Saginaw Spirit seeking a few new fans

by Cynthia J. Drake, Vision Mid Michigan

The Saginaw Spirit put on a good show.

From the scent of hot roasted almonds wafting through the air to frequent breaks for cartoons, T-shirt canons and musical entertainment, you might forget you’re at a hockey game.

Of course there’s plenty of icy action at a Spirit home game worth cheering about. But the games have been retooled to offer a little something for families and even the least likely hockey fans.

“We want to wow even just the casual observer,” said Craig Goslin, Saginaw Spirit president and partner. “Our focus is on families.”

The new emphasis on drawing in less-than-diehard fans seems to be paying off for the Spirit – ticket sales are 2.5 percent higher than last year, even though season ticket sales are down.

Goslin says that economic realities have caused people to take a fresh look at supporting their home teams, spending less on gas and tickets than they would on National Hockey League games.

One of the draws of following local teams is watching stars rise – several former Spirit players have been recruited to NHL teams, such as Tom Pyatt (Montreal Canadiens) and Chris Thorburn (Atlanta Thrashers).

At a recent Saginaw Spirit game, the newest generation of hockey fans (and potential players) was front and center. A boy’s hockey league slapped pucks around before the game and children took turns waving from the passenger seats of the Zambonis.

A local school choir sang the national anthem and kids screamed when Sammy Spirit, the team’s American bald eagle mascot, appeared to launch T-shirts into the crowd.

A blimp whizzed by overhead, cheeks turned rosy and laughter could be heard around the arena.

For tickets and upcoming game information, visit the Saginaw Spirit Web site.