BY ADAM DESLOGES – FAN FUEL BLOGGER
Get your free peanuts here! That’s how I felt when I heard the Toronto Maple Leafs were giving away 1,000 free tickets to their home opener on Monday. Seriously, 1,000 free tickets? Not only are the Leafs offering that up, they are also giving their season ticket holders free tickets to Monday’s tilt. Come on, if you’re a Leafs season ticket holder the last thing you care about is free tickets to one game.
Last week’s open practice was seen by very few people as compared to teams south of the border. The Leafs handed out free scarfs and offered up free popcorn and coffee. Is this all they can afford? In the big business that the Leafs are, all they can muster up is free scarfs, coffee, popcorn and a measly 1,000 tickets? Peanuts to a financial giant like the Leafs who are valued at $1 billion.
In order to win tickets, the Leafs patrol wants to see you walking around Toronto decked out in your best Leafs gear. If they so happen to notice you in the sea of millions of people you may just walk away with a free ticket. No thanks. The latest was freezing Leafs jerseys in a block of ice and hiding them around the city. Well unless you happen to be carrying around a sledgehammer you no doubt just walked right past the cube.
Leaf fans are the most supportive of anywhere around. Just look at the record sellouts for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs in seven years. Are we suckers for punishment? Should we demand more from the Leafs to show us they’re sorry? Maybe, but I don’t think we will. After all, we support the Leafs no matter how badly they treat us.
With that said, here is what I would like to see the Leafs give away:
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* Give free Leafs TV for the season.
* Slash tickets by 50 percent.
* Concession items 50 percent off.
* Kick the suits out and bring in underprivileged kids to fill the seats.
* Have a contest to take fans on a road trip with the Leafs.
That would be a great start. What do you think? Or are you happy with your free peanuts.
Adam has spent the majority of his life involved in hockey whether as a player, coach or referee. He has coached at all levels and divisions and has even coached in Graz, Austria. Adam has worked at numerous hockey camps including Vladislav Tretiak’s Elite School of Goaltending. He has coached throughout Ontario, Edmonton and with Hockey Canada’s Under 17 Program of Excellence. Adam has coached and played with a number of today’s NHLers such as Steve Sullivan (Phoenix Coyotes), Evgeni Nabokov (New York Islanders) and Cam Ward (Carolina Hurricanes). You can also follow Adam on twitter @AdamOnHockey
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