SHOW ME THE MONEY! As operational costs rise, it’s time for teams to focus on additional revenue streams

It's time for pay-to-play junior hockey teams to stop relying solely on player tuition for revenue generation. By diversifying their income streams, teams can become more sustainable and successful.

One potential source of revenue is concessions.

By offering a variety of food and beverage options, teams can attract casual fans and increase sales. Low-cost cans of beer sales can also be a significant revenue generator. By offering affordable beer options, teams can create a fun and lively atmosphere that appeals to a wide range of fans. While keeping families in mind, the same price for cans of soda should also be considered.

In addition to concessions, advertising revenue and sponsorships can provide a significant boost to a team's bottom line.

By partnering with local businesses, teams can generate revenue and create mutually beneficial relationships. It’s important to make sure business owners understand the sacrifice players make while climbing the game’s ladder of development. When advertising revenue is being utilized to lower operational costs, or even player fees, businesses can justify the costs as something being done for a great cause. This can include everything from signage at the arena to sponsored content on the team's website or social media channels. It’s important to offer price points that could be affordable to even the small mom and pop establishments that pepper just about every market.

Another potential revenue stream for junior hockey teams is subscription-based membership groups.

By offering supporters a monthly subscription membership program with exclusive benefits, teams can create a loyal and invested fan base. Benefits could include access to exclusive events, priority ticket selection, or special perks like meet-and-greets with the players. A membership program can provide a predictable and stable source of revenue for teams, helping to reduce their reliance on player contributions. Oftentimes, think of college and high school booster clubs, these are separate non-profit entities.

By exploring these alternative revenue streams, junior hockey teams can become more financially stable and successful. By offering fun and engaging experiences, teams can attract new fans and increase their revenue. With a little creativity and effort, teams can reduce their reliance on player fees while building a more sustainable financial model.

Let’s be realistic, nobody is getting into ownership of a junior team as a financial investment. Buying a team falls into the same category as buying a yacht, exotic car, racehorse, or even a private jet. Buying a team is due to the love of the game, a child on the way up the ladder of development, or even just an ego boost. Doing so is just another toy.

The problem with expensive toys is the heavy costs required to maintain them. For junior teams, it's important to, at the minimum, try and break even. While ownership may not care about such foolishness early in their ownership, eventually they get tired of writing big checks to keep it above water.

That is why it’s very important for paid staff to introduce revenue streams that can reduce the costs of operation. Or even better, eliminate the need for the owner to write any checks at all.