A modest proposal

The NHL needs to expand the ice surface. I know I just touched on this in my last entry, but I've done some of the math and I just don't see any reason not to.

Obviously, the main reason the league has yet to adopt the IIHF standard for rink size is the simple fact that all the rinks currently in use have already been built to NHL standards, and it would be costly (and probaly not possible in some cases) to refit 30 stadiums with larger rinks. Many people fail to realize, though, that the cost would be offset by the (in theory, at least) increased ticket sales resulting from a larger number of front row seats. By widening the rink by twelve feet and lengthening it by ten, the total increase in size of the perimeter of the rink would be 44 feet. Assuming that, at the front, there is one seat for every two feet along the boards (a pure guess, but it sounds right enough), that is an extra 22 front row seats. I once had the pleasure of recieving one of these VIP seats to a Capitals game, and the price printed on the ticket was staggering ($200 per seat). So let's do some quick math:

22 new seats x $200 x 41 home games = $180,400. Per year.

This is assuming there are no price increases, as well as assuming that the size of the second and third rows are not increased. Once you take into account that the people sitting in those front row seats are more likely to spend alot of money at the concession stands, the overall value of the increased rink size becomes even more apparent. Especially since I haven't even mentioned the playoffs yet, or the fact that the Capitals are toward the lower end of the league in terms of ticket prices. I would guess that the real financial benefit would be at least double that.