Devils invade Flyers country, bring five minor-league games to Atlantic City
by Travis Hughes on Aug 24, 2010 1:56 PM EDT
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ATLANTIC CITY -- The Phantoms moved from Philadelphia to the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York back in the spring of 2009. In a triumphant return home last winter, the Phantoms took on the Norfolk Admirals in front of a very large crowd at Wachovia Center. They lost, but they did a lot of that last year anyway.
Yet again in 2010-11, the Phantoms will be coming home. It'll be a little bit different, however.
The two minor league affiliates of the New Jersey Devils, the AHL's Albany Devils and the ECHL's Trenton Devils, will play a combined five home games next season at Boardwalk Hall here in Atlantic City. In the first of these games on Sunday, December 5 at 5 PM, the Devils will host the Phantoms in what could very well be a largely pro-Adirondack crowd.
For the record, the Phantoms had to agree to play the game at a site other than Albany.
Atlantic City, Atlantic County and the Southern Jersey Shore, as you may know, sits deeply in the Philadelphia media market and is certainly considered Flyers territory. There are Devils fans here, to be sure, but anybody telling you that this area is anything but orange and black is lying to your face.
A press conference on Tuesday morning at the 81-year old Jersey Shore landmark brought out all of the dignitaries, from Devils owner Jeff Vanderbeek to GM Lou Lamoriello -- any and all Kovalchuk questions were met with "we can't comment, sorry" -- to NJ's Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno.
They all spoke on the party line: we're "Jersey's Team" and we're here to claim what's ours.
You think that's an exaggeration, don't you?
"We know that the Trenton Devils, Albany Devils and New Jersey Devils are all Jersey teams," said Guadagno, who apparently didn't need to pass a geography test before being sworn into office.
"The Governor is a hockey dad and the Lieutenant Governor is a hockey mom," said Lamoriello. "So if anybody is questioning that the New Jersey Devils hockey team is in a New Jersey Devils state, just think, we finally put in the state a hockey mom and a hockey dad, so we've finally taken control of the state."
Vanderbeek extrapolated that a bit.
"We are not North Jersey's team, we are not Central Jersey's team, and we are certainly not the team in the strip of land between New York and Philadelphia," said Vanderbeek. "This is New Jersey's team and we really need and want to embrace everybody from this state. We really want to expand our reaches."
"Historically, the Flyers have been here a long time. It has been [Flyers territory here]. But at the same time, this is New Jersey. We feel strongly that it's rightfully ours. We're gonna make a concerted effort to try to gain those fans."
Well, nobody can blame them for having ambition, I guess.
"That game on February 11 with match the Devils with the Flyers, going toe-to-toe, said Matt Loughlin, the Devils radio play-by-play voice who served as master of ceremonies at the conference. "We're going to try to turn orange and black into red and black."
This whole thing seems like the part of a larger strategy for the Devils. Along with their "Jersey's Team" marketing slogan, which debuted two seasons ago, they're certainly making a concerted effort to expand their reach outside of North and Central Jersey.
If they were to move their farm team to South Jersey and get involved in the local hockey community -- the rink in AC, by the way, is the Flyers Skate Zone -- there's no disputing they could develop a fan base here. Vanderbeek knows that.
"I think you'll see that accelerate. We might get into affiliations with rinks, as far as youth hockey, further South than we're used to. We have a couple of other ideas that we'll see over the next few years as well."
But do the Devils want to house one of their minor league teams at Boardwalk Hall on a permanent basis? After all, that really would make sense. If they're Jersey's Team, they should have their farm teams in Jersey and they should have a strong presence all over the state.
It really does seem like they're interested. The key word in that sentence is interested, of course, and there's no guarantee that these five games will be successful here. After all, the ECHL's Boardwalk Bullies won a Kelly Cup in 2003 and wound up leaving town just two years later. Bad marketing and poor attendance did them in.
But throughout the hour-long event this morning, both Lamoriello and Vanderbeek kept raving about the beauty of Boardwalk Hall. From the ice plant to the locker rooms to the arena itself, the gentlemen were impressed, much to the pleasure, surely, of the state, who poured $90 million into this building at the turn of the century.
