Move To Coliseum Gives Thunderbirds Big, Happy Crowds
When Glen Goodall, the only Seattle Breaker left in town, looked at the Coliseum crowds over the weekend, he was far from the Friday night fights people equated with junior hockey when he came to Seattle in 1984.
Goodall, drafted by the National Hockey League's Detroit Red Wings in 1988, was living a dream, enhanced by winning a pair of games, including last night's 7-3 Seattle Thunderbird decision over Portland, before crowds of 11,000-plus.
``It was just like `The Show', the NHL,'' Goodall said. ``You face that every night up there.''
That same dream - a packed Coliseum, a winning team - attracted John Hamilton to Seattle in 1978, when he purchased the Western Hockey League's Breakers, the predecessors to today's Thunderbirds. However, Hamilton woke up to the reality of owning a second-rate team wallowing in red ink before his dream came true for someone else.
``We did want to play in the Coliseum. It was always in the plan,'' said Hamilton, who sold the franchise to Earl Hale in 1985 after losing more than $400,000 and having losing teams in five of six seasons.
``The smartest thing those guys did was to get those games into the Coliseum.''
Those guys are Bill Yuill, current owner of the T-birds, and General Manager Russ Farwell.
Success has come because Yuill, who bought the team last summer from Hale, was willing to invest $170,000 in new boards that allow the Coliseum to be converted into a hockey rink, and because Farwell has put together a team that can fill it.
``We wouldn't be in the Coliseum if not for the new owner,'' said Farwell, who joined the team before the 1988-89 season. ``Fortunately, it wasn't a matter of should we spend the money, but how much we spend.''
Yuill's faith in his team has been rewarded by an attendance boom. The T-birds have drawn 105,986 customers in 21 home dates, including 35,889 in three games at the Coliseum.
Based on the current average of 3,894 fans per game at the 4,139-seat Center Arena, the Thunderbirds will set a franchise record for attendance in their 24th home game of the season, Feb.2, against Tri-City.
If Seattle maintains its 11,963 Coliseum average in its two remaining contests there, the franchise will draw more there in five dates than it did in 36 home games the first year Hamilton owned the team.
``People came out of the woodwork this year,'' said Don Bolton, a Seattle Center usher since 1971. ``I saw faces at the first (Coliseum) game that I haven't seen in a long time. I can remember John (Hamilton) used to come out and count the house each night, sometimes remarking that `only mothers and neighbors are here tonight.' ''
That's not a problem this season.
Rick Ronish, the franchise's ticket manager since the Breaker days, predicts the team will sell out its first regular-season weekday game later this month, against Kamloops, and will double its season-ticket base of 1,100 next season.
``People have found out they couldn't get tickets on game night, so they've bought tickets for the rest of the year,'' said Ronish, estimating that 2,000 tickets have been sold for each of the team's 15 remaining home games.
``Basically, we used to sell out Portland games and the occasional Friday night. Now, we've already sold out 13 games this year.
``Up to this year, we sold the atmosphere,'' said Ronish, ``but now the team is responsible for filling the seats. The fans are into the game.''
That atmosphere, generally created by a rowdy, 25-and-under crowd, turned off some traditional hockey fans. But, according to those familiar with the crowds, some of those who left before are coming back.
``Winning helped, but getting rid of the swearing and the rowdies was the only way to get these crowds,'' said Larry Hascall, an usher since 1952. ``They kind of cleaned it up.''
Police Sgt. Jim Johnson, who has worked at hockey games for more than 20 years, said, ``The number of fights that occur is the biggest difference between then and now. You still get the occasional fight, but this team attracts a different kind of people.''
The franchise's evolution was apparent last night, when 11,793 watched Seattle dominate its former nemesis, Portland, to win its fifth straight game. The victory was the eighth this season for the T-birds (32-13-1) without a loss against the Winter Hawks (14-31-2).
Seattle scored the game's first five goals, while goaltender Danny Lorenz held the Winter Hawks without a goal for the first period. Twelve players were involved in the scoring, with defenseman Stewart Malgunas leading the way with two goals and two assists.
