It is that time of year when I check in on how attendance is faring across the NHL. This is data, not an indictment of any fan base. It is natural for teams take a hit in attendance with extended periods of playoff droughts that are inevitable for all teams. There are also many other factors that should go into determining overall health of a franchise such as ticket prices, TV ratings, sponsorship deals, and merchandise sales, attendance is just one small part of the picture.
TEAM BY TEAM CHANGE IN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE
In relatively predictable manner, the teams that are on up swing on the ice, are seeing a resurgence in attendance, while teams that have missed the playoffs the last few seasons have seen a drop in attendance.
SELL OUTS
Another metric I like to look at is the % of games that are sold out. As a league, there is no change year over year but it gets more interesting when you look at it on a team by team basis.
Here is one last detailed view of how all the teams are trending season over season.
New York Islanders
For those that don’t know, the New York Islanders have a unique situation where they are splitting their home games between Barclays-Brooklyn and NYCB Live-Nassau Coliseum. For a look at their attendance I put this chart together.
Bobby Skinner didn’t make every hockey team he tried out for and was cut on more than one occasion.
Those setbacks didn’t stop him from pushing forward, however. He would work on his game, improve his fitness, he would persevere. That dedication to the sport eventually paid off as the defenseman made the cut to play for the Seattle Jr. Totems where he would become captain during his second season. That self-belief and drive led to him to Boise State University after his Totems days, to play hockey for the Broncos.
Boise State’s Bobby Skinner lost his life in August of 2019. (Skinner family)
The loss of a child is every parent’s worst nightmare and Skinner’s mother and father, Tricia and Bob Skinner, want to honor their only son’s legacy by giving back to the local Seattle hockey community that Bobby loved so much. The Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund has been created in his memory to provide assistance for kids and families to have easier access to hockey.
“We wanted to do something good out of what happened with this tragedy,” Tricia Skinner says. “Bobby loved hockey, he loved helping people. I kind of came up with the hockey for all idea. Especially for minorities who can’t afford it and kids with single parents who have trouble getting there and costs.
“I want it to be a community, build more of a community and make it more accessible. Make it a fun sport, kind of like soccer. Maybe, make it an after school hockey program so we could pick up kids from school on a bus.”
Thanks to a family connection the fund’s initial gift, and ongoing support, is coming from the Ackerley Foundation.
Christopher and Ted Ackerely are part of the investment and ownership group of NHL Seattle but the desire to be a part of the Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund was inspired by Bobby’s story and journey.
“I think the thing that really struck me was his being so young,” Ted Ackerley says. “I knew he was a hockey player and how well loved he was by his teammates. I didn’t know him personally, but I know that he was having a big impact in Boise.”
Prior to playing at Boise State, Bobby Skinner played for the Seattle Jr. Totems. (Skinner family)
The Fund will start with a balance of $100,000 with the Ackerley’s gifting $25,000 initially. The remaining funds will come from a number of contributors. The hope is that through the initial funding and public donations, it can become a long-standing program to give back to the local community.
A board will be established and planning for initiatives and proposals are still in their early stages.
“To have the opportunity to launch something that comes from such a heartfelt place with the tragic events I think will resonate with people,” Ackerley says. “We’re excited to be part of something that will come from a good place. We think families and kids from across the region will want to support and I think ultimately over the next 10, 20 years people will look back to this spot and say that was a real catalyst to make hockey more accessible and affordable to a lot of kids who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to.”
Helping others and giving back to the community are all traits that describe Bobby Skinner and how he lived his short life.
Born in New Jersey, Skinner got into hockey thanks to his father, Bob, who initially was looking for an outlet for his son’s pent up energy. The family would move to Seattle in 2002 and Skinner would go on to play for both Seattle Junior and SnoKing.
Bobby Skinner played for both Seattle Junior and SnoKing hockey. (Skinner family)
He would eventually move to Idaho and play for the Compete Hockey Academy before playing for the Wenatchee Wolves prior to landing with the Totems.
“(Hockey) was a very important part of his life,” Bob Skinner says. “It was the basis for a lot of friendships. It was the basis for his confidence and personal growth.”
After Skinner’s death, an outpouring of grief and love flowed from the hockey Community. The Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL honored him before an early season game and created a Bobby Skinner Youth Hockey Foundation to fund Idaho youth hockey.
Skinner’s teammates also expressed their grief. Listening and hearing how they describe him, you can understand how he was selected captain with the Totems.
One teammate, Sam Hauser, not only played alongside Skinner, but also billeted with the Skinner family. Hauser penned a heartfelt letter to his lost mate after Skinner’s passing.