The real question for residents of Southern New Jersey who would love to see hockey back in AC, however, is if these five games will impact the chances of that happening. Of course, the Devils have a commitment in Albany and would never say as much, but reading between the lines a bit, the interest is clear.
"We really hope we're part of a new renaissance here that provides entertainment for all walks of life," said Vanderbeek. A renaissance? You don't become part of a renaissance by playing five games in an otherwise empty building. Then again, they're not really stopping at five games.
"Our intent is to, a year from now, bring an exhibition -- an National Hockey League exhibition game -- into this facility here," Lamoriello said at the podium. Vasser, of the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority, told me after the conference that he hadn't yet heard that proposal. But, nevertheless.
"This is our toe in the water," said Vanderbeek. "We are looking forward to playing in Albany this season. At the same time, our long-to-mid-range plan will be to have at least one, if not more minor league franchises in New Jersey. It's a possibility."
Whether they admit it or not, and really, they did everything but admit it this morning, the Devils are hoping to bring one of their affiliates to Atlantic City. In an area that's historically been colored with Flyers orange, they want to change that. Putting a team at Boardwalk Hall is the best way to do that.
The NHL defines home territory as a 50 mile radius around the city limits of the city the team plays its home games in. By definition, then, the Flyers home territory is a big 50-mile circle around Philadelphia. Atlantic City is about 52 miles away, according to my rough estimation using Google Earth, but much of the Greater Atlantic City area is clearly within that circle.
A team has the sole right to market its NHL games inside their home territory, according to the NHL's Constitution.
So in terms of marketing these games and promoting their own brand in the future within the South Jersey market, will that impact the way the Devils do business?
"No, not at all," said Vanderbeek. "It doesn't effect [how the Flyers do business].
It'll be interesting to see what becomes of these five minor league games here in Atlantic City this coming season, but even if they aren't successful, one thing is for certain. The Devils have drawn their battle lines, and they're ready for a big time fight with the Flyers over the South Jersey market.
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Phantoms are also coming to Philly again. This time in January against the Penguins
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Correct me if I am wrong, but unless things have changed isn’t it true that South Jersey does not get MSG? I can’t say I don’t admire their ambition, but until they make Devils games readily available on TV without pay packages such as Center Ice, then any grassroots movement they attempt is never going to be any threat to the Flyers in the AC market.
I am a history major and a geography buff. And right now, my head is buried in my hands.
Chris Pronger stole my last signature.
Wow
Travis,
Great post. You know this is a subject I’m pretty obsessed with and having lived in the greater Atlantic City area, something that I know a lot about.
I initially wrote about major league sports’ teams battle within New Jersey by using their minor league affiliates. Or we’ll call it a proxy war.
The Devils have undoubtedly tried this a couple years back in Trenton and are now becoming more aggressive.
They did it by becoming affiliated with and then renaming the Titans in Trenton to the Devils and their 1st year slogan was, “Let’s paint this town Devil Red.”
I grew up in nearby Ewing and lots of my friends were Flyers (and Rangers) fans. One of them even started a facebook page asking for their Titans name back. I also met many frustrated Flyer fans from Mercer and Burlington Counties who considered giving up their season tickets because of the name change (some did).
The strategy is an interesting one and I like your google earth estimate. I agree wholeheartedly with you that Atlantic County is solidly Flyer country, but Atlantic City has always been an “oasis” for Northerners. A simple trip to the Borgota will hammer home this point. And when HBO releases “Boardwalk Empire” count the number of times they’ll mention North Jersey or NYC over Philly and you’ll see what I mean historically and artistically (Martin Scorsese is from Queens for crying out loud)!
But keep in mind Ocean County is close by and within driving distance to these games. Once you hit exit 58 – 63ish on the Parkway it becomes more Devils (and Rangers) territory. That’s also where the cable changes and Comcast offers NYC stations, unlike in Atlantic County. So in theory I could see people from Toms River, Forked River and LBI traveling to these games. In theory . . .
But I agree with you that the place will be packed with more Flyer jerseys and maybe Vanderbeek will have some egg on his face, but maybe a loss in AC is part of the bigger battler for him. This is because there has been a demographic shift and it’s continuing.
