Post by thegardens on Oct 12, 2011 13:16:04 GMT -6
Well first, i'm not a Winnipeger but was @ the home opener Sunday. Please understand i'm not here to ruffle feathers. Please do not respond if you are wanting to make me understand i'm hurting your feelings. This is to discuss what I and many others believe that TNSE made direct mistakes at the home opener, and what indirect problems TNSE has currently as owners of the MTS Centre and Winnipeg Jets.
I am just stating simple facts that I believe was a major dissapointed that many around the world watching felt and what i'm hearing still today.
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On the gameday entertainment
All in a all. There should have been a MC like the Jets farwell.
I remember in the '90s visiting wpg arena and was a treat to see the Jets traditions that were their own unique special idendity such as the 'GO JETS GO' the team entrance with music -top gun and jump - and the Jets engine sound after goals. This was lacking on Sunday. I heard rock and roll songs that have no place in hockey that eliminates the flow of excitement in the game.
The entire NHL, world is watching this massive NHL return to the city of Winnipeg and it went unnoticed. Why TNSE chose not to honor the past Jets. You have Tkatchuk, Steen, Hawerchuck in the building and not once did TNSE honor them. They should have had a pregame ceromony with them and other Jets players. Randy Gilhen was sitting next to me before the game. Bring back Bobby Hull, Hedberg,etc. Raise the old Jets banners. This was a major story about the Jets returning and not once did TNSE provide the value of it's return to the people inside the building and for those watching on television. Epic fail.
TNSE contradicts themselves suggesting they want new idendity but keep all Moose belongings. Nobody in the NHL outside of Winnipeg cares about TNSE story.
The world wanted to see a celebration of Winnipeg Jets hockey and all we got was a puck drop and a game. CBC did more for Jets hockey than TNSE, and they are the owners.
The Jets fans couldn't have honored Bettman, or Chipman in anyway other than seeing them walk to the centre ice so fast to drop the puck.
Also the gameday entertainment is going to really be horrible for Jets fans this season There is no true idendity for Jets 2.0 other than it seems everything is done very small. Where is the Jets entrance(jump) song. Where is a Jets sound when they score a goal or a key moment in the game. Where is the organ(other NHL buildings have it and the atmosphere is incredible. Chicago, Boston for example.
The Jets just don't have the personel that understand how to run a special gameday entertainment.
The Rick Rypien idea should have occured on another game day not the home opener. Sorry!
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First and foremost I was very impressed with downtown Winnipeg. I arrived Thur early morning and made my way to the Forks. I'm not into it for the fun times as I wasn't here with my family to have a vacation. I was here for business around the NHL returning and simply I was here to take everything in. I stayed at the Fairmont and watched the CBC games there.
I believe downtown Winnipeg is very underrated!
On gameday(sunday) I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of everyone in the city. It was like Grey Cup, or a Stanley Cup gameday. The MTS Centre is small. There is no plaza, main lobby like other NHL facilities. This hindered the pregame festivities.
The concourses are very small, however the problem is not the width it's the length of the concourses. Other arenas have similar issues but the arena is larger so there is combined extra space to move around and have more offerings like concessions, shops, restaurants,etc.
The first thing you notice walking into the seating area is that it's very intimidating like Don Cherry said. The fans will be on top of ya the whole game. It's extremely small however.
The jumbotron needs to go. This is the worst scoreboard in all of professional sports. Not even HD, but it's tiny. Everyone at CBC was discussing this as well. Also the sound system is the worst in the NHL. They only used max pro sound system which is basically to offer sound to the lower bowl. The speakers are above the scoreboard and are extremely below average. You can not hear the PA announcements at all. If you argue, you haven't been to other NHL buildings. PERIOD.
Not many of you know or care but the press box area is a mess. Very poorly designed and i'm aware that they just built it recently but by far the worst design facility in the NHL.
The Jets dressing room is very nice. Actually the basement area for the Jets management is actually above average basically because it's their own arena. The media room is tiny it feels like you in a attic.
To conlude. I feel the MTS Centre is a below average facility but it can be special if TNSE work at it and improve it's flaws. I think the downtown area with Jets hockey will go through the roof after this season and this alone can change a lot of things for the arena.
15,004 is small. Expansion could happen. And talking to many people around the Jets past week, another 1,000 seats are apparently in the cards but won't occur for another 2-3 seasons. And that is great news.
