The Belleville Senators hosted a season preview presentation to members of the media at CAA Arena on Wednesday.
The presentation outlined priorities of the team both on and off the ice as a new season of the AHL draws near.
In attendance for the presentation were new General Manager Matt Turek, who spoke on his background coming from the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, as well as Captain Garrett Pilon who returns to the Belleville Sens for his third season.
Vice President of Business Operations John Mathers spoke on the different promotional aspects that the team will be undertaking in the 2025-26 season to drive up fan engagement as well as increase the game-day experience.
He says they will be doing a unique twist to the Winning Wednesday promotion.
“It is a struggle in the AHL to fill the barn on Wednesday night. So what we’re going to do, in talking with Matt (Turek) talking with Coach (David) Bell, we’re going to guarantee a win on Winning Wednesdays,” Mathers explained.
“So if we win on Wednesday, everyone who’s at that game gets a free ticket to the next Wednesday game, and then the next one and the next one, because we’re not going to lose, right, Matt?”
Mathers says putting that twist on Winning Wednesdays creates another reason for fans to come to the Wednesday games and bring people back into the building.
“Playing in front of a crowd of 1500 to 2000 isn’t as great as playing in front of 4000 with a sold-out barn. So what we’re trying to do is, again, manipulate and drive that game-day experience,” Mathers said.
Other promotions the team will be advertising are the return of multiple themed nights including the return of the Belleville Bulls night.
New this year is the team’s first-ever School Day Game where students from different school boards across the Quinte region will be in attendance for a day game on November 19.
“The feedback in the community has been 10 out of 10. These schools are on board,” Mathers told media.
“We’re figuring out busing, but right now, we’re aiming to be a sell-out on November 19. That’s something new, and we’re going to do it this year, and hopefully we can build year over year on that.”
The B-Sens will be playing pre-season games this weekend at CAA Arena first against the Laval Rocket on Friday night and against the Toronto Marlies on Sunday afternoon.
Tickets for all those games, as well as a Marlies/Rocket game on Saturday, will be sold for $12 each, with $5 from each ticket going directly to the Belleville General Hospital Foundation’s Fracture Clinic Campaign.
The season itself for the B-Sens begins on October 11 on the road against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The home opener will be October 18 when the Toronto Marlies enter the CAA Arena.