Go to a Smithville bar, in Northern Atlantic County and see if there are people watching the Yankees’ games vs. the Phillies. The Phillies still rule, but there’s more and more Northerners . . . including my old boss when I worked in Cape May County. He was from northern Ocean County and moved to Smithville.
As property gets more expensive and Ocean County gets more crowded (it is currently the number one growth county in the state), you’ll see more Northerners invade Atlantic County.
This will be much more evident with baseball (Yankees – Mets) than with Devils or Rangers.
Unless the Devils make a deal with Comcast, which currently has a near monopoly on South Jersey cable (even with Verizon and the dish), I can’t see anything for you to be worried about. My big complaint is with Ranger fans who live in New Jersey and that’s where I think the Devils should be focusing their battles. Hey, I’m an NJ guy and that’s why I became a Devil fan. But I could get them on TV as a kid (along with the Flyers, Rangers and Islanders). Flyer fans in NJ usually grew up South enough to only get Philly cable and that’s why I’ve never been angry with them, the way I absolutely despise Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey.
Even if NYC cable got a foothold in Burlington and Atlantic Counties (which might happen), you still have to consider the long drive to Newark. During the 2000, 2001 and 2003 playoffs, I would drive after work to the games and it was NOT fun. Now granted driving to Newark is a little closer than the Meadowlands, but driving to Philly from Atlantic County is much easier. It’s not fun either, but easier.
Now to this
Maybe the Devils should try filling their stadium with their own fans for a playoff game before trying to expand into other markets.This is clearly a long term strategy to indirectly to fill the building in Newark by building a bigger fanbase . . . and as a Devils’ fan, I’m all for it. However, you can look at my profile to see why I wouldn’t be for it in other sports.
And I don’t know where Lou’s commentary on the Governor and Lieutenant Governor is coming from. He seems to be showing the same hubris that most politicians in North Jersey show about the Southern half of the state.
Just come out and say it: “We want more people in South Jersey to be Devils fans, but we should really be concentrating on converting more younger NJ Ranger fans first.” My tagline already says that.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
Referring back to a historical geography lesson I gave back on this site a few months ago, Ocean County is across the Keith line from Atlantic County, and I feel the Keith line is still a pretty sharp line in the sand between market territory and even state identity. (For those who didn’t hear the original discussion, NJ was at one time 2 separate colonies, East and West Jersey, and that line is the diagonal border between them.) I have a lot of friends who grew up in Ocean county, even southern Ocean County, and most of them would never identify themselves with South Jersey to begin with, so I don’t think it’s a new thing for that to be Devils/Rangers/Yankees/Mets territory. In my experience with the people I personally know who grew up there, that’s the way it’s always been. They identify more with NYC or North Jersey, never with Philly or South Jersey. In fact, votes were held in the past to try to have the 8 southern counties withdraw and create their own state, and the inclusion of Ocean County is what made the measure fail. If they would have left them out, I’m pretty sure one of those votes would have passed or at least come very very close to doing so. I’m also pretty sure the Devils have lost legal court battles to have more of South Jersey Flyers territory with their market area, haven’t they? I don’t see them winning a stronger foothold in all of this unless they get all of the following: a) they win one of those court battles to get their games broadcast, b) NJ Transit actually creates a way for these people to get to their games, since our state government has absolutely no interest in expanding public transit in the south, and c) they find some ways to get these games attended for the team to be even remotely viable. As a naive of Cumberland county (which I don’t even think the Devils know where that is, let alone make an appearance there), and knowing that AC’s economy isn’t exactly in a good state right now, my first gut reaction is “Oh, well the Devils’ farm team will just fail like the Boardwalk Bullies and the Surf anyway”.
by DragonGirl0583 on Aug 25, 2010 9:46 AM EDT up reply actions
Couldn’t agree with you more.
That last quote at the end of my article from Vanderbeek about home territory is important, I think. He says that expanding south into what’s legally defined as the Flyers territory doesn’t matter, because the Flyers don’t care about expanding into the Devils territory. I think he’s fooling himself. 50 miles from the Devils territory would cut off at Trenton and just around Lakewood.
