Nashville Predators Change Ticket Policy For Blackhawks Fans Traveling To Music City

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 15, 2013 6:00PM

If you can’t beat ‘em, fleece ‘em. That’s the philosophy the Nashville Predators are taking to prevent their home arena from being flooded by Blackhawks fans traveling from Chicago and other parts to cheer the defending Stanley Cup champions next season.

Predators President and Chief Operating Officer Sean Henry said the team will not allow single game ticket sales for the team’s three games against the Blackhawks this season. If Blackhawks fans want to buy tickets to those games, they’ll have to purchase tickets to another home game, as well. Henry said he wants to preserve home ice advantage at Bridgestone Arena but the move can also be seen as a way to capitalize on the Hawks’ success.

“The best way to buy a Blackhawk ticket [for a game in Nashville] is to have a season ticket, a half season ticket or a 15-game plan,” Henry said. “But we also realize that we’re still going to have to sell 3,000-4,000 single tickets for that game. What it’s going to do by forcing another game is we’ll almost direct it toward people that live in the general area, for the most part. And (for the pre-sale) only those in the zip codes that we unlock can buy the Blackhawk game and a second game. So we’re breaking down every barrier we can to Keep the Red Out.”

That helps keep Chicago fans at bay, for sure. But what if Blackhawks fans really want to jump through hoops to see their team play in Music City?

“They’re going to have to earn it,” Henry said. “And they’re going to help us continue to grow our roster by building our (revenue at the) gate. It’s that simple. In the end, we’re building something pretty special. If we have to do it off the backs of their fans a little bit, I’m not apologizing for it.

“We don’t want to build those ticket grosses off of our core — our lifeblood — the season ticket holders. We want to build it off the single game buyers who only want to buy those games.”

This isn’t the first time the Predators have attempted to capitalize off the popularity of another team. Five years ago they implemented a “Get the Red Out” campaign aimed at Detroit Red Wings fans, who were offered half off a new Predators sweater if they surrendered a Wings sweater. Inexplicably, Henry said 300 people did so.

The Hawks play the Predators in Nashville Nov. 16, Dec. 17 and April 12. While some fans are looking at loopholes right now, we say buy the extra ticket and make it a mini-vacation in Nashville. It’s a cool town to party.