Followers at their residence arenas have skilled the variety of Chicago Blackhawks followers attending video games, particularly in the course of the 2010s when the Hawks captured three Stanley Cup titles. That diminished barely within the 2020s as COVID-19 and the crew’s decline diminished these numbers. Nevertheless, with the choice of Connor Bedard, the curiosity in Blackhawks video games has began to peak in not solely the locations he visits, but in addition in Blackhawks followers who’re keen to make the journey to a different metropolis to see the younger phenom and the crew.
This very factor occurred to me lately. Once I found that the Blackhawks could be going through the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan. 28, 2025, I instantly deliberate to go to Florida sooner than normal to spend the winter so we might attend this recreation. Realizing there could be robust curiosity within the recreation, I deliberate to make use of my “Lightning Insider” entry to buy tickets when my time slot opened in mid-August.
Sadly, I used to be in a golf event and was not out there for the beginning of my buying window. Once I arrived residence within the late afternoon, I used to be disenchanted that restricted tickets had been out there for this recreation. Finally, I used to be capable of get the six seats wanted for household and pals however needed to piece collectively a ticket package deal by means of the Lightning’s ticket website and the secondary market. Later, I found that one other THW author had additionally secured their tickets for the sport that day, and realized that whereas many Lightning followers have an interest within the recreation, so are the well-traveled members of the Blackhawks fan base who need to see Bedard and the Blackhawks try to construct a Stanley-Cup-contending crew.
Chicago followers have at all times attended video games in robust numbers by means of the key sports activities. In addition to a powerful fan base, there are a couple of different the explanation why Blackhawks followers present up in numbers at away video games.
Secondary Ticket Market
Gone are the times when somebody needed to go to the world and search for a man promoting tickets outdoors the venue. These folks and the ticket brokers that a few of them labored for have virtually gone out of existence, changed by the benefit of computer systems and smartphones that permit tickets to be bought on locations reminiscent of StubHub and SeatGeek. Experiences have said that the worldwide secondary tickets market dimension was valued at USD $2.85 billion in 2023. It’s projected to achieve USD $6.56 billion by 2032, rising at a price of 9.7% in the course of the forecast interval (2024-2032).
Because of this followers have a better time getting tickets for occasions they’d have a substantial amount of problem attending simply 25 years in the past. That has additionally made it troublesome for groups to stop a big inflow of the opposing crew’s followers from attending, reminiscent of what the Nashville Predators and Tampa Bay Lightning tried to do within the 2010s because the Hawks had been heading towards the three Stanley Cups.
This has allowed different groups and their fanbase to journey nicely. The New York Rangers, with their proximity to different NHL cities within the Northeast, journey nicely, as do the Toronto Maple Leafs. Within the second spherical of the 2023 playoffs, the Florida Panthers tried to restrict who might buy tickets by limiting gross sales to U.S. residents solely. Nevertheless, the secondary market had no such restrictions, and there was a good illustration of Leafs followers on the video games.
Midwesterners Residing Elsewhere
Many Chicago space residents search different locations to flee the chilly, Midwestern winters, whether or not it’s a everlasting or non permanent transfer. Whereas they is probably not in Chicago, their love for Chicago sports activities continues, and the Blackhawks are not any exception. So, one can see why a January recreation in Tampa may be an incredible vacation spot for a visit or for individuals who spend elements of the winter in Florida.
Blackhawk followers additionally prefer to journey to extra native video games to assist their groups towards division rivals, very like Chicago Cubs followers who invade Milwaukee to look at video games towards the Brewers at “Wrigley North.” St. Louis is a well-liked vacation spot, as is Nashville. Nashville has a incredible facility for the Predators and it’s situated at a spot with lots to supply earlier than and after video games. Detroit was one other favourite vacation spot with its “Authentic Six” rivalry, however for the reason that Purple Wings modified conferences, the groups solely see one another a few instances every season.
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For years, Chicago Blackhawks followers have traveled nicely. With the drafting of Bedard and rising expectations that the crew can be trending upward from right here, count on the competitors for tickets and the variety of Blackhawks followers at arenas across the NHL to extend within the coming seasons.
