The TaxSlayer Center’s pitch to ask hockey supporters to put their money where their mouth is seems to be getting some traction.
Scott Mullen, Executive Director of the TaxSlayer Center says about 350 people have put down $25 deposits towards season tickets for the next team to come to town.
Saturday’s final Quad-City Mallards game drew the biggest crowd of the season and most of the crowd stuck around till the end of the game to witness a ceremony thanking the community for its support.
Mullen tells Local 4 News he has been in talks with six different groups from three different leagues.
Several have been to town for visits since news broke the Mallards will not be returning for another season next year.
Mullen says he’s working against some hard deadlines to try to make something happen for next season, and he’s trying to put something together by May.
He says it may already be too late for teams from the ECHL, but not so for teams from the SPHL or the USHL.
The last time the Quad Cities tried to attract a team, Mullen circulated petitions to collect signatures as a way of measuring support and received 700 signatures.
Mullen says getting people to pony-up cash — even fully-refundable deposits — may be a more accurate way of measuring potential season ticket interest to a prospective ownership.
