CURBSTONERS SteelHounds' leaders optimistic

The team must sell 4,000 tickets a night to break even.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- The leaders of the Youngstown SteelHounds franchise of the Central Hockey League have high hopes that they will have sellouts for their first two home games.
The SteelHounds will make their Youngstown debut on Nov. 4-5 against the Oklahoma City Blazers at the new Convocation Center.
"We hope to have a sellout," Bob Hoffman, the SteelHounds public relations director, told Curbstone Coaches at their weekly luncheon session Monday at the Lockwood House.
Hoffman was joined at the guest podium by SteelHounds coach Jean Laforest, who called the Convocation Center a technological gem and an attraction in itself that will help the SteelHounds succeed.
"It is a sight to be seen and something Youngstown can be proud off," Laforest said. "It is a Cadillac of a building. It has all of the bells and whistles.
"We are fortunate -- it is something that can really thrive and bring the community together."
Ticket sales
Hoffman's optimism stems from that fact that the team has sold 1,200 season tickets and 20 of the 24 available private loges, and that group sales and day-of-game ticket sales look promising based on public feedback.
But he admitted that the team is banking on group and day-of-game sales to fill the 5,700-seat arena for the 32 home games spanning five months.
"It will be a combination of those [sales]," said Hoffman. "The [loge] crowds will vary in size and probably average about 16 people per loge.
"We'd like to sell the other four loges that are left, but we actually don't care if we do because we can keep them open for private parties each game."
Laforest, who coached the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs of the CHL when it was just getting started, said that Louisiana franchise, one of 15 in the CHL, has become a success with a new arena even without any prior hockey in the region.
That means that the SteelHounds should become even more prosperous.
"We're fortunate in this area that we have the Pittsburgh Penguins, Cleveland Barons and the Mahoning Valley Phantoms in Boardman at the Ice Zone," said Laforest, noting that this previous exposure to hockey should help the SteelHounds get a head start.
"In Shreveport, there was no hockey and it was a challenge to get people interested," he said.
First weekend important
Hoffman feels that it is important to sell out the first weekend of games because that will give the team more word-of-mouth publicity and send a strong signal to the community that the SteelHounds are fun to watch and are for real.
"Selling 4,000 seats per game is our break-even point," said Hoffman, meaning that they have to sell more than that to make a profit.
He said there are a variety of ticket prices ranging from $8 to $22 that can suit the public purses.
Hoffman announced that the SteelHounds will hold a "Meet Your Seat Night" tonight at the Convocation Center from 6-9 for the public.
He said that season ticketholders can test out their seats and that the public can sit in the seats to get an idea where they would want to sit at a game, and also can tour the Convocation Center.
"[The Convocation Center] has everything that Gund Arena [in Cleveland] has and even more because Gund Arena is 10 years old," Hoffman said.
Phantoms will be asset
Laforest said that the Phantoms, a younger, 16-20 age-group team that competes in the North American Hockey League and is owned by Bruce Zoldan, will be a great asset and compliment to the SteelHounds.
The coach said the Phantoms are exposing young people to hockey and promoting and advancing the sport which will help the SteelHounds.
Laforest also has a lot of faith in SteelHounds' owner Herb Washington and his expertise at building a business.
The coach said that Washington, owner of almost all of the McDonald's restaurants in the area, sold him on the job of coaching the SteelHounds when he came to town to inquire about the opening.
"After talking to Herb, I left wanting the job because working with a class organization is paramount," Laforest said. "If you have good ownership with vision, you will have success, and Washington is like that."
kovach@vindy.com