Hefty price to kick back at Molson's 2010 Olympic hockey house
By Damian Inwood, Canwest News Service
October 6, 2009 6:25 PM
Organizers are it calling it "the home of hockey" during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.
But lunch-bucket hockey fans may feel the $500-a-day price for Molson Canada Hockey House is like getting a high stick in the chops.
For a ticket for the $15-million, 81,000-square-foot party zone is more expensive than some of the men's gold-medal hockey seats.
"Based on the Superbowl, Formula 1 or the Ryder Cup, we're cheap," insisted Jordan Bitove, president of Vision|Co, a partner in the project. "We're actually a deal and we're all-inclusive in that price."
But someone who wants to drop in for a couple of beers and watch a hockey game will have to shell out the full $500.
Bitove admitted the prices may be "flexible," based on the response.
He said that when organizers initially looked at the concept and kicked around the figures, the world's economy was "in a bull economy and now we're in a bear."
Ticketholders can use the 57,000-square foot bar and dining area from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and get all their food — catered by Wolfgang Puck Catering — drink and entertainment included in the price.
The games will be shown on three 40-foot high-definition TV screens.
Anyone buying a "season pass" for $8,500 for the 17-day Olympic period also gets their own private "loge" or booth to entertain their guests in.
Bitove boasts that the hockey house, just down the block from GM Place, will, be the largest free-standing, temporary structure ever built.
It's the size of five hockey rinks and will employ 1,000 staff, he said.
The bar will hold 2,000 people at a time and the building also holds Hockey Canada and International Ice Hockey Federation hospitality suites.
"We believe hockey will be the draw," added Bitove.
Entertainment includes The Barenaked Ladies whose drummer, Tyler Stewart, is "entertainment director."
Comedian Sean Cullen will also perform and is organizing trivia quizzes and hockey karaoke contests involving members of Canada's men's and women's hockey teams.
Former Vancouver Canuck captain Stan Smyl is the hockey ambassador and hockey legends including Hall of Famers like Paul Coffey and Cam Neely will put in appearances.
The Molson hockey house is just one of many national and corporate hospitality centres planned for Vancouver 2010.
Others include the Heineken House for speed skating fans at Richmond's O Zone, Russia House at Science World, U.S. House on three floors of a Yaletown apartment complex, France House at Hycroft Mansion in Shaughnessy, Swiss House at Bridges Hotel and Coca Cola's corporate party base at the Granville Island Hotel.
dinwood@theprovince.com
© copyright (c) CNS Olympics
Considering how much money it's going to cost to build this venue and to run it (1,000 staff!), i suppose the cost to get in is warranted.
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