Home Ice: How the Manchester Monarchs Keep Their Edge

Enjoying an afternoon and game with the Monarchs

There’s a lot more to managing public relations and marketing for a minor league hockey team than press releases and free tee shirts. That was the takeaway from the Yankee Chapter professional development session hosted March 23 by the Manchester Monarchs at the Verizon Wireless Arena.

Putting fans in seats on game nights is just one of the many priorities the two-person PR/Marketing team handles for the Monarchs. Managing the club’s community relations and social media, arranging access for media, daily reporting of player stats and transactions, and guiding a small army of game night volunteers are just a few of the other tasks that keep them busy.

It was particularly interesting to hear how Marketing, Community & Public Relations Manager Mackenzie Fraser and Public Relations Coordinator Matt Johnson managed communications last year following the announcement that the AHL Calder Cup-winning Monarchs would be moving to California, to be replaced by a new team in Manchester playing in the ECHL. The support and attendance the team continues to enjoy in Manchester is a testament to Mackenzie’s and Matt’s skill in managing a potentially difficult transition.

Though the Monarchs lost 4-2, it’s clear that this is an organization with a winning strategy for the team and the community it calls home. — Seth Wheeler, APR