T-Birds could use some love
Soo Thunderbirds have won back-to-back championships in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League and are contenders again this season.
Still, the Thunderbirds are not getting much in the way of love from Sault Ste. Marie hockey fans.
Playing out of the cavernous Essar Centre, the Thunderbirds have the lowest attendance in the 12-team NOJHL thus far this season with a per-game average of 162 fans.
That’s right, on average, 162 fans show up to watch the reigning, two-time NOJHL champions play.
Conversely, across the St. Mary’s River in the Michigan Soo, the Soo Eagles are averaging 637 fans per game, which is second-best in the NOJHL.
Now I realize that the Thunderbirds are playing in the same town as the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. But the Eagles are playing in the same town as the Lake Superior State University Lakers of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. And let’s face it — the Michigan Soo is about one-quarter the size of the Canadian Soo.
I am not quite sure why there is such fan apathy towards the Thunderbirds.
One thing I am sure of is that the Thunderbirds do get a lot of media coverage and attention in Sault Ste. Marie. Besides Postmedia newspapers Sault This Week and the Sault Star, the Thunderbirds are covered by a number of local websites, including HockeyNewsNorth.com.
So, suffice to say that if you follow hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, the media has made sure that the Thunderbirds are well-recognized.
Perhaps moving out of the Essar Centre and returning to their former home, John Rhodes Community Centre, would be a good idea. Afterall, it does not make for a good atmosphere with 160 or so fans at the 4,800-seat Essar Centre.
At least at the much-smaller Rhodes, crowds of 160 would at least half fill the place.
New ownership, The Tech 1921 Ltd., took over the Thunderbirds within the last six months and has, by all reports, invested quite a bit of money into the local NOJHL team. Among the investments The Tech 1921 Ltd. made was making Jordan Smith the first-ever full-time coach and general manager in the 17-year NOJHL history of the Thunderbirds.
So what’s up here?
Why aren’t hockey fans in Sault Ste. Marie supporting the Thunderbirds?
While the NOJHL is not the OHL, it is a league that has helped develop a number of players for the O, including Greyhound forward (and second-round, National Hockey League draft pick) Boris Katchouk.
Look around the OHL and besides Katchouk, there are a number of former NOJHL players who are having a good season in the OHL — goalie Mario Culina of Windsor Spitfires, goalie Garrett Forrest of the Flint Firebirds, forwards Darian Pilon and Drake Pilon of the Sudbury Wolves, forward Steve Harland of the North Bay Battalion, to name a few.
We are talking about a good league here, the NOJHL. And we are talking about the best team in the NOJHL the past two years, the Soo Thunderbirds.
Maybe the Thunderbirds should move from the Essar Centre back to the Rhodes Centre.
Maybe the Thunderbirds should do more to endear themselves to fans of all ages.
All I know is that Sault Ste. Marie is supposed to be a good hockey town.
But if so, why aren’t the Thunderbirds being supported?
The event with the big brothers raking leaves was a success. So maybe if the players want to get out and volunteer eg. Christmas cheer and other community events it might give them more exposure and people would respond by attending some the games.
Not enough local kids Randy the last two years we had at least 13 local kids on the team,what is there now Maybe 5 so that’s why crowds are down. Families won’t pay for kids they don’t know that’s the problem,and moving back into the Rhodes would be a great atmosphere also I think.
You and all your media channels do a fantastic job of supporting and promoting the league and players. I’m only offering my thoughts on their slumping attendance . Don’t forget the mighty hounds attendance is slipping too…could we be hockey saturated ? A lot of people have sons and daughters playing hockey at whatever levels and simply don’t have the time . Or , they support the hounds and cash is tight . I know the tbirds are affordable but being fiscal could mean to the dollar … Finally I think you’re right , they need to move back to the Rhodes … It’s central complimated by a bar … Good work Randy
Everyone prefers the Soo Greyhounds. I was imagining the Thunderbirds relocating or even folding.
Congrats to Zach Senecal upon being named to World Junior A selection camp.