The Flyers home territory expands well north towards New Brunswick, so there’s a lot of overlap where both teams can advertise and broadcast and what not. Are the Flyers actively selling their product in parts of the Devils territory that aren’t included in that overlap? Not a chance. Vanderbeek is just wrong.
A map I quickly threw together, showing the 50 mile radius for both teams.
More of the Flyers home territory is actually in NJ than PA, believe it or not.
So, to your point of the Devils not being able to create a footprint down here unless games are broadcast down here, that’s 100 percent true. And I doubt the Flyers would ever let it happen.
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by Travis Hughes on Aug 25, 2010 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
To your other point, I think the Bullies failed because they were marketed terribly. They didn’t target the right people, they didn’t get involved in the community, the owners weren’t local. If you get a local ownership group that’s committed to making it work in AC, it’s possible. It’s an uphill battle, but it’s possible. There are a ton of hockey fans - mostly Flyers, regardless of what anybody says, but I digress- in Atlantic and Cape May Counties.
I think the Devils wanting to break into this market is a damn good reason for them to want to make a team work here. If they came in, they would need it to work or they’d likely lose their shot at tapping in down here.
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by Travis Hughes on Aug 25, 2010 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Keep in mind: A Smithville bar is a Stockton bar, thus, a North Jersey bar. Even at J.D.’s, though, the Phillies are on every night. There are Yanks fans and Mets fans, but they get maybe one TV. At any other place in Atlantic County, the Phillies will be on every single night, from Egg Harbor City to Hammonton to Brigantine to Corbin City, Mays Landing or Northfield.
AC is certainly a Northern oasis, but the hockey team here is not going to succeed by catering toward tourists. It’s a winter sport, anyway, and AC is basically empty during the week, too. They’d need to cater to the locals from the mainland to make it work. Back when the Bullies left (or maybe just before they did), there was a lot of talk about putting an arena and a baseball stadium on the AC Race Course site in Hamilton Township, putting a hockey team and the Surf out there. There are no tourists out there.
This is clearly a long term strategy to indirectly to fill the building in Newark by building a bigger fanbase . . . and as a Devils’ fan, I’m all for it. However, you can look at my profile to see why I wouldn’t be for it in other sports.
Totally agree with you, and if I were a Devils fan, I’d be happy with it too. I don’t think it’ll be successful (thus why I can kind of laugh it off), but I can see why they’re trying.
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by Travis Hughes on Aug 25, 2010 12:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Did I also mention
That after Game 6 in 2000 Conference Finals, me and a South Jersey Devils fan buddy went to Maynard’s in Margate (same island as Atlantic City) and were heckled by the entire bar? Even the bartender asked us if she could piss in our beers.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
Do I understand this right- the Devils thought by bringing a game to Atlantic City- against a Philadelphia team no less- that they were somehow hoping for home ice advantage? LOL The Devils can’t even fill seats with their fans at the Prudential Center. Wtf makes them think they can get enough Devils fans to fill seats in Flyers country? LOL Let’s go Phantoms!
They should market this more and more as a Flyers-Devils territory battle. And repeat more and more how they are trying to use games like these to get a foothold in Flyers territory. Then they can watch the Phantoms fans fill up their ‘home ice’.
Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger; Briere, Betts and Pronger;
Our team is so much stronger
We've got Briere, Betts and Pronger...
by PursuitOfLappyness on Aug 25, 2010 4:12 AM EDT reply actions
It’s an interesting idea, and I hope for the Devils sake not their only marketing strategy. As a longtime South Jersey resident / Flyers fan, I almost don’t consider AC to be “South Jersey”. This is a broader geographical discussion, and there was interestingly enough a fun (defined loosely to those who might find it interesting) look at the whole North/South Jersey debate in “New Jersey-The Movie”. The line of divide is more of a diagonal running from near AC up through to the Ewing/Trenton area.
Really though, even if the Phantoms relocated to AC, how many would go there from here? I wouldn’t drive an hour regularly to attend, and I think Im a diehard hockey fan (flew to Seattle to see a WHL game in January). Maybe I’d roll down for a special one off game, Boardwalk Hall is pretty cool. But probably not the way I went to the Spectrum.
