited about that," MacLean said.
Nash, 21, returns to the NHL a different player, bringing his game to yet another level after a sensational world hockey championship for Team Canada in Austria in May and a superb season in Switzerland with Davos.
"It was the same for a lot of our guys," MacLean said. "He's the one that obviously jumps out, but it was a good experience for Klesla to go back and regain some confidence, it was great that Zherdev patched things up in Russia, it was great for Svitov to have a full year in the minors for the first time in his career and be an all-star, Fritsche wins the Memorial Cup in London, David Vyborny is the captain of the world champion Czech team in Austria - it was a huge year for a lot of our guys."
TSN (http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story.asp?ID=131313)