The crowd was fantastic. And it's just nice to see a hockey franchise with so much excitement have a wonderful foundation. TNSE just needs to do things a bit bigger, and create a proper tradidtion.
Or this will fail. Because as of now. They are below average.
I am just stating simple facts that I believe was a major dissapointed that many around the world watching felt and what i'm hearing still today.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
On the gameday entertainment
All in a all. There should have been a MC like the Jets farwell.
I remember in the '90s visiting wpg arena and was a treat to see the Jets traditions that were their own unique special idendity such as the 'GO JETS GO' the team entrance with music -top gun and jump - and the Jets engine sound after goals. This was lacking on Sunday. I heard rock and roll songs that have no place in hockey that eliminates the flow of excitement in the game.
The entire NHL, world is watching this massive NHL return to the city of Winnipeg and it went unnoticed. Why TNSE chose not to honor the past Jets. You have Tkatchuk, Steen, Hawerchuck in the building and not once did TNSE honor them. They should have had a pregame ceromony with them and other Jets players. Randy Gilhen was sitting next to me before the game. Bring back Bobby Hull, Hedberg,etc. Raise the old Jets banners. This was a major story about the Jets returning and not once did TNSE provide the value of it's return to the people inside the building and for those watching on television. Epic fail.
TNSE contradicts themselves suggesting they want new idendity but keep all Moose belongings. Nobody in the NHL outside of Winnipeg cares about TNSE story.
The world wanted to see a celebration of Winnipeg Jets hockey and all we got was a puck drop and a game. CBC did more for Jets hockey than TNSE, and they are the owners.
The Jets fans couldn't have honored Bettman, or Chipman in anyway other than seeing them walk to the centre ice so fast to drop the puck.
Also the gameday entertainment is going to really be horrible for Jets fans this season There is no true idendity for Jets 2.0 other than it seems everything is done very small. Where is the Jets entrance(jump) song. Where is a Jets sound when they score a goal or a key moment in the game. Where is the organ(other NHL buildings have it and the atmosphere is incredible. Chicago, Boston for example.
The Jets just don't have the personel that understand how to run a special gameday entertainment.
The Rick Rypien idea should have occured on another game day not the home opener. Sorry!
--------------------------------------------
First and foremost I was very impressed with downtown Winnipeg. I arrived Thur early morning and made my way to the Forks. I'm not into it for the fun times as I wasn't here with my family to have a vacation. I was here for business around the NHL returning and simply I was here to take everything in. I stayed at the Fairmont and watched the CBC games there.
I believe downtown Winnipeg is very underrated!
On gameday(sunday) I was very impressed with the enthusiasm of everyone in the city. It was like Grey Cup, or a Stanley Cup gameday. The MTS Centre is small. There is no plaza, main lobby like other NHL facilities. This hindered the pregame festivities.
The concourses are very small, however the problem is not the width it's the length of the concourses. Other arenas have similar issues but the arena is larger so there is combined extra space to move around and have more offerings like concessions, shops, restaurants,etc.
The first thing you notice walking into the seating area is that it's very intimidating like Don Cherry said. The fans will be on top of ya the whole game. It's extremely small however.
The jumbotron needs to go. This is the worst scoreboard in all of professional sports. Not even HD, but it's tiny. Everyone at CBC was discussing this as well. Also the sound system is the worst in the NHL. They only used max pro sound system which is basically to offer sound to the lower bowl. The speakers are above the scoreboard and are extremely below average. You can not hear the PA announcements at all. If you argue, you haven't been to other NHL buildings. PERIOD.
Not many of you know or care but the press box area is a mess. Very poorly designed and i'm aware that they just built it recently but by far the worst design facility in the NHL.
The Jets dressing room is very nice. Actually the basement area for the Jets management is actually above average basically because it's their own arena. The media room is tiny it feels like you in a attic.
To conlude. I feel the MTS Centre is a below average facility but it can be special if TNSE work at it and improve it's flaws. I think the downtown area with Jets hockey will go through the roof after this season and this alone can change a lot of things for the arena.
15,004 is small. Expansion could happen. And talking to many people around the Jets past week, another 1,000 seats are apparently in the cards but won't occur for another 2-3 seasons. And that is great news.
The crowd was fantastic. And it's just nice to see a hockey franchise with so much excitement have a wonderful foundation. TNSE just needs to do things a bit bigger, and create a proper tradidtion.
Or this will fail. Because as of now. They are below average.