Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Goons on Ice (the Backlash)

With Prince George, BC now the centre of the Goons of the Ice universe, many locations are saying better them than us. The backlash against the Hockey punch up show is growing and one wonders how long Prince George will be willing to allow it's CN Centre to host this less than wanted event.

With a chance to put the city on the Hockey map, Prince George at the moment says they still plan to allow the August 27th Slugfest to proceed, but if the reviews from afar are any indication the publicity they get for their efforts may be anything but what the local Chamber of Commerce and Tourism people may wish for.

From neighboring Kamloops about four hours down Highway 97 comes the suggestion that such a show would never wash in hockey savvy Kamloops. Where city managers say the show would have a problem drawing a crowd even if the city allowed a possibly illegal event to take place.

Ouch, if anything should sway the folks of Prince George away from the Goon show it will the suggestion that by accepting the brawlers as their own, city residents will be lesser than their provincial rivals.

The true barometer of a backlash however, as always, will be the sale of tickets to this inauspicious event, with prices ranging from 29-200 dollars the Prince George sportsfan (and ghouls of the Cariboo) will be the ones casting their votes. Poor sales will mean no show. And no show will make the summer a restful one for the hockey purists and nervous civic officials.

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