“There wasn’t a person that you didn’t strive to make happy,” Hauser wrote. “It was the quality I have always admired most about you. Your never-ending desire to make others feel loved and wanted is something that I didn’t know existed until I met you. Whether it was going to hangout with someone that was having a tough day or showing a new teammate around Seattle, you never felt you were too important to give your time and energy to others.”
Skinner not only loved hockey but he was driven to explore life.
He saved up money by working in the off season to travel to Thailand. He studied Muay Thai kick-boxing and dreamed of opening up a taco stand while there.
“He would have done it, too,” Tricia Skinner says.
Bobby Skinner (right) with his Boise State teammates. (Skinner family)
Skinner’s death is a loss to not only his family and friends but to the Northwest hockey scene as well.
The creation of a memorial fund in his name will be able to give back to the sport that gave him so much. It cements his legacy and honors him by holding the same attributes and characteristics that he did. The hockey community is close-nit and this initiative will help it grow as well as help the Skinners with the loss of their son.
“For me to jump into something like this, it will help me move forward.” Tricia Skinner says. “I can’t even explain the gratitude we have.”
Donations can be made online as well as directly via check sent to the Bobby Skinner Memorial Fund at PO Box 1773 – Woodinville, WA 98072.
WOW! This is another BIG episode, with another BIG-TIME guest!
Fresh off of competing in the Elite Women’s 3-on-3 for Team USA, where she scored the loan goal for the Stars and Stripes, the legendary HILARY KNIGHT joins Sound of Hockey for an awesome interview!
With Hilary, the guys discuss her experiences at the NHL All-Star Game and what it meant to her to be able to compete on such a huge stage. She also gives her first-hand account of why the #ForTheGame Movement is so important, and how a viable women’s professional hockey league should actually look. Oh, and of course she dishes some trash talk toward Team Canada, because why wouldn’t she?
Also in this episode, John, Andy, and Darren chat about the All-Star Game and some of its memorable (and not-so-memorable) moments, consider the news of potential changes to the AHL and how they could impact Seattle, and argue over ferry schedules.
During his 16-year NHL career Stu Barnes played with many different teams. Monday, the NHL Seattle pro scout met his new team in person for the first time since joining the expansion franchise in September.
Barnes, along with the rest of the Seattle scouting group are in town to meet each other and go over preliminary scouting reports with General Manager Ron Francis, Assistant General Manager Ricky Olczyk, and Director of Hockey Administration Alexandra Mandrycky.
All five scouts will be appearing Tuesday night at the Pacific Science Center for a public forum to talk about the scouting process. Barnes will be on the stage along with Cammi Granato, Ulf Samuelsson, Dave Hunter, and John Goodwin.
“I knew Ronnie from playing with him in Pittsburgh and Ulfie I knew a little from playing against and mutual friends,” Barnes says about his new teammates. “Getting to meet the other guys has been great. I talked to Ricky a lot on the phone this fall. It’s a nice bunch of people and to see the office and the excitement, it’s awesome.”
His time with NHL Seattle has just begun but Barnes is not new to Seattle or the Northwest.
Barnes started his hockey journey across the border playing in the Western Hockey League with the New Westminster Bruins in 1987. He burst out with a strong rookie season by scoring 37 goals while piling up 101 points.
At the conclusion of that season, the Bruins packed up and relocated to Kennewick, giving berth to the Tri-City Americans.
“All of a sudden we’re moving to Tri-City and nobody really knew where that was,” Barnes says. “We went down in the summer for a preview on the Fourth of July and it was hot, it was like 105 degrees, and I’m from Edmonton.”
Stu Barnes played with the Tri-City Americans during their first two seasons in the WHL. (Tri-City Americans photo)
When the following season rolled around, the arena in Kennewick wasn’t ready so the team had to start on the road for the first 17 games.
The road start didn’t hurt Barnes’ game. He would score 59 goals that first year in Tri-City, along with an astonishing 82 assists as the Americans made the playoffs in their inaugural season.
“We were sold out every night,” Barnes says. “We had some good players. I think we had four guys who ended up playing significant time in the NHL.”
At the end of the season, Barnes was selected fourth overall in the 1989 NHL Draft by the Winnipeg Jets.
Before he embarked on his pro career he would return to Tri-City for one more season in 1989-1990 and turned in another monster campaign with 52 more goals, 91 assists and 144 points. He would make his NHL debut with the Jets in 1991 and go on to play 1,136 games with the Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars.
His NHL career saw him play in the Stanley Cup Final with Florida and Buffalo and he was a teammate of Francis’ in Pittsburgh.
