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The Whiteout is a playoff tradition the Phoenix Coyotes carried over from the franchise's days in Winnipeg. This photo was taken in 2002 against the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference playoffs and provides evidence of (a) Coyotes fans actually filling some seats under the right conditions and (b) the beleaguered team's last playoff appearance. It's a symbol of hockey fan solidarity behind their local team, and it's being resurrected for one of the most symbolically important nights in the history of the franchise: Saturday, Oct. 10, which is opening night at Jobing.com Arena against the Columbus Blue Jackets. After their preseason attendance was placed under the media microscope, it's clear the gate for this game is going to be headline news around the hockey world. So the Coyotes had decided to get aggressive with their opening night pricing: As in offering every ticket downstairs for $25, and offering every ticket upstairs for $15 for one night only It's a bold attempt to show media, fans and perhaps themselves that the bankrupt franchise teetering on the brink of relocation truly does have dedicated local fans -- especially now that Jim Balsillie has conceded that Hamilton is out of the picture for this season. Read the rest of this entry »

If you've not read Dmitry's interview with Evgeni Malkin(notes) that ran this morning (and excuse the blog self-reference), there's one passage that really blew me away the first time I read it, regarding participation in the 2014 Sochi Games:

Q. What if the NHL tells you that you can't go? What if there will be some sanctions? I would rather pay fines and still go. If there is something serious like a disqualification for a couple of years in the NHL, if there is something like this I will probably still go because I can even leave to Russia to play. It is very difficult to say right now. But I can give you 100% that I will go [to Sochi].

Emphasis mine. What he's laying out here, according to Dmitry, is a worst-case scenario: That if NHL players are banned from participating in the 2014 Winter Olympics, yet Malkin still plays in the Games and is subsequently suspended by the League, he's got options. Like the KHL, for example. What makes Malkin an interesting case study in this Olympic debate is that 2014 is his walk year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, assuming there's no contract extension before then. (Alexander Ovechkin(notes) is signed through 2021). He'll be 27 years old and, barring something unforeseen, will still be one of the NHL's biggest names. So if he leaves for Sochi against the NHL's wishes, what would they do? Fine him? He'll pay them and stay in the NHL. Suspend him? He'll get fitted for an Omsk or Metallurg sweater. And then, if he's a free agent, what does he do? As Malkin said, it's all yet to be determined in the next CBA, so this is just doom and gloom talk. But as we've written before, this is one of the single most important issues in the next negotiation. At best, it encourages players like Ovechkin and Malkin to take a more active interest in the direction of the NHL. At worst, it's a bloc of the League's brightest stars abandoning the NHL in 2014 to represent their country, and unwavering in their enthusiasm to face the consequences. The NHL should avoid this mess, extend the participation for one additional Olympiad and then reevaluate after that.

"You're not going to ruin the salary cap situation here, are you baby? Because all of a sudden I'm really starting to get interested in this team again, and what I am I supposed to do if your contract makes everybody hopped up enough to make some bad decisions next summer? "Look, I don't want you to be the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone's really hoping wins the Stanley Cup. I want you to be like the guy in the rated R movie; you know, the guy you're not sure whether or not you want to see win the Cup. Okay? You're a bad man, Marian. And you're money. You know what else? You're a big winner, Marian. Well, outside of the finals." Vince Vaughn has been jockeying to become the official celebrity mascot of the Chicago Blackhawks since around the Winter Classic last season, when he was photographed in the depths of depression having to share a box with Gary Bettman. And who wouldn't want Vaughn in their corner; would you rather have Spike Lee courtside or Trent from "Swingers" in your locker room? We're guessing the latter. The Blackhawks invited Vaughn to their preseason game on Saturday night (part of a record-setting crowd), and he shared his thoughts on Blackhawks fandom, Marian Hossa(notes) and his new movie -- in which Vaughn, Jon Favreau, Jason Bateman and friends take a paid vacation. He also humors the 10,000th reference to making Gretzky's head bleed with professional panache.

Now make me a bicycle, clown. The Blackhawks must have been stunned by this celebrity encounter. "Wow, the guy from the 'Psycho' remake in our locker room." Beyond hockey WAGs, are there any other celebrities currently in official mascot standing with NHL teams?

