Nashville's Watch Parties Provide A Perfect Blueprint For Vancouver During The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Vancouver is the only Canadian city with a team in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs that does not have a watch party outside the arena.
Photo by Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports - Nashville's Watch Parties Provide A Perfect Blueprint For Vancouver During The 2024 Stanley Cup PlayoffsWith the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs, there has been a lot of debate around the city hosting outdoor watch parties. While Mayor Ken Sim mentioned that the city would like to organize something, there was hesitation based on the riots in 1994 and 2011. While these events can get out of hand, other cities around the NHL are showing that having outdoor watch parties is possible as long as the proper security measures are taken.
A good example the City of Vancouver can use is the watch parties schedule in Nashville. According to their website, the city has shut down Rep. John Lewis Way, which leads straight to Bridgestone Arena. There, the City of Nashville has set up food and beverage stalls as well as live entertainment while also showing the game on a live screen. Fans can bring items like chairs, small bags and blankets to the watch party with all items being subject to search before entry.
When going back to 2011, one of the most significant issues was crowd control. While there were checkpoints, security was not correctly conducting checks of people getting into the area. Barriers were also knocked over as fans forced their way into the watch party with little to no resistance from the police. Having a more prominent police presence and using security measures that have worked in other cities like Nashville could prevent these types of incidents while also allowing Canucks fans to gather their team pride during the playoffs.
Overall, having controlled watch parties next to Rogers Arena would be a massive economic boost to the city while also helping Vancouver shed its "No Fun City" reputation. If the Canucks can make it out of the first round, it would be a smart idea for the city to create an area where fans can watch and celebrate the success of the team. While it won't be an easy event to set up, it will benefit the city in the long run, and if organized properly, it would provide a blueprint for how playoff watch parties can be run in the future.
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