Cherno77 actually is the guy who made that movie, FYI. I believe the line you’re talking about is the Keith Line, and if it is, it hits the coast around LBI.
If the Phantoms did move to AC (and there’s a reason why they didn’t — $$$), it’d be a different crowd than the Phantoms had in Philly. It’d be the South Jersey Flyers fans. It could succeed, but just like if the Devils come here, it all depends on how the ownership group markets the team. I’m not sure Comcast-Spectacor would’ve done it right because they really wouldn’t have the motivation to. They already have the market down here. The Devils, on the other hand, need the market here and would try their hardest to make it work, I think.
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by Travis Hughes on Aug 25, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
If we wanted to do it, I’m more than willing to help organize a little BSH-backed campaign to get that arena packed with orange on the 5th. It’s only a few bucks to take the train to AC from this area anyway, so it’s completely doable to get a large group down there.
We should without a doubt do this.
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by Travis Hughes on Aug 25, 2010 12:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I already looked it to booking
Well, yes – that’s me the guy who made NJTM and I grew up in that overlap. (Shameless plug) We’re actually on NJ.com’s Ledger Live today about accents.
And yes, I was very familiar with the Keith (and Lawrence) line(s) and we reference them in our film and our line is more along those historic ones. However, many Ocean County residents will say how “things are different than they were 20 years ago.”
What I guessed, but couldn’t prove was that Ocean County was always part of the East Jersey culture until the Civil War and then two things may have gravitated it more toward South/ West Jersey from the late 1800s to the 1970s. The railroads may have altered things a bit.
Even John T. Cunningham says Philly people used to go to Long Branch (Monmouth County) to go to the beach sometimes with rail back in the day. That would NEVER happen now. Then radio and TV. Many older Ocean County residents got Philly better on the radio and antenna thus gravitating many residents to South Jersey mentality.
Then a couple recent changes helped change it BACK to East/ North Jersey – the Parkway, cable TV, the housing boom in that order. The only thing that might get Ocean County back into South Jersey’s orbit would be if you created a Spur on the AC Expressway and put it toward LBI or Seaside Heights. That was my theory on Ocean County. Though I knew something was different, I couldn’t prove it. When I wrote to mayors in “central jersey” counties – I got responses from one in Hunterdon, none in Mercer, one in Monmouth and 20 in Ocean . . .
As for the vote, Dragon girl is correct in saying that Ocean County was the only one not to vote to secede, but it was a non-binding referendum, meaning it was just a symbolic vote. BTW – Gloucester and Camden counties didn’t participate in the vote either because a certain guy named Jim Florio didn’t want to piss off Trenton.
As for minor league hockey in AC, Travis I agree with you that they weren’t marketed correctly. I taught down there and the Boardwalk Bully mascot should have been in my school and others in the area. I even wrote the Bullies an email saying as much. It never went anywhere. The year I moved up North was the year the Bullies left and it was truly sad. Because I got to know some of the players and it’s a small town type area, you would see people at games and all go out afterward. The players truly loved living there and playing there. Boardwalk Hall was a great venue too. I don’t care what team puts their fingerprints on AC, if hockey could come back there, I would be very happy and if done correctly, it can help the area economically. . . but then I look to the Surf and their demise.
I wish I could share your optimism Travis, but there have been many grumblings that the Devils don’t even market the Trenton team terribly well. The players are protected and it’s all about development. They’re not into the community as much as they could be. These are just ancedotes I’ve heard from people in North Jersey and around Trenton.
Also, my wife and I were already trying to get a room in AC for Saturday night and then go to the game on Sunday to rep the Devils – and John’s been telling the ILWT people too. I know there are some feelings about “rivalries and passions” becoming enflamed, but I don’t share these worries.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
I live about 5 minutes from AC and went to i’d say about 75% of Bullies games. The place was always empty. One of the main problems was none of the casinos (Trump Plaza especially) backed the team.
Nothing is successful here, and it’s a shame. I probably have the closest ties to AC compared to anyone in here, so feel free to ask me anything.
Flyers, the only Philly team that matters
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