Bruce Zoldan’s Phantoms expected to play at the Chevy Centre

Good.

I sure hope it is "finalized" ~~ good thing for our community & something to do!!

I won't pay $20 to watch kids play hockey. They better cheapen the seats.

The ticket should be $4 to 6.
I will not buy season tickets to watch kids play.
Do the math, 5700 seats in the Chevy Centre, 600 seats at the Ice Zone. He was having trouble filling 600, how is he going to get more people. Answer: Buy a Pro Team.

Last year tickets were as cheap at 10-12 bucks I can recall. Not like there are any bad seats there and its not like they pack their games, so you can move around.

It's not because I'm not behind it, I am all for the game and its prosperity, but the phantoms will fail to get 500 people per game and will lose money in the long run and will quite possibly ruin hockey growth in the area. They are too young and will not bring a crowd. period. Not to mention if Jaybird thinks its a good idea then it will most assuredly fail. He is like a reverse King Midas. Anything Jay Williams touches turns to dirt. I for one don't mind not having hockey in the valley for one season if it means that when it comes back next year it will be a quality product. Williams doesn't understand that. His boy who runs the place now keeps telling everyone he can fill the arena with quality acts and shows if there is no hockey. Let him do his job and don't rush to bring a solution to the hockey problem when there are other alternatives that could make more money than a minor-minor league team of kids that no one will show up for. Jaybird feels like he has been publicly insulted by Washington and now wants to try to replace an ACTUAl hockey team with a team that could be bested by an intermural high school/college team every time they hit the ice, and have no following. Let things go for this year. Bring the ice shows, the concerts, and the other entertainment that Eric Ryan says he can bring so we can see if someone in youngstown actually knows what they are doing and can back up all the talk. Otherwise it seems like a waste of time to have events that will lose more money than it will cost to actually stage the event. If the event can't make money, let the place go dark for a while until someone can do the job. And please, don't let Jay get involved with any of the decisions.

The Phantoms finished 36-18-4 on the regular season - 2nd Place in the NAHL North - and the National Runner-Up for the Robertson Cup Championship Hmmmm looks to me like they are a terrible team. Last time i checked these so called kids were pro hockey players. And who wants to support something local god-for-bid we have that in this area. I hope the phantoms do play at the chevy centre. Why should i have to pay $20 to see a hockey game when i can pay $50 to see disney on ice and the same arena. I would rather see the hockey it nothing else it would be more exciting.

It is clear from some of these comments that some people do not recognize quality hockey games. The Phantoms have always played a fast-paced hockey game which the fans love! I have spoken to many people attending their first Phantom game who are hooked right away and come back for many more games. Watching fight after fight is boring and not hockey. Watch NHL games and see not only "kids" playing a great game of hockey but very few fights. Many of the star players in the NHL are the SAME age as these boys! Who knows - hopefully we will see some of the Phantoms in the NHL and be able to say, "I knew him when..."

Hockeyfan and jmpt37, you are right. These other people are poor, misguided, constipated badgers. Oustjay says that "the Phantoms may ruin hockey growth in the area". Thats why the Steelhounds were here to begin with. Bruce Zolden puts on a fine program that sparked interest in high school kids in the area. They in turn formed teams. Washington saw the interest in the area and brought the Steelhounds here. He just did not want to pay his bills and got to greedy with the prices. You winers do not know hockey. If you did then you would know that the Phantoms are a quality organization. I have missed maybe a half dozen home games in the past three seasons. Those boys play their heart out. They are from all over the country, even Alaska. They are playing for college scholarships so the playing level and intensity is up there. As far as filling the place with people...maybe not. BUT you couldn't fill it if the Browns played their home games here. It's not Jay, it's the people in this area (like you)!

Personally I am glad to see hockey played at the Chevy Centre this year but I hope that it is only temporary that the Phantoms are the main attraction. Yes, they are high caliber Junior A players from all across the country but the possibility of having an NHL affliated team in the area is exciting. Yes, the Steelhounds were "affiliated" with the Blue Jackets but Columbus never planned on working on players through the CHL when they have a better talent pool in the Dayton Bombers (ECHL) and Syracuse Stars (AHL). The only way that the Phantoms should stay at the Chevy Centre is if they move to either the OHL (Canadian Major Junior League where guys like Jordan Staal, Steve Stamkos, and Wayne Gretzky emerged) or a USHL team (American Tier I Jr.A). My main question is why hasn't the YSU Men's Ice Hockey team been asked to fill some of the dates. They have ex-Phantoms on their team and are made of former Junior A players from across the country. Instead they practice and play their games at the Ice Zone where they are treated as second rate citizens to the Phantoms (rumor has it they are sometimes forced from their locker room for the Phantoms Midget AAA ,AKA High School team, to get dressed)and have trouble getting students to the games because of the distance from campus (they average about 500 people per game but have sold out the Ice Zone). They are offered free ice but do not profit on ticket sales, merchandise sales, or basically anything at all. Instead these guys pay $1,000 each out of pocket to play the sport they love. YSU only funds league entry payments and road trips (excluding meals) because they are an ACHA D-I team rather than NCAA. Penn State, West Virginia, Illinois, etc are all ACHA D-I as well. I say give the ice at the Chevy Centre for free to YSU, charge $5 tickets and promote the game to YSU students and the area. Rather than let local businessmen get involved in the sport let a single college team that is just as exciting and profits NOTHING play there and all profits go to the Centre to cover ice costs and make a profit for the city. Imagine the recruiting class they could bring in by showing off the Chevy Centre and letting those kids imagine the stands full. Any thoughts?