The crowd erupted when each of the three fights broke out, but the cheers were just as loud when Victor Gervais opened Seattle's scoring with a long slap shot 7:03 into the game. And, unlike past years when the ``out-of-town scoreboard'' drew attention only when Portland was mentioned, there was a collective groan when it was announced that Kamloops, the team leading the T-birds in the West Division, had won.
``For the first time ever, when Portland beat Kamloops a few weeks ago, that got the loudest cheer of the year,'' Ronish said. ``In years past, it didn't matter who we were chasing - as long as Portland lost, the crowd would cheer.''
This season, Seattle's performance on the ice is giving the fans plenty to cheer about. The T-birds have virtually assured themselves a playoff berth, which would be their first since 1986. Five more victories would leave Seattle with the most in the franchise's 13-year WHL history.
``The fans have really been supportive of us, and we haven't really rewarded them'' in the past, said Goodall, who turned 20 today. ``We're finally giving them something back.''
SCORING SUMMARY
First period - 1, Seattle, Gervais (unassisted), 7:03, power play; 2, Seattle, S. Malgunas (Goodall, Gervais), 7:45; 3, Seattle, S. Malgunas (Zavisha), 10:04; 4, Seattle, Stevenson (Barrett, Simon), 16:54. Second period - 5, Seattle, Vallis (S. Malgunas, Lorenz), 6:59, short-handed; 6, Portland, Young (Black, Danyluk), 10:21. Third period - 7, Seattle, Nedved (Kasowski, Boe), 7:23; 8, Seattle, Goodall (Stevenson, S. Malgunas), 13:11, pp; 9, Portland, Fry (unassisted), 13:37; 10, Portland, Gourlie (Ruark, Dorchak), 19:24.
Shots on goal - P, 8-13-12-33; S, 17-9-19-45. Goaltenders - P, Dafoe, 38 saves; S, Lorenz, 30 saves. Penalty minutes - P, 18-7-10-35; S, 16-24-14-54. A -11,793.
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Thunderbirds flying high
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-- The Thunderbirds' attendance has shown improvement over the years and theri percentage of potential capacity has compared favorably with other teams in the area.
Avg. Pct. Record finish;
;
1989-90 5,047 96.1 -- -- ;
;
1988-89 3,195 88.8 33-35-4 5th;
;
1987-88 2,845 68.7 25-45-2 5th;
;
1986-87 2,971 71.7 21-47-4 5th;
;
1985-86 1,811 43.7 27-43-2 4th;
;
1984-85 2,077 50.2 25-44-3 5th;
;
1983-84 1,864 45.0 32-39-1 4th;
;
1982-83 1,991 48.1 24-47-1 4th;
;
1981-82 2,088 50.4 36-34-2 3rd;
;
1980-81 1,693 40.9 26-46-0 3rd;
;
1979-80 1,525 36.8 29-41-2 3rd;
;
1978-79 1,440 34.8 21-40-11 4th;
;
1977-78 32-28-12 4th;
;
;
;
;
Thunderbirds UW basketball Sonics Mariners;
Avg. Pct. Avg. Pct. Avg. Pct. Avg. Pct.;
;
1989-90 5,047 96.1 2,783 34.8 12,435 87.3 16,030 27.6;
;
1988-89 3,195 88.8 3,520 44.0 12,920 90.7 12,622 21.7;
;
1987-88 2,845 68.7 3,529 44.1 12,008 84.3 14,003 24.1;
;
1986-87 2,971 71.7 4,782 59.8 8,692 61.0 12,704 21.8;
;
1985-86 1,811 43.7 6,699 83.7 8,032 56.4 13,934 24.0;
;
1984-85 2,077 50.2 6,979 87.2 7,399 51.9 10,745 18.5;
;
;
UW football Seahawks;
Avg. Pct. Avg. Pct.;
;
68,940 95.1 60,154 92.6;
;
65,624 90.5 61,763 95.0;
;
71,396 98.5 52,711 81.1;
;
59,439 99.4 61,615 94.8;
;
59,574 99.6 59,605 91.7;
;
58,455 97.8 61,707 95.0;
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-- Pct. is percentage of tickets available (base on building capacity) which were sold. The Seatte Thunderbirds were called the Breakers through the '84-85 season.