As thousands of Wheat King fans plan to head to the Keystone Centre tonight for the final regular season game against the Regina Pats, I thought I would share some thoughts on the ongoing lease negotiations between the Wheat Kings and the Keystone.
But first, a disclaimer: I'm a die-hard Wheat Kings fan, and a season ticket holder.
We've all seen the media reports about the ongoing lease negotiations. There are also many rumors in the community about the state of the negotiations, the progress (or lack thereof, depending on the rumor), and a lot of "what ifs" have been floated about.
While I didn't grow up in Brandon, I was fortunate to have a father that is also very passionate about hockey, and would bring me into the city for Wheat King games quite often. These days, as I walk the concourse during intermission, I see many faces I know from all over Western Manitoba. Many of the fans are not from Brandon, but rather our surrounding area. I would believe the same would be true for many season ticket holders, that faithfully make the trip into the city for some weekend hockey action. This is a big economic contributor to the businesses in our city, as many of these hockey fans will have supper or go shopping in Brandon prior to or following a game. What would the lost business activity be if these fans stopped coming?
With 36 regular season games, preseason games, and additional playoff games, the Wheat Kings are a major tenant of the Keystone Centre. This means 36+ nights of concession revenue, vendor rental revenue, and luxury boxes. The luxury boxes, in my opinion, would be a difficult sell without the Wheat Kings. The concession revenue for the year would also drop greatly without the games. These two items, along with the lost revenue from the lease agreement itself, would not be beneficial to the Keystone's bottom line.
I am hopeful for a positive outcome to the negotiations, for both the Keystone and the Wheat Kings. There needs to be some "give and take" from both parties, but we must also recognize the importance of what the Wheat King organization means to Brandon and the Keystone Centre. I strongly urge both sides to work towards a fair settlement, and ensure that our favorite team stays in this great city for many years to come.
I can't imagine the Wheat City without the Wheat Kings, and I hope I never have to.
