When the NHL revenue structure was introduced it was designed to help the mid level and lower market teams remain vibrant and competitive. The St. Louis Blues finished last in the league in revenue in 2005-2006. The club showed some improvement in 2006-2007 by jumping ahead two spots and finishing 28th in the NHL in revenue.
Revenue-sharing is a scheme where the top ten money making clubs contribute to a fund shared by the bottom 15 teams. Clubs are only eligible for subsidies if they rank in the bottom half of league revenues and are in markets with 2.5 million TV households or fewer. The league makes sure they make money off of playoff teams by taking 50% of all playoff revenue. The team gets 50% and the league takes the other half.
By finishing last in the league two seasons ago the Blues received about ten million dollars in revenue sharing. This October the club will be handed a check slightly less than ten million based on where they finished last season. The league calculates the revenues of each team before the NHLPA gets a chance to look at it themselves to make sure Owners aren’t trying to pull anything sketchy.
With the dramatic increase in ticket sales the Blues expect to climb materially from the 28th position they finished last season. The CBA mandates that teams show improvement from year to year if they want to receive their full share. These are not just handouts to the poor teams in the NHL. In a way you still have to earn any money you receive in revenue sharing. If a club can’t prove they are managing their club well, if they’re not meeting certain management criteria and not showing an increase in revenue they will lose a portion of their check.
The revenue streams for each club include the following:
Tickets
Corporate sponsorships
Suites
Television
Radio- the Blues expect to generate more revenue in this area by moving to KMOX and owning the radio broadcast.
National Television- VS, NBC, Canadian television
Revenue sharing.
The bottom line is that the Blues will and should only be satisfied when they are totally successful on the ice and as a business. The money they receive certainly helps but the Blues are hoping to increase their revenues and receive less help from the league. If the team improves, the expectations will be to get fewer shares, even the club that finishes 16th in revenue still gets about one million dollars. Every dollar helps, the Blues point out that they are fully financed and would have been able to sign Paul Kariya without the money they received in revenue sharing.
Who is That Guy???
There is no doubt the Blues have done a nice job of making the hockey club visible once again in the community. To be honest there was no way to go but up, and the signing of Paul Kariya forced St. Louis sports fans to once again consider the NHL as a means of entertainment. If you ask me I think it’s great but I’m ready for hockey. I don’t get all wide eyed about people purchasing season ticket plans. Outside of the last two seasons this is the way it has always been and the way it should be. I know the Blues were 30th in terms of revenue when the Checketts era began, but I also knew if they handled their business the right way they could improve drastically very quickly. So far it seems like every button Checketts or President John Davidson pushes turns into gold. Both men carry a level of credibility and trust in their voice that has allowed Blues fans to feel comfortable that the plan is working. So far it’s hard to argue that it isn’t.
It wasn’t too long ago that a third line player on the Blues roster was a household name. Even baseball fans knew who Bob Bassen was. The lack of marketing players has hurt the Blues in the last few years. This is obviously a league problem as well, but fans want to go to games knowing who the players are. It bothers me when I go to a bar downtown and see several Blues, Rams , and Cardinals jerseys hanging on the wall. You always see the Pujols, Edmonds, and Rolen’s nice and framed on the wall. With the Rams Holt, Bruce, Bulger, and Steven Jackson are an automatic. Every Blues jersey I see is of a player that no longer skates for the club. If you’re lucky to see a Blues jersey in a bar it’s always a Demitra, Pronger, Macinnis or Federko jersey, rarely if ever will a Tkachuk or Weight be hanging on the wall. It’s time to start getting the players names and faces like the Stempniak’s, Backes, and Brewer’s out in public. Make these guys celebrities in town. There are great personalities inside the Blues locker room; it’s time they get introduced to the fans. Hockey fans know who they are but sports are still clueless as to who the depth players are on the Blues roster. I realize there has been a lack of star power on the Blues the last few seasons, but it is still no excuse for the lack of marketing. The players need help from the organization in this department.
The Blues need to attack local rinks as well. When I travel the country coaching youth hockey you can feel the presence of the NHL club in the city were in. In Detroit there is Red Wings signage all over the rink, same with Dallas and Chicago. Here in St. Louis outside of their practice facility the Blues have very little presence inside area rinks. I walked into a pro shop at a local rink recently and was shocked to see no Blues jerseys for sale. I had no problem spotting Crosby, Lidstrom, or Shanahan sweaters. There actually was a Tkachuk jersey for sale but it was his old Winnipeg Jets jersey.