Brandon Dubinsky's(notes) holdout is over, and so is the uncomfortable battle between the New York Rangers and their talented 23-year-old restricted free-agent center. Andrew Gross of Rangers Rants reports the Blueshirts have him in for two years and $3.7 million -- shorter and cheaper than anything Dubinsky was looking for entering the summer. From Gross, here's Dubinsky on the deal:

"I just kind of said it was something I wanted to get done, I was tired of waiting, I didn't want to push this thing further," Dubinsky said. "I didn't want the team to be at their wit's end and I didn't want to be at wit's end myself."

Dubinsky had 13 goals and 28 assists last season, playing to a minus-6 with 112 penalty minutes. It's been a tough negotiation -- very public in the pages of New York newspapers, and with the Rangers signing Vaclav Prospal(notes) as potential replacement if things went south with Dubinsky. From the sounds of things, the Rangers bullied him into submission, but a two-year deal indicates he'll get over it. On to hockey for both parties, which is the important thing.

As the Philadelphia Flyers already have introduced their throwbacks for the 2010 Winter Classic in Fenway Park, it was time for the Boston Bruins to do the same last night at the Bruins Town Hall fan gathering. Truth be told, the jerseys leaked a while back during the NHL's media tour of New York, but now they're official. From the NHL:

Boston will wear a sweater that is brown and gold, the original colors worn by the club from 1924 until 1934 - including the year the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup in 1929. The crest featured on the sweater is a variation on the club's "original'" spoked-B that debuted as part of the organization's 25th Anniversary season in 1949. The new NHL Winter Classic uniform also features other elements from historic Bruins eras - including gold socks first worn in the 1930s and laces on the jersey, worn during the glory days of the Big Bad Bruins of the 1970s. Read the rest of this entry »

Ulf Samuelsson is currently the acting head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, which is exciting for a few reasons. First is that we could have a League in which Rick Tocchet and Ulf Samuelsson are both running teams, which is a little surreal for fans of a certain age. Second is our unending hope that Coach Samuelsson decides to call whatever system he implements "Ulfie Hockey," and refers to it as such in interviews. (Example: "The Ducks thought they had us, but we were playing Ulfie Hockey tonight.") Third is that Wayne Gretzky is not currently the acting head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. We've never heartily endorsed The Great One as a coach, and it's not outlandish to believe that his continued employment as one is thanks to his entrenched power in the organization, the cachet of this name and the overwhelming courtesy (or apathy) of the rest of Phoenix ownership. Because Scotty Bowman, he ain't. Gretzky is still listed as the team's head coach, but hasn't appeared at training camp due to the ongoing ownership dispute in bankruptcy court (perhaps you've heard of it). GM Don Maloney has said that Gretzky's status will be determined as the off-ice ordeal reaches its conclusion (at least in this stage). Read the rest of this entry »

NHL season previews often sell you an impressive bill of goods before you realize, at the end of the season, you're holding an empty box. Which makes using advertisements and infomercials the appropriate template for Puck Daddy's 2009-10 NHL Season Previews, presented each day throughout September. Last Season's Ad Copy (See also Devils Eulogy): Third in the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division champions (51-27-4, 106 points), eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the conference playoffs, 4-3. For the second straight year, the results from the Stanley Cup playoffs went down about as well as a Fat Darrell in a hangover belly at the Grease Trucks near Rutgers. (Just in case you wondering in which state the author of this post was born. Hint: It's called the Garden State, even though there aren't any.) After the New York Rangers dumped the Devils in the infamous Sean Avery(notes) Rule series two years ago, the Hurricanes rallied with wins in Game 6 and a waking-nightmare-of-a-Game 7 for Devils fans. (Oh, and let's not forget Jussi Jokinen's goal with two-tenths of a second left in Game 4, a goal that so enraged and discouraged Martin Brodeur(notes) that he couldn't eat for at least an hour.) After the season, Coach Brent Sutter stepped down to move closer to home, which the Calgary Flames' coaches' office technically is. Devils overlord Lou Lamoriello scrambled to find a suitable replacement for a team whose window of opportunity is closing every year Brodeur gets older. In the end, he made former Devils Stanley Cup winner and Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire an offer he couldn't refuse. And by that we mean "employment." The Devils were a surprise last season, playing stellar hockey after Brodeur's injury to win a division title. The surprises will have to continue for a team that will have to commit to the system (again) to overcome their offensive and defensive deficiencies. Anything can happen with Marty Brodeur between the pipes, but these Devils aren't a lock for the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry »

