From practice rink to owner's box

[Spider-Man NL]

By MIKE BOONE

Glenn Wildenmann thought it was pretty cool seeing a photo of himself and two of his daughters in the paper.

Then it got better.

"Just as I was about to send this email," Wildenmann writes, "I got a phone call from none other than Canadiens owner George Gillett."

Wildenmann was among the fans who watched the team practise and scrimmage at Sportplexe 4 Glaces in Pierrefonds last week. The real-estate agent, who's 38 and has four daughters, quipped it was the only time he could afford to take his family to see the Canadiens.

Gillett read the story and called Wildenmann.

"We had a nice chat, very friendly and genuine," Wildenmann wrote in his email. "George Gillett mentioned that he and his wife also raised four children."

The upshot of the conversation was an invitation. Wildenmann and his gang - wife Pam, 7-year-old twins Grace and Chloe, 3-year-old Hailey and Abby, who's one - will be Gillett's guests in the owner's private box for a Canadiens game this season.

"It's a very nice, sincere gesture," Wildenmann wrote. "Little things - actually big - mean a lot."

What does this heartwarming story teach us?

- George Gillett reads The Gazette.

- He is a good guy.

- Gillett knows that even in a hockey-obsessed city, the game has some work to do to recover from the bitterly acrimonious labour conflict that wiped out an entire season.

This is not to suggest Gillett's call to Wildenmann was a calculated gesture.

The owner's thoughtfulness and generosity are, however, manifestations of a new, fan-friendly attitude.

The Canadiens no longer just throw open the wickets and wait for hockey-hungry Montrealers to gobble up tickets. To fill 21,273 seats in the National Hockey League's biggest arena, the team has to do some selling.

And salesmanship is one of the talents that have made George Gillett rich.

Unlike the dozy fourth-generation beer barons who used to run the team, Gillett is an American entrepreneur who won't tolerate complacency and understands the importance of customer satisfaction.

Marketing is not rocket science. If it were, Ronald McDonald would have been the first man on the moon.

But selling a product requires a plan, and you can see the Canadiens' strategy taking shape. Evidence:

- Pre-season practices (including one at the Bell Centre, this morning at 10) are open to the public.

- Youppi! Sclerotic old farts in the press box (myself included) are choking on their Metamucil, but entertaining children today creates the adult fans of tomorrow.

- The Bell Centre, as of this week, is a no-smoking zone. Fans who insist on killing themselves will have to do so out on the street, which will be fun in February.

Canadiens PR guy Donald Beauchamp phoned the other day to dispute the notion of exorbitant prices and to point out 5,000 Bell Centre seats cost less than $30 - including the league's cheapest tickets: $10 (up to three available for fans under age 16 accompanied by an adult who pays $25). There also will be contests on the team's website - www.canadiens.com - for 500 free tickets to 15 Tuesday home games, including Sidney Crosby's first visit with the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Jan. 3.

"We want to make good offers to the fans," Beauchamp said. "And we can, because of the size of our building."

The last season there was hockey, the Canadiens' average attendance was 20,500. Gillett and his team won't be satisfied until it's 21,273.

mboone@thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette (Montreal) 2005

[shortcat1]

Well, all I can say is: "Uhhhh, hey George? Over here? Ya, me! The handsome guy! Ya! Me! Me! Me! :) :)

Pick me! Pick me! Pick me! I'm reallllllllllllllly poooooooor, (calculatedly expressed sigh, droopy eyes, pouty lips and glyceryn tear). :lol: