Doug Cifu, Florida Panthers owner, admits team losing millions

[Irishjim]

Florida Panthers co-owner Doug Cifu admits his team is bleeding money and that the franchise lost about $114,000 per day last season.

 

read full article here: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/doug-cifu-florida-panthers-owner-admits-team-losing-millions-1.2823450 

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Those owners are business men.  They use a lot of creative accounting to make it look like they are losing money.  I seriously doubt they are.  They may not be making as much as they want, but they aren't losing.

[fishbulb]

This is still a 'gate-driven' sport though AFF... and with Florida having games with only 6000 fans in the seats???  It's gotta hurt the bottom line.  And it's not like they are a 'nationally liked team' like Pitts, Philly, Leafs, Rags, etc.  I've NEVER EVER seen a panthers jersey on anyone.  So they can't be raking in the merchandise money either.

 

Bottom line:  That teams needs to be moved.... anywhere.

[Vanflyer]

They may not be making as much as they want, but they aren't losing.

 

Its always interesting to look at it with this view: http://www.forbes.com/nhl-valuations/#page:3_sort:0_direction:asc_search:

[Vanflyer]

This is still a 'gate-driven' sport though AFF... and with Florida having games with only 6000 fans in the seats???

 

While the gate certainly hurts and does affect the bottom line, the big money is on corporations (ie club boxes / suites) and TV contracts. I still think its idiotic to have hockey in the tropics (Miami), but when you look at the valuation list I posted from Forbes, there are 7 teams valued lower than Florida and two of the (NYI / St Louis blues) are in hockey "hot beds". Yet, like you said, its easy to show a "loss", yet still getting ROI.

[hf101]

Panthers' attendance last night against Toronto was 17,877.

 

With a team that has a shot at the playoffs the Comeback Cats may just keep selling more tickets.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Panthers' attendance last night against Toronto was 17,877.

 

With a team that has a shot at the playoffs the Comeback Cats may just keep selling more tickets.

 

That is all very well and good for the Panthers...and I wish them well in the attendance/revenue department, honestly, I do....but unfortunately for them, I would say a good three quarters of those in attendance at that game were Leaf fans.

 

One look into the crowd, and you can clearly see the blue Leafs jerseys, the cheering LOUDLY whenever the Leafs scored, and even the "GO LEAFS GO" chant throughout the game.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

Panthers' attendance last night against Toronto was 17,877.

 

With a team that has a shot at the playoffs the Comeback Cats may just keep selling more tickets.

19,614 for tonight's game against Montreal.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

19,614 for tonight's game against Montreal.

 

I bet the twits who complained about the Florida teams being in the same division as the Canadian teams aren't complaining now....Toronto, Montreal, even Ottawa....they make a BIG difference in attendance, yes, even for the Lightning, but especially for the Panthers.

 

Panthers any other night= 7000 or less

Toronto and Montreal come in = near capacity or sold out.

[jammer2]

I bet the twits who complained about the Florida teams being in the same division as the Canadian teams aren't complaining now....Toronto, Montreal, even Ottawa....they make a BIG difference in attendance, yes, even for the Lightning, but especially for the Panthers.

 

Panthers any other night= 7000 or less

Toronto and Montreal come in = near capacity or sold out.

 

 Totally agree with that. Teams like Montreal and Toronto are BIG draws from the Snowbird crowd. Those fans come out of the woodwork to support their teams. If the next game has attendance over 10,000...I'll be shocked.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

 Totally agree with that. Teams like Montreal and Toronto are BIG draws from the Snowbird crowd. Those fans come out of the woodwork to support their teams. If the next game has attendance over 10,000...I'll be shocked.

 

Yea, I remember when re-alignment was first announced, and Lightning and Panthers fans found out their road travel would be a bit more than before, some of them nearly took a verbal crap over it!

 

"How fair is that...we have to travel all over the North East and Canada for every divisional road trip"...blah, blah, blah...

 

Clearly losing sight of the fact that A) the Western Conference has been dealing with excessive travel for YEARS, and they seem to put out competitive teams year in, year out... and B) LOOK WHO YOU WILL BE IN THE DIVISION WITH!

 

Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Detroit....heck, even lots of Buffalonians in Florida....all of which will help bolster attendance, thus revenue, whenever those teams come to town, which would now be more often thanks to divisional matchups.

 

Beforehand, the BIGGEST draw for a Florida team that was within the division was Washington.

While that was nice, the Caps fans that show up to games in Florida aren't anywhere near the amounts that show up for the current Atlantic Divisional opponents...particularly the Canadian teams.

 

The Lightning do well selling seats on their own...a credit to location of their arena and the fine job the marketing department does with the team.

Also helps they are putting out a winning product.

I don't fool myself:  I know that should the Lightning have a crappy product on the ice, attendance wouldn't be nearly as good....but then, that is the key...build a winner, people will come.

MAINTAIN that winner, and people will continue to come for years after that...and even if the team falters a season or two here and there, people will remain loyal because they know ownership is committed to winning.

I think the Lightning are on the verge of doing just that on a yearly basis....and over time, like the Wings, Leafs, Rangers, etc, and after some championships, even a couple losing seasons won't douse fans' support...even in Florida.

 

Panthers are seeking to find the same road...cept theirs may be more difficult, unless they can get a PR department as committed as the Bolts' is.

But then, the location of their arena may continue to be a problem....way out in the burbs, instead of being near the heart of Miami.

 

Still though, being in a division with highly supported Canadian teams, unquestionably, has helped Panthers attendance, as can be seen with the Habs and Leafs when they come to town.

Now, if only people who support the Panthers see that they themselves have a nice up n comer and support them accordingly....

 

If I am a Panthers fan, a bit more travel for having better draws for divisional opponents is well worth the trade off!

[WordsOfWisdom]

I bet the twits who complained about the Florida teams being in the same division as the Canadian teams aren't complaining now....Toronto, Montreal, even Ottawa....they make a BIG difference in attendance, yes, even for the Lightning, but especially for the Panthers.

 

Panthers any other night= 7000 or less

Toronto and Montreal come in = near capacity or sold out.

 

I think the reason the Florida teams exist in our division is so that snowbird hockey fans can watch the Leafs and Canadiens over the holidays when they're in Florida vacationing.