JMS Hockey

Wondering if the early start times for recent games is hurting the turnout? Possibly moving start times back to closer to dusk would help to fill these games up? I know I prefer playing closer to 9pm - 7pm is too early for me due to kids duties/events after work.

Nick, this is the same decrease in turnout we see every June. It's the opposite of hockey season, and just not as many people play. Because there's less demand for ice--and certainly fewer youth programs in front of us--rinks assign us earlier icetimes. They are not interested in having us start at 9:00 when the last ice before us ended at 7:15. Costs money to keep the facility open with nobody using it. So we get earlier starts. Having received many comments about our start times over the years, the one thing I can say with certainty is that some people very much prefer earlier start times, and some people very much prefer later start times. So it turns out that each group gets what they want for about half the year.

Got it, thanks, just trying to figure out how to get an Upper Level game to fill up consistently. I prefer Maple Grove since I live there, last summer we were able to fill it up consistently, Not sure why this year it looks to be so bleak, that is too bad.

Yeah, one year one game survives and one year another one does. Yes, it makes me crazy trying to figure out in advance--and then adjusting once the patterns become evident. If I could clone the willing skaters, I would! For what it's worth, the SLP Tuesday game is going back to UL (like it did last summer), starting next week. Hope that is a viable option for you--

Could we combine (or champion for) the Maple Grove and Moose Sherritt skates since the rinks are somewhat close together? Seems like there would be enough skaters if some matriculated from one to another. Just a thought...

Zach, I'm not following. Combine why and how? The rinks are 23 miles apart. Not everyone signed up for a game in a certain city is actually driving from that city--so the drive time to a new rink gets added to their current distance, not starting from zero miles. Most (probably all) people willing to drive 15 miles from Eden Prairie to Maple Grove will not be willing to drive another 23 to Moose Sherritt. Same thing Clearwater to Maple Grove. It is very unlikely that we can get 100% (or even 20%) of the skaters from either of those games to start playing the other one, I'm sorry. I have been running JMS for 10+ years and have a pretty good idea of skater behavior and patterns.

I suppose the comment was geared towards those who live in the NW metro. For those who don't, and already drive to MG from other areas, driving up to Monticello might be a stretch - as you've suggested.

Yeah, it's a toughie. Believe me, this issue is the last thing I think about at night and the first thing I think about in the morning, every day for dang near the last ten years as I have been running JMS. Some people will drive anywhere to play, but that's the minority--most won't go more than about 12 miles. You are the exception!!