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Possible change in start times at Penguins’ new arena?
by Tony on 02/07/10 at 09:26 AM ET
Comments (6)
Wanna pose a question for the Penguins fans who actually attend games on a regular basis. John Mehno of the Beaver County Times opined yesterday that when the Penguins move across the street to the Consol Energy Center that the Pens may attempt to move the start times back from 7:30PM to 7PM local. According to Mehno, the games were moved to 7:30 because “the downtown restaurant association whined that they were losing pre-game dinner business”. Mehno believes the Pens might try to change it back to 7PM, since the new arena will have a variety of options to have a pre-game meal.
A quick glance at the NHL schedule shows that most of the teams in the NHL start their games at 7:00PM local.
So I ask those of you who are season ticket holders or attend many games during the year: How much of a difference, positively or negatively, will changing the game start time back to 7PM make to you?
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Tags: NHL-Hockey, Pittsburgh+Penguins,
Comments
Well, I can appreciate a good tailgate, as well as your parking lot preferences, but I’m not sure the Penguins are putting that into much consideration…. 
Posted by Tony from Virginia Beach, VA on 02/07/10 at 10:14 AM ET
Not a Penguins fan, but I am a fan of a proposed 7PM start time. I’ll look the other way on the reasoning for dinner options, as it sounds like the management would be happy to overcharge while quietly “encouraging” fans to be forced to eat at their establishments with the compressed pre-game schedule.
As a viewer, I would love more games that are over by 10PM. It’s not the biggest deal if I miss a few minutes in the first period having dinner and getting settled, but missing the end of a good game is non-negotiable. Games ending around 10:30 puts a squeeze on me getting ready for a 6AM commute. Yes, I sound like an old man, but having to get up early is just a fact of life.
If I had season tix, I would still prefer the 7PM time, so I could get home from games at a slightly more reasonable hour during the workweek. I understand the time crunch between work and a 7PM game, but I doubt it would be prohibitive for a casual fan who only attends a few games per season, while earlier exits would make season ticket holders much happier. (at least… ticket holders that think like me)
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 02/07/10 at 05:40 PM ET
If I were in management, I would do a trial run to see how it affects attendance (particularly filling the seats at the puck-drop) and concession sales, for a few weeks, before moving.
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 02/07/10 at 05:42 PM ET
Regardless of whether they start at 7:00 or 7:30, they need to open the gates earlier, at least 1-1/2 hours before gametime, rather than the current one hour. That would give fans plenty of time to get into the new arena and partake of the eateries in there. Opening earlier would also reduce the size of the mob that congregates outside waiting to get in at the time of the gate opening.
Posted by Mike from Kennedy Township on 02/08/10 at 10:40 AM ET
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Believe it or not that extra half hour of a 7:30 start is HUGE. When there’s a 7:00 game, I typically have a harder time getting to the Mellon from work. I sit longer in traffic and usually miss the window to sneak into the East Lot before they close it down to parking passes only. Plus the 7:30 time gives my group of friends & family more tailgate or bar time pre-game. I guess at the new arena (Lemieux Gardens some of us are calling it) the 7:00 time may be ok if it’s true that the traffic patterns will change. It also depends on what type of establishments they put inside. If it’s overpriced typical arena/stadium restaurants, I’ll stick to my tailgate or heading down to the closest dive bar.
Posted by Annie on 02/07/10 at 10:05 AM ET