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• The Nashville Predators and New York Rangers are in the mix, but the Boston Herald says to expect a "blockbuster" trade between the Leafs and the Boston Bruins for RFA Phil Kessel(notes) within the next week. Kevin Allen of USA Today says the Preds' pot could be sweeter as far as draft picks. Are they going to get around to taking the "free" out of "restricted free agent" in the next CBA? [Herald, and ditto from ESPN] • One could read into the training camp invite of Maxim Afinogenov(notes) thusly: The Atlanta Thrashers added Nik Antropov(notes), attempted to add Nik Zherdev and now could be adding the former Buffalo Sabres enigma to their locker room, while at the same time attempting to convince Ilya Kovalchuck that Atlanta's his franchise of choice. Coincidence, we're sure. That said, Ben Wright nails it: Low risk, high reward for the Thrash and Max. [Blueland Blog] Read the rest of this entry »

Here are your Puck Headlines: A glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

• Barring anything huge breaking in the world of hockey ... Jersey Fouls are next.

• Defenseman Andrei Markov(notes) has told the Montreal Canadiens that he's not interested in being the storied franchise's next captain, which fits his low-key demeanor. Still, isn't it always a little off-putting when players with Markov's accomplishments and respect don't step up to leadership roles? Looking at the roster, who gets the 'C' for the Habs? One of the new guys? Carey Price(notes), ala the Canucks? Will we actually see Capt. Maxim Lapierre(notes)? [Gazette, and analysis from Eyes On The Prize]

• It would appear that the Columbus Blue Jackets are fond of Antoine Vermette(notes), and the feeling is mutual: He signed a five-year contract extension worth $18.75 million, with a $3.75 million cap hit. Too much? Too long? Just right? [Puck-rakers]

• The Pensblog unleashes one of our favorite posts of the month: A History of Hockey Video Games. What makes it so wonderful is that they're not just talking about the Roenick-filled glory of Sega Genesis, or the auditory fun of "Blades of Steel," or the skinny/medium/fat/fat configuration of "Nintendo Ice Hockey" ... they're bringing it all the way back to Intellivision and the Odessey2. Stellar, stellar work on the day NHL10 and NHL2K10 are released. Best hockey video game is ...? [Pensblog]

• Oh, and please do check out Down Goes Browns NHL10 "early review" that includes this leak: "Inspired by the legendary NBA Jam series, NHL 10 includes a hilarious 'tiny mode' in which all the regular players on a team are comically shrunk down to a fraction of their normal size. To enable this mode, go to the Team Select screen and choose 'Montreal Canadiens'" [DGB]

• Dany Heatley(notes) could line up with Joe Thornton(notes) and Devin Setoguchi(notes) for the San Jose Sharks, while Jonathan Cheechoo(notes) may be Jason Spezza's(notes) new wing man. The Ottawa Senators would be very, very smart to keep Alexei Kovalev on the second line. [Sun and Sun]

• To the surprise of exactly no one, Dany Heatley may have been quietly feuding with this Ottawa teammates. [Ottawa Citizen]

• The AHL's San Antonio Rampage have a fresh new rival in the Texas Stars. Those teams and the Houston Aeros will be competing for a new "Texas rivalry" trophy at the end of the season, and fans have a chance to name it. With that, we faithfully submit our entry: The Roscoe P. Stanley Spittoon of Shootin' 'n Fightin'.[Rampage, via NHL Arena]

• Uh, yikes? Toronto Maple Leafs rookie goalie Jonas Gustavsson(notes) has a "cardiac ablation, which is a non-invasive type of heart surgery." [Toronto Star]

• The article is about whether Daniel and Henrik Sedin(notes) of the Vancouver Canucks are elite players. But honestly, who's getting past this section: "You could give them each a million bucks, send them on the road with The Rolling Stones and a dozen Playboy bunnies and they'd come back telling you about the movies they saw in their hotel room." You know, taken within a certain context ... [The Province]

