>
>>The North Stars have trouble selling season tickets (only about
>>5,000 this sseason), the Gophers don't.
>
>And why do you think that is? I don't understand why the Stars do
>so poorly. At first glance, it would appear that they have
>fair-weather fans, since they drew so well a couple of years
>ago in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after playing to 6,000 people
>during the regular season. But Minn. hockey fans are so rabid and knowlegable,
>that doesn't make sense to me.
>
>Why hasn't the NHL caught on there?
>
>Chris Lerch
>
For one thing, season tix go by how you did last year.  Also, this franchise
has been pretty unstable the last few years and has really lost a lot of
public trust.  The Gunds' threats to move the team, and the musical coaches/
GMs/players stuff brought about by the robbery of the team done for the
Sharks' benefit didn't help AT ALL.  Now Green is basically just being a
weenie.  The Met Center sits on land adjacent to the Mall of America that
has, naturally increased greatly in value this past year, so the owners
of the Met Center aren't inclined to kiss Norm's butt (as far as lease
terms, suite revenues, and building improvements go) when they could make
a lot more money selling the land to developers.  Norm Green (owner of the
Stars) is shopping around for a better deal.
 
Also, the regular season in the NHL means very little, and we can go
watch high school hockey for a few bucks a game or college hockey until
mid-March and see some home-grown kids play.   Sometime after the people
recover from the State Tournament and WCHA Tournament in March, it's time
to start paying attention to NHL hockey.
Pam