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Van Sun Article: A frustrated fan makes a tough decision and says so long to the Canucks


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Meredith Stevenson wanted a voice in the National Hockey League lockout and to get it the lifelong fan made what she described as a gut-wrenching decision.

She and her husband Dean cancelled the pair of Vancouver Canucks season-tickets they had held for 14 years.

“The last lockout (in 2004-05) didn’t seem to bother me as much,” the North Vancouver resident said Thursday. “Now that this is kind of the second time around and we are faced with the same old argument, I just found myself feeling increasingly frustrated.

“My husband and I have been evaluating how we can be heard in all this because we are just a little bit fed up with it. Even though we are huge fans — we never miss a game — it just got to be the only way we felt we could have a voice.”

So late last week, Stevenson called her account representative with the Canucks and told him they were giving up their cherished lower-bowl seats at Rogers Arena. And as difficult a decision as that was, Stevenson said she found it almost liberating.

“I felt like I’ve done all I can to make my point,” she said. “As a consumer there’s nothing we can do other than not consume the product. So I just thought if that’s the only way, that’s what I’ll do. It’s going to be painful. What if the Canucks next year win the Stanley Cup and I am not going to have tickets. It’s going to be devastating for me, but it feels really good to do it. It feels good to have a voice and be able to say, you know what, I’m not going to consume it, I don’t agree with this any more.”

Hockey has always been a big part of Stevenson’s life. She plays twice a week and was the first and only female producer at EA Sports on its NHL team. The 38-year-old mother of two young children now owns and operates an event planning company.

Stevenson said she and her husband really don’t have sides in the NHL dispute, which began Sept. 15 when the league locked out its players.

“I am too angry to sympathize with either side right now,” she said. “I’m really tired of the bickering back and forth. I know the players probably got a little bit screwed in the last contract and they want to come back and make sure the same thing doesn’t happen again. But to be honest, as everyone says, it’s the millionaires bickering with the multimillionaires. It just doesn’t sit well with the majority of people.”

When she cancelled her tickets, Stevenson’s account rep with the Canucks asked her to send an email that he could pass on to Canucks management. She did that, outlining her reasons in very passionate terms.

“This is not the sport I fell in love with at the age of 4 and have been so dedicated to my entire life,” Stevenson said in her letter to the Canucks.

“I’m not a season-ticket holder who makes 250K a year. Having these tickets is not merely a drop in our financial bucket — it is a significant investment and expenditure for our family. I’ve watched the Canucks grow into an amazing team and I love them with every ounce of my being. BUT, I really feel like I need to make a stand here. The incessant greed of players and owners alike has left a very bad taste in my mouth.”

Stevenson has not yet received a response from anyone in Canuck management, but general manager Mike Gillis said late Thursday he understands the passion of the team’s fans.

“I think people are frustrated, not unlike us, we’re also frustrated,” Gillis said. “I think everyone around the game is frustrated to a certain measure. It gets played out in a variety of different ways.

“Our season-ticket holders are extremely important and we value their opinions at a very high level. It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances, but we have passionate fans and passionate people will display their emotion in a variety of ways.”

Gillis said Canucks, who have a lengthy season-ticket waiting list, have had “a limited number of season-ticket cancellations.”

Stevenson said the tickets were costing her family nearly $11,000 a year, plus as much as $8,000 for playoff tickets. They had put down roughly $3,700 towards this season’s tickets, which will now be refunded.

“Our season-tickets are a big investment for us,” Stevenson said. “It always hurt a little bit when those payments came due. I think that’s also why it feels a little bit liberating to be honest.”

She’s not sure what her family will do with that extra money.

“I don’t know,” she said. “It will probably all be going on our line of credit.”

Stevenson knows she and her husband have lots of company in being frustrated fans. One of her friends, West Vancouver video game producer Steve Rechtschaffner, on Wednesday started a petition that asks fans to boycott the NHL and all of its products for three years unless hockey is being played by Christmas.

Like Stevenson, Rechtschaffner feels like fans just don’t have a voice.

“I guess the word would be frustration,” Rechtschaffner, himself a former Canuck season-ticket holder, said when asked why he started the petition. “I think a lot of people feel like they are frustrated by the whole situation and have no leverage, don’t have a dog in the fight.

“And I thought I am willing to commit to the idea that if these people really don’t make an effort to get it solved and get it going by Christmas I want to let them know that I am willing to commit to not spending any money on their product for three years.”

His petition only had a handful of signatures on Thursday, but Rechtschaffner thinks numbers will swell with some media exposure and word of mouth.

“If you’re a fan of NHL hockey and are feeling disrespected and taken for granted, this is a way to let the owners and players know that there will be long- range damage to them, that they should take into account before blowing this entire season up,” Rechtschaffner’s petition says.

Here's a link to the petition:

http://www.change.or...he-next-3-years

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Great article, and hopefully others follow suit. I'm not sure what this person was doing buying season tickets when she carries a balance on a line of credit, but that's another issue, I guess...

I know that a lot of people on this board are in their teens, but I can assure you that in the mid-to-late 90s, the Vancouver Canucks were not a very hot ticket at all. Lot of empty seats at GM Place. No reason why it can't happen again.