• The Detroit Red Wings will be without Darren Helm(notes) for up to four weeks with an AC sprain. [Freep]

• The Chicago Blackhawks could bring over Cristobal Huet(notes), Corey Crawford(notes) and Antti Niemi(notes) when they open the season in Europe. [Between the Circles]

• Dissecting a "brilliant" Larry Brooks story on the New York Rangers and Brandon Dubinsky(notes). [Blueshirt Banter]

• The pressure is on Shawn Horcoff(notes) this season to ... well, the article says it's to live up to his $7 million-a-season contract, but that's never going to happen. Moving on ... [Sun Media]

• The Carolina Hurricanes power-play turned into poo-poo during the playoffs, and it's up to Paul Maurice and Co. to figure out why. [Canes Country]

• We're actually stunned we only received one of these Kanye West/Taylor Swift/Nashville Predators third-jersey Photoshops since the VMAs. Thanks to Puck Buddy Andrew H.

• The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Tavares-less New York Islanders last night, 2-1, as Sergei Shirokov opened some eyes and Kyle Wellwood(notes) looked "slicker and quicker." [Nucks Misconduct]

• Also, Jeremy Reich(notes) and Rick Rypien(notes) threw down as part of a three-fight night. [HockeyFights]

• What do the Boston Bruins want for Phil Kessel(notes) from Toronto? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

• Registration for Winter Classic 2010 tickets begins NOW. Ty Conklin(notes) logs on, frantically enters, hoping to keep the streak alive. [NHL]

• What new coach Bob Woods means to the Washington Capitals. [Japers Rink]

• Yesterday, we dove into the "dynamic pricing" issue with the Dallas Stars; what do the fans say about this revolutionary new system for buying hockey tickets? [Stars Blog]

• A thought-provoking take by Jim Boone, co-founder of the NHL Fan Association, about the removal of Paul Kelly from the NHLPA's leadership. [THN]

• Craig MacTavish to TSN! [Staples]

• It's really never a good sign when your coach is listed as "day-to-day." [ESPN]

• Patrick Swayze has passed, and Scotty Hockey remembers him appropriately. [Scotty Hockey]

• Finally, Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ray Emery(notes) meets Smokin' Joe Frazier, gives the boxing legend his own sweater shows off the mask with his Frazier's face on it. Verdict: "My nose ain't too flat." Much more at The 700 Level, who sent over this clip:

Debates about variable pricing movement in professional sports, in which single tickets to some "premium" games are sold at a higher cost to the fan than other less-desirable games, inevitably lead to a rather indefensible point for proponents:

If a game on a Saturday night against a popular team is double the usual price, shouldn't that Wednesday game against the flea-ridden dog-of-a-team be priced below face value?

This season, the Dallas Stars are the first NHL team to implement a system called "dynamic pricing," which is like variable pricing only it's determined with artificial intelligence and in a constant state of flux.

Market conditions, consumer demand, the latest hockey news ... it all factors into what upper-level tickets for Stars games will cost leading up to faceoff. In some cases, that means prices with climb; in other cases, it means fans will buy ticket well below last year's face-values for less popular games.

"People's initial reaction is always 'variable pricing screws fans.' For us, it's almost a way to be smart about our discounting," said Colin Faulkner, senior VP of marketing for the Stars. "A lot of fans jumped to the conclusion that this was just a way to charge more money for big games. I think, for us, it was almost a way for us to discount our games more than charge a premium."

The software system, already being used in Major League Baseball, could revolutionize how you purchase tickets in most NHL cities; turning the experience into something akin to flying on an airline than attending a sporting event.

The teams are going to love it, the scalpers already hate it ... but what are the fans going to think?

Qcue is an Austin-based company whose "dynamic pricing" system has been used by the San Francisco Giants this season. From the Dallas Stars, in their announcement:

Similar to airline pricing, the best prices are often found early. Dynamic pricing will provide fans with great prices starting from the initial on-sale on Sept. 12. The upper level single-game ticket prices can go up or down based on a variety of factors, including league standings, opposing team, star players, day of the week, and real time supply and demand. Dynamic pricing for upper level tickets will continue all season. Fans will be able to check out the current prices at any time at DallasStars.com.