What I’m getting at is the effort the organization is making off the ice should be applauded. I realize it has only been a little over a year since Checketts took over and the strides they have taken have exceeded their own expectations. Mascots are great and so are songs that are played after the Blues score, but there are areas that have been ignored that need to be fixed. Get the players faces out there!
Rink Rats!
Red Wings forward Dallas Drake has been skating in Michigan for about a month with junior and college kids. Drake is also renting ice on his own twice a week where he bags himself and does drills on his own. He skated with Minnesota’s Brian Rolston last week. Drake will begin skating with his new teammates in about 10 days when he heads to Detroit.
The New York Islanders are looking to make a trade in hopes of landing a top D-man.
Who is Sean Avery’s publicist? This guy’s face is in every magazine.
Former Blues winger Mike Danton has been transferred to a minimum security prison just outside of Minneapolis. Danton is still hoping to be moved to his native Canada. His release date remains October 2010.
Former NHL Head Coach and Blues assistant Kurt Fraser will remain the Head Coach of the Belarus National team this season.
Former NHL player Jim Campbell has retired from hockey and can be spotted playing in men’s leagues in St. Louis.
Blues Clues!
I spoke on the radio a few weeks ago about how the goal judge boxes are being taken out of NHL rinks. In St. Louis the Goal Judge is expected to remain at ice level but will sit more towards the corner of the rink. The red light will remain which is all I really care about. Fox broadcaster Joe Buck has purchased Blues season tickets right behind the glass next to where the goal judge box used to be.
Brad Boyes will switch to #22 this season. Hannu Toivonen will sport #35 and Chris Porter will wear #67 during training camp.
Speaking of the jerseys, expect the league to give the Blues the go ahead to release the new uniforms very soon. In my opinion people won’t like them at first only because they are new and different. I'm not sure how the stripes on the front of the pants will go over.
Speaking of Chris Porter, who signed a max entry level deal without “A” level bonuses, has been added to the Blues roster for the upcoming Traverse City Prospects tournament. Porter had 6-7 teams interested in signing the former North Dakota Captain. The Blues are very familiar with Porter after watching his teammate and Blues super prospect T.J Oshie play several times the last two years. Blues Amateur scout Mike Antonovich probably saw him the most. I spoke to Oshie who described Porter as the hardest working player on and off the ice he has ever seen. Oshie went on to say Porter was a great leader who won the teams Ironman award three times while at UND.
Finish goaltender Jusso Riksman is still planning on attending Blues training camp next month. His performance at the development camp left his ability to play at this level in question. I have decided the best way to approach Riksman is to give him another chance. To judge him solely on his performance against a bunch of kids after spending 20 hours on a plane before going directly to the rink probably isn’t very fair. Riksman is 30 years old who led both a Cinderella team and a big budget team to the Finish Elite League finals in back to back seasons. With this being said I don’t see how and why the Blues would keep him over Jason Bacashihua who they signed to a two way deal. Hannu Toivonen has a strong advantage over “Cash” to backup Legace to begin the season. Things could always change in camp!
Blues 2007 first round pick David Perron will likely play on a line with Kyle Turris, (3rd overall PHO) and the sensational John Tavares at the upcoming Russia, Canada Super Series.
Jan Vopat, who is based in the Czech Republic, will scout the games in Russia for the Blues and Blues Part-Time amateur scout Barclay Parneta will attend the games in Vancouver.
The Paul Kariya show begins Labor Day Weekend when he arrives in St. Louis to begin skating with his new teammates in preparation for training camp.
Assistant Coach Brad Shaw has been on the ice the last few weeks running several of the Blues players through different drills.
Bryce Salvador has been renting ice on his own at Creve Coeur Ice Arena throughout the summer to prepare for the upcoming season. This is a big year for Salvador who will become an UFA following this season. In my opinion Salvador is underpaid, look for him to get a deal in the 2.5 million dollar range next summer.
As of now Head Coach Andy Murray has not changed his stance on not naming a Captain for the upcoming year. Alternating Assistant Captains remains the likely scenario. Murray is doing this in part to honor former Captain Dallas Drake who was brought out by the club in June.
More to come,
Andy Strickland
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St Louis Blues Blogger •1380 ESPN • 
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