As Barnes left the Northwest his connection to the region didn’t end.
He met his wife during his time in Kennewick and maintained an off-season home there for many years, as did his Americans’ teammate Olaf Kolzig. In 2004, a chance to purchase an ownership stake in the Americans presented itself and the former teammates jumped at it.
The duo has owned the club since.
“We were lucky because we had such a good experience,” Barnes says. “When we got involved, we wanted our guys to have a great experience. Obviously you want to be successful with wins and all that kind of stuff, but in the end we wanted players to come into our organization and spend whatever amount of time they’re there, and when they move on say ‘what a great experience that was, I had a great time’. Hopefully they move on to play pro hockey or go on to use their scholarship.”
As a player in the WHL with New Westminster and Tri-City, Barnes would play many games in Seattle.
After playing junior with the Tri-City Americans, Stu Barnes is now part of the team’s ownership group. (Tri-City Americans photo)
He played against the Thunderbirds in the old Mercer Arena as well as appearing under the iconic roof at what was the Seattle Coliseum. He was on the visitor’s side but remembers the hockey scene in Seattle well.
“Great fans,” Barnes says. “I know my second year in the league they had a really good team. Glen Goodall was scoring at will, he was an automatic three, four points a night guy. What an atmosphere it was. It was always loud, and they cranked that Gary Glitter ‘Rock n Roll’ song. I heard that thing about eight times a night every time I came in here. It was fun.”
Transition to scouting
Barnes retired from the NHL as a player in 2008. His career ended with the Dallas Stars and he would go on to work for the Stars as an assistant coach and consultant.
When the opportunity to join NHL Seattle arose, it was an easy decision.
“Just the connection over the years with this part of the world,” he adds. “I have family in the area, in Tri-City, and always thought what a fantastic hockey town this is. I played here for three years against the Thunderbirds and love the city and this part of the country.”
Based out of Dallas, where he makes his home now, Barnes has been on the job since the start of the NHL season.
He and his fellow pro scouts have started the process to prepare NHL Seattle for the expansion draft in 2021. They are scouting current NHL players, gathering information and thoughts on who might be available and who looks to be the right type of player to bring on.
“Everybody wants, obviously, players that are high skilled and competitive,” Barnes says. “I think for now it’s about getting a good, strong base of knowledge about as many players as possible.”
Barnes has never worked full time as a scout before but as an assistant coach has experience in player evaluation. A big part of coaching is breaking down film on your players as well as pre scouting your opponents.
His experience behind the bench and on the ice as a player is a valuable asset but Barnes says that scouting has been a transition for him.
“It’s less stress,” Barnes says with a smile. “With the situation we’re in we are looking out a year and half from now. As a player and coach, I think everything is ‘right now’. You have to win now, score now, don’t make a mistake now. It’s different but it’s been a learning experience and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
As a player and owner in Tri-City, Barnes has had an impact on Northwest hockey for three decades. Now with NHL Seattle, his impact on the local hockey scene continues to grow as hockey grows in Seattle.
I will be doing a series of posts on the Vegas Golden Knights to help understand likely scenarios for Seattle in just 15 months’ time when Seattle starts building their roster. This first post is taking a look at how Vegas approached their NHL Expansion Draft.
Pre NHL Expansion Draft
The Vegas Golden Knights were able to accumulate two groups of assets: 1) the right (and obligation) to select one player from each of the 30 existing teams in the Expansion Draft 2) NHL Entry Draft Picks. There are rules and requirements of the Expansion Draft, but that is a post for a different time. There were also a couple Free Agent signings before the Expansion Draft, but the focus of this first post is on the assets Vegas accumulated in that Expansion Draft. Vegas’s negotiations of Expansion Draft player selections also had a major impact to their Entry Draft Picks. As a matter of setting a visual baseline, here is simply what Vegas’s Expansion Draft selection and Entry Draft Picks would have looked like at the start. Just like all NHL teams, the Vegas Golden Knights are entitled to 7 NHL Entry Draft Picks per year.
I know this is a simple bar chart that probably doesn’t need to be a standalone visual but just bear with me a bit.
Requirements and Side Deals
The expansion rules stated that the Golden Knights were required to select one unprotected Expansion Draft eligible player per team in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft. There was a lot of nuance in the expansion rules in regards to protecting players, but to keep it simple, let’s just assume one player must be selected from each NHL team. What is also allowed, which was used strategically by Vegas, is the negotiation of terms of their player selection with each respected team. This is commonly referred to as a “Side Deal”. An example of this was when Anaheim agreed to trade Shea Theodore to Vegas if Vegas selected Clayton Stoner in the Expansion Draft. Clayton Stoner was injured and would never play another NHL game. Theodore was a young up and coming defenseman for Anaheim. Vegas gets a young prospect while Anaheim would get the Clayton Stoner contract and financial commitment taken off their books. There was a total of 10 Side Deals in the Expansion Draft that netted the Golden Knights an additional 6 players, 10 Entry Draft picks, and signing rights to one player.
