IceMiner#1
02-16-2008, 06:07 AM
I followed the Ice Miners from their inception. (I won the name the team contest. I made it to all but 2 of their home games.) The idea of the MAHL was great. There is a need for Single A level hockey. What needs to be done before a new league (or any new business for that matter) is research and, then if you move forward, marketing. The problem with the Ice Miners and the MAHL is that no marketing was done. The league and teams were created and then left out to dry.
There was no marketing what so ever, no attempts to establish, in the community, who the Ice Miners were and to make them known. The only thing that showed up around businesses in town was a poster-size schedule.
From the beginning there was press coverage by the Indiana (PA) Gazette, a 7 day a week newspaper. They assigned a reporter to cover the team. He was at the home games and did do a weekly 'update' article on the team.
Beyond the newspaper coverage, there was no attempt at establishing the brand and name of the Ice Miners. Many people in town did not know who the Ice Miners were or that they even existed. (I know many local people who do not read the town's newspaper.)
There was an Open House at the S&T Arena in October and the Ice Miners 'participated'. I asked many questions of the Ice Miners' management then. (Management was an IUP grad student intern, before the GM was hired, and Haines, who lives in Canton, OH) The table the Ice Miners had set up had schedules on it, no t-shirts, bumper stickers, sweatshirts, caps, etc. I asked if there would be radio coverage/play-by-play and was told that the commercial stations were tied up with college, pro and high school games. I understood this but countered with, "Has anyone approached the university's student radio station?" I pointed out that IUP has a Communications major, a FM student run station, and many students wanting to make a mark in the communications business. I know that some of the low minor league baseball teams have their games play-by-play aired by the local college radio station. (Even the Oakland Athletics did this in the 1970s when, then owner Charley Finley, wanted to run his A's on the cheap. They had about one month of either the 1977 or 1978 season broadcast over a college FM radio station.)
Indiana, PA has the headquarters of southwestern PA two top regional banks, S&T Bank and First Commonwealth. These banks advertise at Heinz Field, Mellon Arena and advertise with all of the local pro and college level teams. (Check out the boards at the Mellon Arena during a Penguins game - S&T Bank, or the scoreboard at Heinz Field - First Commonwealth.) No one seemed to approach either bank to get things like 'give-away' t-shirts, bumper stickers, decals, etc. made to hand out to some fans and to local school students.
Ticket prices were extremely high for the area and for a new team. They were initially set at $15 and $12. High school sports admissions in this area are priced much lower. (Southwestern PA loves high school football, basketball, and in some communities, wrestling.) Even IUP (The Indiana University of Pennsylvania), a top ranked NCAA Division 2 school, has cheaper ticket prices. They are well established in the area and have a loyal and avid following.
I was also stunned by the fact that there was very little merchandise for sale at the games. T-shirts and sweatshirts were it. No ball caps, hockey pucks, pennants, etc. were made and sold. (The owner of a sports store at the local mall wanted to have merchandise to sell before the holidays but was given very little to sell. I was told that the store could have sold much more stuff IF they had it to sell. The league did not produce any merchandise beyond what was made initially.) I was extremely stunned that there was nothing done in the way of Internet sales. (I find it ironic that Haines is now selling of league and team merchandise on eBay.)
The MAHL could have succeeded. But it has to be done correctly. The MAHL has burned and, therefore, tainted 5 communities. This can't and shouldn't be done in the future. There is room for minor league hockey in North America. There is no reason that it could not reach the levels of minor league baseball.
There was no marketing what so ever, no attempts to establish, in the community, who the Ice Miners were and to make them known. The only thing that showed up around businesses in town was a poster-size schedule.
From the beginning there was press coverage by the Indiana (PA) Gazette, a 7 day a week newspaper. They assigned a reporter to cover the team. He was at the home games and did do a weekly 'update' article on the team.
Beyond the newspaper coverage, there was no attempt at establishing the brand and name of the Ice Miners. Many people in town did not know who the Ice Miners were or that they even existed. (I know many local people who do not read the town's newspaper.)
There was an Open House at the S&T Arena in October and the Ice Miners 'participated'. I asked many questions of the Ice Miners' management then. (Management was an IUP grad student intern, before the GM was hired, and Haines, who lives in Canton, OH) The table the Ice Miners had set up had schedules on it, no t-shirts, bumper stickers, sweatshirts, caps, etc. I asked if there would be radio coverage/play-by-play and was told that the commercial stations were tied up with college, pro and high school games. I understood this but countered with, "Has anyone approached the university's student radio station?" I pointed out that IUP has a Communications major, a FM student run station, and many students wanting to make a mark in the communications business. I know that some of the low minor league baseball teams have their games play-by-play aired by the local college radio station. (Even the Oakland Athletics did this in the 1970s when, then owner Charley Finley, wanted to run his A's on the cheap. They had about one month of either the 1977 or 1978 season broadcast over a college FM radio station.)
Indiana, PA has the headquarters of southwestern PA two top regional banks, S&T Bank and First Commonwealth. These banks advertise at Heinz Field, Mellon Arena and advertise with all of the local pro and college level teams. (Check out the boards at the Mellon Arena during a Penguins game - S&T Bank, or the scoreboard at Heinz Field - First Commonwealth.) No one seemed to approach either bank to get things like 'give-away' t-shirts, bumper stickers, decals, etc. made to hand out to some fans and to local school students.
Ticket prices were extremely high for the area and for a new team. They were initially set at $15 and $12. High school sports admissions in this area are priced much lower. (Southwestern PA loves high school football, basketball, and in some communities, wrestling.) Even IUP (The Indiana University of Pennsylvania), a top ranked NCAA Division 2 school, has cheaper ticket prices. They are well established in the area and have a loyal and avid following.
I was also stunned by the fact that there was very little merchandise for sale at the games. T-shirts and sweatshirts were it. No ball caps, hockey pucks, pennants, etc. were made and sold. (The owner of a sports store at the local mall wanted to have merchandise to sell before the holidays but was given very little to sell. I was told that the store could have sold much more stuff IF they had it to sell. The league did not produce any merchandise beyond what was made initially.) I was extremely stunned that there was nothing done in the way of Internet sales. (I find it ironic that Haines is now selling of league and team merchandise on eBay.)
The MAHL could have succeeded. But it has to be done correctly. The MAHL has burned and, therefore, tainted 5 communities. This can't and shouldn't be done in the future. There is room for minor league hockey in North America. There is no reason that it could not reach the levels of minor league baseball.