The New Jersey Devils lost a high-profile fan, who turned up in the pages of the Ottawa Sun rooting for the Ottawa Senators.
James Cassella, the mayor of East Rutherford, N.J., the freeway exit that is the soon-to-be-ex-home of the Devils, is now a diehard Sens fan. The tipping point for him, of course, is the Devils’ pending move to Newark next season and into a new arena.
The mayor told the Sun he just can’t figure out why the Devils would leave lovely Continental Airlines Arena (I think our Roy MacGregor is the only fellow who would find it “charming”), nestled as it is in a thicket of freeways and on-ramps.
“Seventy per cent of Newark is in a depressed state,” Cassella said.
Actually, anyone who has spent any time in Newark will find it hard to argue with the mayor. But the civic leaders are hoping the arena will lead to a renewal of the city’s desolate downtown.
It is also hard to believe the Devils, who have a hard time filling Continental, will find it easier to sell tickets by moving farther south. But majority owner Jeff Vanderbeek told the Bergen Record “there is a decent chance we will sell out every game.”
The Prudential Center will seat 17,628 for hockey, compared to Continental’s 19,040, which is probably a better size for the Jersey market. Vanderbeek said his optimism is fuelled by the demand for premium seats, which has been high since they went on sale.
Vanderbeek said all 2,200 club seats were sold within two weeks of going on sale and the cheapest seats, those priced between $10 and $32 (U.S.), also flew out the door, although it was not clear if they were sold out. The owner also said luxury box sales are going well.
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