Summary of the Expansion Draft.
From a player perspective, this is how players were acquired in the Expansion Draft.
Notes: In the example above, Clayton Stoner would be considered “Expansion” while Shea Theodore would be considered “Expansion (Trade)”. Nikita Gusev was unsigned at the time of the Expansion Draft but his NHL rights were owned by Tampa Bay and traded to Vegas via a “Side Deal”. That asset is classified as “Expansion (Trade-Rights)” in the chart above.
Expansion Draft Detail
Shuffle the Assets
The makeup of the Golden Knights assets from the Expansion Draft would start to morph over time as the Golden Knights would start to shuffle things around. Keep in mind that an NHL roster carries 23 players and even with Vegas’s AHL team it was inevitable that Vegas would need to cut down its player assets.
At a high-level, there were 4 different scenarios that would play out of these player assets.
Left Via UFA – This is a scenario where Vegas drafted a player that they knew would become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st (a week later). This would imply they had no intention of signing this impeding and free agent and did not see any other notable assets on the NHL team’s roster from which they came. Thorburn (WPG), Brickley (CAR), & Berube (NYI) are the players in this category.
The Flip-Trade – In this scenario, the Golden Knights more than likely had a predetermined arrangement with another NHL Team that if Vegas chose player X on Team A, then Team B would then trade assets 1 & 2 to Vegas for player X. There were 4 players that were immediately traded to another NHL Team, quite literally, the very next day after being drafted in the Expansion Draft. Emeline (MON -> NSH), Schlemko (SJS -> MON), Methot (OTT -> DAL), and van Riemsdyk (CHI -> CAR) are in this category.
LTIR/ Salary Dump – this is a scenario where a team had some deadweight on their roster that was eating into their salary cap. Vegas would have a lot of room in their salary cap and could take on the cap-hit in exchange for other assets. Stoner (ANA), Clarkson (CBJ), and Grabovski (NYI) fit in this category. (LTIR = Long Term Injured Reserve)
Trade – This was more of a conventional trade that really didn’t have anything to do with the Expansion Draft other than the asset. Calvin Pickard was acquired in the Expansion Draft, but was traded to Toronto in October after Vegas would claim Malcom Subban (not reflected in chart below) off waivers right before the inaugural season.
Start of the inaugural Season
Here is a final look at the players that were acquired directly or indirectly via Expansion Draft that would start the 2017-18 season as property of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Of course, one of the biggest stories with the Expansion Draft was how Vegas accumulated NHL Entry Draft picks. Draft picks were acquired in the Side Deals and the Flip-trades. Vegas would acquire a net of an additional 14 draft picks via Side Deals and trades.
The Seattle expansion might not look like the Vegas Expansion Draft, but the scenarios will be similar. Most pundits are forecasting that there won’t be a lot of Side Deals available for the Seattle Expansion Draft. It’s possible, but there will be teams with too many quality assets at one position that would require exposing those assets in the Expansion Draft. Teams could be motivated to trade a prospect or two, to keep Seattle from selecting an unprotected player. Furthermore, there will likely be salary cap issues of some NHL teams that can be exploited for Seattle. For more information on the Expansion draft rules, check out this post on NHL.com.
In the next post, I will dig into how these assets were used in the 2017-18 season. For players, it will be where they played and for the entry draft picks, how they were utilized (i.e. picks or trades).
HUMONGOUS episode of Sound of Hockey this week, as the guys welcome Julie Stewart-Binks, host of the Fubo Sports Network’s “Call it a Night with Julie Stewart-Binks” and “Drinks with Binks.”
With Julie, the guys discuss her very unique career covering MLB, MLS, and (of course) the NHL, where she spent several seasons reporting on the Ducks and Kings, among others. Also with Julie, lots of chatter about her beloved Maple Leafs and her thoughts on Seattle as a sports market.
Aside from the very fun interview with Julie, there’s just generally good banter this week, with some Seattle updates, another coach getting fired and quickly replaced, memories from the KHL All-Star Game, and some serious consideration about whether Alex Ovechkin is the best goal scorer of all time. John also forces Darren to talk about the Blackhawks for some reason.
Segments this week include Goalie Gear Corner, Weekly One-Timers, and Games on the Radar.
