Rock launch season-ticket campaign

thomas perryBy Thomas Perry, The Daily Press (Timmins)

TIMMINS – The Timmins Rock will officially kick off their 2016-17 season ticket campaign during the 69th-annual Schumacher Lions Club Sportsman Show at the McIntyre Arena this weekend.

The Rock are coming off a successful first season in Timmins which saw the team average 595 fans a game, second in the NOJHL, and register the highest single-game attendance 1,123 (Dec. 6, the night Steve Sullivan’s jersey was retired).

Scott Marshall, president of the Rock, is hoping the team can build upon that success as it begins preparations for the 2016-17 campaign.

“For 2015-16, I think we sold around 425 season tickets,” he said.

“We would like to see that number up around 600 for the coming season.”

Even though the campaign has yet to officially kick off, the club has already sold 62 season tickets.

“We did send out emails to all of our existing season ticket holders,” Marshall said.

“The Sportsman Show and The Home Show the following weekend are the big kickoff.”

This weekend’s Sportsman Show will also be an opportunity for the NOJHL team to introduce fans to its new Team Rock Legacy Membership program.

“We think it is a great package and it is also a great benefit for the team,” Marshall said.

“It will create additional cash flow for the franchise.”

Under the program, Legacy Partners pay a one-time fee of $2,500 for a single seat or $3,000 for a pair of seats covering a five-year period.

In return, the Legacy Partners receive an exclusive, professionally-framed, engraved and autographed No. 26 Steve Sullivan Timmins Rock jersey (home or away).

“It was really good of Steve to sign all these jerseys,” Marshall said.

“When we came up with this idea and mentioned it to Steve he was all in right away. He had no issues signing them and helping us promote the team.”

These jerseys will not be available for purchase by the general public.

Legacy Partners may opt instead for a fully customized jersey made to their exact specifications.

The one-time fee for the Team Rock Legacy Memberships includes reserved-seating tickets to all Rock home games at the McIntyre Arena (pre-season, regular season and playoffs).

Legacy Partners are supplied with individual pre-printed game-specific tickets that can be retained for personal use and/or be distributed to staff, customers and others.

Ticket packages can also be assigned to a charity for distribution to those who might not otherwise be able to attend Rock games.

The Team Rock Legacy Membership campaign has yet to officially kick off, either, but three (totalling five tickets) have already been sold.

“Without a lot of promotion, we have already sold three of the partnerships and there has been a lot of interest expressed,” Marshall said.

“We have been getting emails and phone calls, so this weekend will be a chance to talk about the Legacy Partnerships face-to-face with fans.

The team has a Legacy Partnership page on its website (http://timminsrock.com/team-rock-legacy-members).

The Rock will have one of the framed Sullivan jerseys on hand at the Sportsman Show and The Home Show.

“Our goal is to sell 50 of the Team Rock Legacy Memberships,” Marshall said.

“We are not expecting it to happen this weekend, but before the puck drops for the season we are hoping to have a total of 600 season tickets sold, a combination of Legacy Partnerships and regular.

Fans purchasing Rock season tickets before May 1 can take advantage of early bird pricing: Adults $275 ($300 after); seniors and students $200 ($225 after); children seven to 12 $100 ($125 after); licenced balcony $375 ($400 after).

“We are going to be able to process season ticket orders right on the spot,” Marshall said.

“We are going to have a live interactive seating chart that is right up to date so people will know exactly what’s available.”

Current season ticket holders have until May 1 to renew their seats.

“After that, they would be open to anyone who wants them,” Marshall said.

The season ticket packages for 2016-17 will be a little different than last year.

“Because we have upgraded our online ticketing system, we are going to be issuing individual game tickets instead of cards,” Marshall said.

“The nice thing is these individual game tickets are transferable, so if fans can’t get to a game they can give their tickets to somebody else and they can go.”

In addition to the framed Sullivan jersey and the framed 2015-16 team photo, the Rock will have a full selection of merchandise for sale, as well.

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Timmins Rock directors Lacey Rigg and Kevin Peever display one of the professionally-framed, engraved and autographed No. 26 Steve Sullivan Timmins Rock jerseys that will be given to Team Rock Legacy Members. The jersey will be on display at the 69th-annual Schumacher Lions Club Sportsman Show at the McIntyre Arena this weekend.