Some teams have slashed ticket prices and, in some cases, even handed out thousands of free tickets.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Buffalo Sabres, for instance, have cut ticket prices 12 per cent to 28 per cent, the largest one-time reduction in the team's 36-year history.
The Anaheim Mighty Ducks has a new outreach program to get young school children interested by introducing them to players and handing out free tickets to games. Another initiative allows people who buy two tickets to get two more free, while season ticket holders will receive free food and parking at the first three games.
Teams have also taken out full-page ads in newspapers thanking fans for putting up with the lockout. And in an effort to lure new followers, the league is giving the game a make-over with a series of rule changes, a redesigned logo and the working slogan: ‘A Whole New Game’.
And for the first time, the National Hockey League and the NHL Players' Association have entered into a joint marketing partnership in an attempt to woo fans through an aggressive ad campaign.