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Great article, and hopefully others follow suit. I'm not sure what this person was doing buying season tickets when she carries a balance on a line of credit, but that's another issue, I guess...

I know that a lot of people on this board are in their teens, but I can assure you that in the mid-to-late 90s, the Vancouver Canucks were not a very hot ticket at all. Lot of empty seats at GM Place. No reason why it can't happen again.

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Seriously? I have little doubt that this person is speaking the truth and they spend $19000.00 a year watching Canuck hockey. I say that I believe it because today's world is so twisted in its priorities. She states that they don't make $250,000 a year and this 'investment' in Canuck tickets is a sizeable expenditure. I suggest she takes her new found savings and consult a financial advisor and reset their priorities.

There are no shortage of opinions on the right and wrongs of this dispute between millionair players and billionaire owners. The absolute irony is that so many fans actually think that either party give two hoots about the fans. People! They don't! I don't and will not buy season tickets as watching a game live is not worth it for the $'s demanded. If more people felt that way perhaps ticket prices might go down. I doubt it as there are enough fools lined up to take their place so they can make the scene.

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Pfffha.

Paleeease.

I can't feel sorry for someone that has had lower bowl season tickets for over 20 years.

"The first and only female producer at EA Sports on its NHL team"? The cost is probably a cool breeze through her bank account.

I feel worse for the kids and the nine to fivers that depend on hockey to unwind at night... something after work to look forward to!

I guess we all lose in the end, but honestly... A true fan is not dependent upon how much money they spend or how many jerseys they own. I'm more impressed by people that catch every season game WITHOUT having bought a ticket.

I streamed all my games for 2 years, I'm happy to say.

Not the best quality, but I didn't pay them a stupid cent.

If you can't quit hockey completely, I say spend the least amount of cash you can on them. I'm not going to cry for some lady that makes 150 grand a year. Have you seen what the EA staff gets treated like by directors and producers?!

I say again, "Pffffff"

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Seriously? I have little doubt that this person is speaking the truth and they spend $19000.00 a year watching Canuck hockey. I say that I believe it because today's world is so twisted in its priorities. She states that they don't make $250,000 a year and this 'investment' in Canuck tickets is a sizeable expenditure. I suggest she takes her new found savings and consult a financial advisor and reset their priorities.

There are no shortage of opinions on the right and wrongs of this dispute between millionair players and billionaire owners. The absolute irony is that so many fans actually think that either party give two hoots about the fans. People! They don't! I don't and will not buy season tickets as watching a game live is not worth it for the $'s demanded. If more people felt that way perhaps ticket prices might go down. I doubt it as there are enough fools lined up to take their place so they can make the scene.

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Pfffha.

Paleeease.

I can't feel sorry for someone that has had lower bowl season tickets for over 20 years.

"The first and only female producer at EA Sports on its NHL team"? The cost is probably a cool breeze through her bank account.

I feel worse for the kids and the nine to fivers that depend on hockey to unwind at night... something after work to look forward to!

I guess we all lose in the end, but honestly... A true fan is not dependent upon how much money they spend or how many jerseys they own. I'm more impressed by people that catch every season game WITHOUT having bought a ticket.

I streamed all my games for 2 years, I'm happy to say.

Not the best quality, but I didn't pay them a stupid cent.

If you can't quit hockey completely, I say spend the least amount of cash you can on them. I'm not going to cry for some lady that makes 150 grand a year. Have you seen what the EA staff gets treated like by directors and producers?!

I say again, "Pffffff"

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Good for her. Every year I usually buy my dad some sort of Canucks apparel, jersey, hat, sweatshirt etc. for Christmas; on top of that I usually go to 5 games each season. This year the NHL isn't going to see a dime from me, and that's a promise.

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Great article, and hopefully others follow suit. I'm not sure what this person was doing buying season tickets when she carries a balance on a line of credit, but that's another issue, I guess...

I know that a lot of people on this board are in their teens, but I can assure you that in the mid-to-late 90s, the Vancouver Canucks were not a very hot ticket at all. Lot of empty seats at GM Place. No reason why it can't happen again.

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Fans need to get organized. Give the NHL a deadline to make a deal, if not they won't be receiving a penny from the organized fan group If tens of thousands of people signed it might get them thinking. They are arguing over money WE give them. If we totally mess things up they will think twice about locking out again. Last time the NHL came back way stronger after the lockout, so they weren't afraid of doing it again. We need more people like Meredith, especially from the teams who are already struggling financially.

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I'm not sure where you get your information from, but in my experience, EA producers don't make nearly as much as you think. My brother in law worked there as a producer (mostly Wii games) for 7 years, and I can tell you that made, at most, half that. He also ate all three of his meals at work, because he had to work 12 hours per day, and, when product milestones were nearing, routinely worked 6 or 7 days a week. Working at EA is not a cake walk.

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Great article!

The NHL and NHLPA are fighting over money we have not yet given them. As their customers and the source of their income, we should be a major consideration during any work stoppage, but it seems they only remember we're here when they want to play the PR game. They expect us to come running back with wallets open. If our money is the only voice they hear, we need to let our silence speak volumes.

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