When the Fort Saskatchewan Traders jumped ship for the shiny confines of Servus Credit Union Place in 2007, the move was widely lauded as a coup for St. Albert, which had endured three lonely years without junior A hockey. St. Albert was, after all, considered a hockey town, with a storied junior A tradition courtesy of the St. Albert Saints and the team’s four league titles, and NHL products like Mark Messier, Troy Murray and Mike Comrie. Now in their fourth year, the St. Albert Steel haven’t won a playoff series let alone a championship, amid shrinking game attendance. The team’s fortunes off the ice appear to be mirroring the on-ice product, but instead of looking internally for solutions, the city is being asked to come up with a big save.
Steel team governor Kelly Smith appeared hat in hand at city council last week seeking a $125,000 annual operating subsidy for the next 10 years. The Steel have lost about $50,000 a year for the last two years, operating on an uneven playing surface compared to other Alberta Junior Hockey League teams that receive 100 per cent of arena advertising revenue (the Steel receive 60 per cent). Meanwhile the team averages just 450 fans a game. While Smith says the Steel is not threatening to pull up stakes, Ă la the Traders, if the city doesn’t follow through, the team will have to consider its options when the tenancy agreement with city hall expires in 2012.
The team’s predicament suggests the Steel have a way to go in terms of forging a strong bond with fans. Attendance has never averaged more than the 800 the city initially estimated would take in junior hockey in a gorgeous new 2,000 seat-arena. From a high of 760 per game during the inaugural season, average attendance has noticeably dwindled with two losing seasons in the team’s first three years. Current paid attendance might be pegged at 450 per game, however that number is flattering when looking at the actual number of empty red chairs in Performance Arena. Despite an above-500 record this season playing an entertaining, highly competitive brand of hockey, St. Albertans appear to have other things to do than pay $38 for a family of four, comparable to an evening out at the movies.
For a team still establishing itself in St. Albert, the Steel are putting city council in an awkward position and in the process risk alienating potential fans. The public’s sensitivity to property tax and spending increases has never been more pronounced, no doubt influenced by large projects like Ray Gibbon Drive, the Riel landfill project and Servus Place. The latter two in particular, while first-class additions to the community, have fuelled a sensitivity about public dollars used to subsidize recreational activities. In that climate, council cannot afford to put out the perception that the interests of a junior hockey club come before those of St. Albert taxpayers.
The Steel’s request falls even flatter when viewed in the wider context of future city hall spending. Despite a current property tax hit of 3.6 per cent, the 2011 budget is lean on new spending. No city council is about to scale back arterial road repairs ($2.5 million in 2011) or the addition of four new front-line RCMP officers and support staff (about $500,000 a year) for the sake of hockey. The fairness of such a request also has to be considered since the Steel are one of hundreds of not-for-profits that operate and raise funds in St. Albert; handing over cash to one could lead to more requests than council could support.
St. Albert will never turn up in numbers like in Fort McMurray or Grande Prairie where junior hockey is the main draw in town. But if the Steel is committed to this city — in the long-term — the team should refocus its efforts at building a connection to local fans. Just like other non-profits with tight budgets, that means grassroots community building by forging partnerships, fundraising and, most importantly, maintaining a visible presence in the community on and off the ice. Coupled with a winning team, hopefully that will be the recipe for success in St. Albert.
