Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner dreams of a Stanley Cup as team turns 25
Curtis Pashelka
SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner has a good idea of what it would mean to bring a Stanley Cup to the region.“Everything,” Plattner said. “Then we will all (get) drunk for two nights, including the players.”Plattner and the Sharks celebrated their 25th anniversary as a franchise Tuesday night at SAP […]
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Monterey Herald
SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner has a good idea of what it would mean to bring a Stanley Cup to the region.

“Everything,” Plattner said. “Then we will all (get) drunk for two nights, including the players.”

Plattner and the Sharks celebrated their 25th anniversary as a franchise Tuesday night at SAP Center, bringing together past and current players, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and several local officials, including Mayor Sam Liccardo and former San Jose mayors Tom McEnery, Susan Hammer, Ron Gonzales and Chuck Reed.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since May, when the team extended its lease at SAP Center with the city, Plattner said he was concerned about the dip in Sharks attendance this season, is pleased with the job general manager Doug Wilson has been doing and has faith the team will return to the playoffs.

“It”s always important to get to the actual final part of the season,” Plattner said after he entered the arena. “It was a little bit disappointing how much we got bashed, especially Doug and myself, last year for not making the playoffs. I didn”t remember that we really played.

“We had a very bad period where I think we lost 10 games (at home in February) back-to-back. I hope this doesn”t happen again. For sure this is the goal for the season and then the real season starts.”

Through 21 home games, the Sharks have an average announced attendance of 16,725, or 95.2 percent of SAP Center”s capacity of 17,562 for NHL hockey.

Last season, the Sharks averaged 17,420 fans for 40 games at the downtown arena, with 70,205 attending the outdoor game with the Los Angeles Kings at Levi”s Stadium last February to bring the total attendance to 767,012.

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2003, Sharks season tickets renewed at roughly 85 percent, down from the 89-90 percent renewal rate they experienced after losing in the first round in stunning fashion to the Kings in 2014.

“I”m really concerned about the situation,” Plattner said. “If you don”t have enough demand, the season ticket holders can”t sell the tickets if they are not available to go. So that has a double-negative effect. And obviously for everybody to be in an arena that shows a surplus of empty seats is not very encouraging, even for the playoffs.

“So this is not good, but there”s only so much you can do.”

Plattner has been a member of the Sharks ownership group since Sharks Sports & Entertainment purchased the team from original owner George Gund III in February 2002. He has been the organization”s majority owner since 2010.

Plattner, 71, a co-founder of German software company SAP whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $10.1 billion, said it is key for the Sharks to re-engage with younger fans.

“We probably have grown in these 25 years all a little bit older,” Plattner said. “The Sharks were the new kid on the block 25 years ago. I remember days when I couldn”t get a scalped ticket because we were more than sold out. We need young fans, but there”s one thing with the young fans, this one, the Facebook generation. They have other things to do, they are permanently on other entertainment things that were not there 25 years ago.

“So how to win them back. We will have ideas, different programs and probably help them with a ticket price, depending on age and college students, etc., but it”s not decided yet.”

Plattner said he and Wilson are in touch with each other two or three times a week and credited Wilson with helping to move the Sharks” AHL affiliate from Worcester, Massachusetts, to San Jose.

Plattner said the Sharks are listening to the feedback they have received from the public, and said he wanted more giveaways and shorter lines at concession stands. Plattner said he suggested a live band play at games, which first took place Monday night when the Sharks hosted the Ottawa Senators.

“It took me 1 1/2 years to get this done,” Plattner said. “Everything this is a little bit slow. We”ll probably get our organ back. Whether that will raise the attendance, I don”t know.”

For more on the Sharks, see the Working the Corners blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks. Follow Curtis Pashelka on Twitter at twitter.com/CurtisPashelka.

Originally Published: January 20, 2016 at 12:00 a.m.

SAN JOSE — San Jose Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner has a good idea of what it would mean to bring a Stanley Cup to the region.

“Everything,” Plattner said. “Then we will all (get) drunk for two nights, including the players.”

Plattner and the Sharks celebrated their 25th anniversary as a franchise Tuesday night at SAP Center, bringing together past and current players, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and several local officials, including Mayor Sam Liccardo and former San Jose mayors Tom McEnery, Susan Hammer, Ron Gonzales and Chuck Reed.

Speaking with reporters for the first time since May, when the team extended its lease at SAP Center with the city, Plattner said he was concerned about the dip in Sharks attendance this season, is pleased with the job general manager Doug Wilson has been doing and has faith the team will return to the playoffs.

“It”s always important to get to the actual final part of the season,” Plattner said after he entered the arena. “It was a little bit disappointing how much we got bashed, especially Doug and myself, last year for not making the playoffs. I didn”t remember that we really played.

“We had a very bad period where I think we lost 10 games (at home in February) back-to-back. I hope this doesn”t happen again. For sure this is the goal for the season and then the real season starts.”

Through 21 home games, the Sharks have an average announced attendance of 16,725, or 95.2 percent of SAP Center”s capacity of 17,562 for NHL hockey.

Last season, the Sharks averaged 17,420 fans for 40 games at the downtown arena, with 70,205 attending the outdoor game with the Los Angeles Kings at Levi”s Stadium last February to bring the total attendance to 767,012.

After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2003, Sharks season tickets renewed at roughly 85 percent, down from the 89-90 percent renewal rate they experienced after losing in the first round in stunning fashion to the Kings in 2014.

“I”m really concerned about the situation,” Plattner said. “If you don”t have enough demand, the season ticket holders can”t sell the tickets if they are not available to go. So that has a double-negative effect. And obviously for everybody to be in an arena that shows a surplus of empty seats is not very encouraging, even for the playoffs.

“So this is not good, but there”s only so much you can do.”

Plattner has been a member of the Sharks ownership group since Sharks Sports & Entertainment purchased the team from original owner George Gund III in February 2002. He has been the organization”s majority owner since 2010.

Plattner, 71, a co-founder of German software company SAP whose net worth is estimated by Forbes to be $10.1 billion, said it is key for the Sharks to re-engage with younger fans.

“We probably have grown in these 25 years all a little bit older,” Plattner said. “The Sharks were the new kid on the block 25 years ago. I remember days when I couldn”t get a scalped ticket because we were more than sold out. We need young fans, but there”s one thing with the young fans, this one, the Facebook generation. They have other things to do, they are permanently on other entertainment things that were not there 25 years ago.

“So how to win them back. We will have ideas, different programs and probably help them with a ticket price, depending on age and college students, etc., but it”s not decided yet.”

Plattner said he and Wilson are in touch with each other two or three times a week and credited Wilson with helping to move the Sharks” AHL affiliate from Worcester, Massachusetts, to San Jose.

Plattner said the Sharks are listening to the feedback they have received from the public, and said he wanted more giveaways and shorter lines at concession stands. Plattner said he suggested a live band play at games, which first took place Monday night when the Sharks hosted the Ottawa Senators.

“It took me 1 1/2 years to get this done,” Plattner said. “Everything this is a little bit slow. We”ll probably get our organ back. Whether that will raise the attendance, I don”t know.”

For more on the Sharks, see the Working the Corners blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/sharks. Follow Curtis Pashelka on Twitter at twitter.com/CurtisPashelka.

Originally Published: January 20, 2016 at 12:00 a.m.