It’s still early in the season, and I’m sure nobody in the Muskegon Lumberjacks front office is fretting over ticket sales and attendance.
But the top dogs can’t be thrilled, either.
The L. C. Walker Arena can comfortably seat about 5,000 per game, yet the Lumberjacks continue to draw somewhere in the 2,000 range – usually a few hundred less – for just about every home game.
And it’s pretty much been that way for all four seasons of their existence.
This team deserves to have more fans in the seats. The Lumberjacks aren’t in first place, but they aren’t very far out. They win their share of games, never get blown out and never give up. They are an interesting team to watch.
Saturday night was a perfect example. The Lumberjacks didn’t play particularly well and trailed after two periods, but came roaring back with two goals in the final period to beat Youngstown 4-3.
Matt Mendelson scored the dramatic game-winner with just 14 seconds remaining. Yet only about 1,800 fans were on hand to see what turned out to be a great game.
I don’t pretend to have any inside knowledge about the economics of our hockey franchise. I have no idea how many tickets the club needs to sell to break even, or perhaps make a bit of money.
But common sense tells us that having as many as 3,000 empty seats every game can’t be making anybody in the front office jump for joy.
Remember, the Lumberjacks have a new ownership group this year, and they aren’t from these parts. They have no long-term loyalty to our area. They are business people. Either they will make enough money to meet their goals or they won’t.
If they don’t, they could conceivably move to another city, and that could finally be the end of higher-level, fan-based hockey in Muskegon.
That would be a terrible shame.
I know several long-term local hockey fans who have never given the Lumberjacks a chance, since they joined the United States Hockey League, a junior development circuit for top amateurs in their late teens.
They say they miss professional hockey in Muskegon and don’t want to spend money to watch a bunch of high school kids.
But these aren’t just any high school-age players. These are some of the top young prospects in the game, and more than a few of them will eventually surface in the National Hockey League.
They put on a fast, entertaining show, and there really isn’t much difference between their quality of play and the professionals who were here before.
Remember, the old Muskegon Fury and Lumberjacks professional teams were comprised of low-level pros, most of whom had little chance of moving up the ladder. The talent level of the USHL is noticeably superior. The players are just a bit younger.
The current Lumberjack team has been getting better and more intriguing as the weeks have gone by.
They started out as a group of players drafted by the old management team, which departed when the club was sold last summer. The new coach, Todd Krygier, had to come in and sort through a bunch of young players he knew little about and somehow fashion a competitive roster.
He’s done just that, with the help of a few trades in recent weeks to bring in more of the gritty, physical type of players the team was lacking. The Lumberjacks are currently 9-7-3 and playing better all the time. They are only a few points out of first place in the USHL’s Eastern Conference, and they’ve won three out of their last four home games.
The coolest thing about this team is its “never say die” attitude. Fifteen of its 19 games have been settled by one goal, and several have gone to overtime and shootouts.
As Krygier points out, the Lumberjacks sometimes make mistakes, but they keep clawing their way back.
Why is Muskegon the home for this exciting young development team? Because we’ve earned reputation as being a hockey town. We supported a professional franchise for more than 50 years, so USHL officials were willing to bet that we would provide a good home, and a solid fan base, for talented young players as they move their way toward the pro ranks.
Are we still a hockey town?
It would be great if all the sports fans around the area – and there are thousands – would take in a game or two every year and give this team a chance.
We still have quality hockey here in Muskegon. It would be foolish and tragic if we eventually lost another team due to our stubborn apathy.
Just a comment, and its not meant to be negative or pointing fingers….just sharing some of the comments that were recently stated from a couple of prominent business people from the Muskegon community. The Lumberjacks are "invisible." Their words, not mine. I know the new ownership and management team are trying to change the perception of this organization and this will help. However, it may be that the product needs to be sold to the community in much the say way a hockey is sold in a non-traditional hockey market. Create the buzz….make the hockey games the the best party in town and the place that everyone wants to be seen. The product is good, but it is the experience that should be marketed to the community and not just the hockey. Good Luck Jacks.
Hard to want to pay the ticket prices they ask when for the same price you can go the Grand Rapids and watch the Griffins.
The same ticket price as the Griffins? I have scoured the Griffs site and have yet to see a 10 dollar ticket. Now if your lazy then the most expensive Jacks ticket is 13.50 and the cheapest Griffs ticket is 16 day of the game. I could care less if people go to either game but if your gonna spout off at the mouth at least get your facts right.
Friday night college night any valid college ID gets you a $10 upper level ticket.
I apologize I was using last years info haven't been to a game yet this year. It's now $11 in advance or $13 day of for Griffins on Friday nights with college ID so Chris maybe it's just a difference of situation than me not having my facts straight
Or the alcohol talking in me. I came across as an ass, my apologies!