A social media post is making the rounds, showing what appears to be the New Jersey Devils marketing to rival fans for home games. If the post proves to be true, this is a terrible look for the franchise.
The New Jersey Devils fans have long heard fans of the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers rag them for the team’s inability to fill the stadium. While other teams had a rocking crowd on a nightly basis, the Devils made due with a room full of die hards. A social media post going around on Tuesday didn’t sit right with most Devils fans.
We've hit a new low. Actively seeking out visiting fans. pic.twitter.com/rRE1MkFwpx
— Lou D’Elia (@Loofighter) September 5, 2017
Now, to be fair, I have not been able to find this myself, but it seems like a weird thing for this person to make up out of nowhere.
If the Devils are actually marketing to the Rangers fans, this is a terrible look. Fans have been complaining about rising ticket prices, more and more season ticket holder events that block out the rest of the fanbase and an overall losing atmosphere since Josh Harris bought the team in 2013.
Many of the complaints about the Devils in recent years fall on deaf ears. Many NHL teams are raising ticket prices, and a night at the Prudential Center is still a relative bargain compared to many NHL arenas. While the season ticket events seem to be the team’s focus, at least it’s taking care of Devils fans. This, on the other hand, is a pure and simple money grab.
More from Pucks and Pitchforks
- Should New Jersey Devils Try Load Management With Vitek Vanecek?
- New Jersey Devils Will Prove That Last Year Wasn’t A Fluke
- New Jersey Devils: Luke Hughes’ Playmaking Will Outshine His Mistakes
- New Jersey Devils: Chase Stillman’s Performance Causes Concern
- Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?
Yes, people can say the Devils fans should be filling the arena, but truth is the team hasn’t put a product on the ice that deserves it. For the marketing team to focus on Rangers and other fans makes the team look really bad. This makes them sort of a laughing stock when you invite the other team into your building.
There has to be a better way for the Devils to attract its own fans into the building. During rivalry games, the seats are already split. Why invite more Rangers into Prudential Center to hurt the experience for Devils fans, who will pay for many more games? The move makes little to no sense in a big-picture scenario. It looks like a desperate move. This franchise should be better than that, especially this season.
The Devils have something to be excited about for the first time since Ilya Kovalchuk left for Russia. Nico Hischier is a marketable star in the making. A young core gives the fanbase a lot to look forward to while watching all year. The team seems like it will be fun to watch.
It should be fun to watch for Devils fans. Inviting other fans to make themselves at home just ruins the experience for the people you should be marketing to.