Or as Qcue shows in a handy flow chart:

As you can see, the Stars intend to set their prices using a variety of factors. Faulkner said "the most important factor is the ticket sales data itself," which goes for sales history on certain days and against certain opponents, as well as ongoing changes in sales for a certain game.

For example, if a game has 200 tickets remaining for purchase, prices will rise as the game date nears; if sales are significantly less than that, prices will likely fall, according to Faulkner.

There are other factors at play here, too. If the Dallas Cowboys have a game the same day as the Stars, the ticket prices will be affected. Same thing goes for a Texas/Oklahoma game in NCAA football. It's all about using "real market conditions" to set price points for fans to feel comfortable paying for specific games.

"In Toronto, I can totally see someone saying that [dynamic pricing is] a way to charge more money if they're sold out all the time. But in a non-traditional hockey market, we have tickets to sell," said Faulkner. "Our goal is to fill the building. We want more people watching the game, and the goal is to hopefully find the right price point for them to come to the game."

When Stars tickets went on sale last weekend, some of the initial numbers indicated an aggressive pricing plan from the team for weekday games against non-rivals. (Ticket prices from last year are at the bottom of the chart.) The prices will fluctuate, though not as wildly as, say, airline tickets:

As you can see, games against the Los Angeles Kings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes and St. Louis Blues all begin under last season's face values.

The New Jersey Devils' visit, meanwhile, is pricing at face value because it's a Saturday night and because, Faulkner said, the Devils rarely visit Dallas.

Fan reaction to the "dynamic pricing" appears to be "wait and see," because the Stars had already started discounting tickets near the end of last season in a response to both economic conditions and their disappointing season. CNET, in a conversation with marketing VP Geoff Moore of the Stars, said fan response is a key to pricing:

One of the biggest potential issues the Stars might face while using Qcue's technology is fan response. Prices swing wildly between games. In fact, Premium terrace seats will be [initially] offered for $36 for the Stars' October 14 game. Just two days later, those same seats will be offered for $60. Granted, Dallas plays against Boston the second night, and it's a Friday night, but will a $24 price swing really appeal to fans?

Moore thinks so. And he doesn't believe that $24 is a wild swing. He said that "if there are wild swings, there might be some kickbacks, but we don't plan to have any wild swings." In the end, he said, the Stars' main goal is to "protect season ticket holder value."

Well, that and perhaps put a few scalpers out of business. "Dynamic pricing" is a handy way of beating the secondary market at its own game, or at the very least making their lives more difficult when it comes to reselling tickets. Could dynamic pricing render some Stars tickets un-scalpable?

"Yeah. You're theoretically decreasing the margins on the secondary market if you're pricing them appropriately on the primary market," Faulkner said. "I don't think they like it very much."

It could be the a significant step in teams attempting to freeze out scalpers from the process altogether.

"You're starting to see the primary market and the secondary market's lines being blurred together," Faulkner said. "Teams would ultimately like to control the primary market and the secondary market. To use the airline example, it used to be that you needed a physical ticket to go ride on an airplane. When they first introduced ticketless technology, people were a little freaked out, but now it's the standard. There's no transferring your ticket to anybody else on a plane. Maybe that's where it goes with teams."

Sure, this is a prime time for the Stars to try this pricing plan: In a bad economy, coming off a bum season and 14th in attendance last year. They want to fill the weekday games and squeeze out as much dough as they can from fans on the weekend, right?

Like it or not, if successful, "dynamic pricing" could become the standard for many NHL teams and other professional sports. (Assuming Ticketmaster plays ball; this is a Tickets.com partnership at the moment.)

That's bad news if you loathe the idea of families being unable to attend Saturday night games -- or those games against top rivals that make young fans fall in love with hockey -- because they're priced out of them.

That's good news if you think that external conditions should affect the price of a ticket.

Opponent suddenly stinks? Drop the price. Alexander Ovechkin's(notes) coming to town, but is doubtful for the game one week away from it? Drop the price, according to Faulkner. If this thing takes off, you're going to end up paying less for backup quarterbacks or Broadway understudies ... even if you'll be paying more for must-win games late in the season with only a few tickets left.

The Stars call that "dynamic"; wonder what their fans will call it after this season?