by John D. Stoll, The Wall Street Journal

Updated: May 15, 2008, 5:35 PM EST 204 comments

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First conceived in 1996 as a marketing slogan aimed at revving up Detroit Red Wings fans starving for a Stanley Cup, Hockeytown evolved into part of the hardscrabble city's identity. Along the way, the team collected three championships. But after a generation of sellouts, the franchise is struggling to re-establish itself.

Even though their team posted the NHL's best regular-season record in 2007-08, die-hard fans like Curt Catallo are staying away. Mr. Catallo has been taking in Red Wings games for most of his life from third-row seats at Joe Louis Arena, and his presence there during past playoff runs was a given.

But this year, although his team is on a tear, Red Wings tickets have gotten too expensive for him. For the second round of the playoffs, Mr. Catallo's family's six seats were priced at $215 apiece, up from the regular season price of $85. The total cost for one second-round game: $1,290, not including parking, beer or hot dogs.

"For that price, I could buy a big, flat-screen TV, some popcorn and watch the game at home," the 40-year old restaurateur and advertising executive said. "By the middle of the third period, the TV would pay for itself."

For the cost of just two playoff games, he adds, "I could take my wife and kids to Disney World."

So far the Wings have played nine home games in the postseason, and Mr. Catallo hasn't bought tickets to a single one. He's not alone, either. With conference finals tickets starting at $75, the Wings struggled to sell out Joe Louis Arena, and swaths of red seats remained empty throughout the arena. Blocks of four tickets could be purchased online three hours before Game 2; blocks of 10 could be had before Game 1. Outside the arena, scalpers peddled tickets below face value.

When Hockeytown was founded, this was all unthinkable. Given the team's chances for winning another Stanley Cup, it's a bit enigmatic. Nicklas Lidstrom, the team's captain, says this is the best team he's seen since the Red Wings won consecutive Cups a decade ago.

But there are many differences between now and then.

The tepid turnout is a reflection of both Michigan's sagging economy and the tough battle the NHL faces. The Detroit area has been hit hard in the past few years as the Big Three auto makers and their suppliers slashed tens of thousands of jobs. The region ranks near the top in home foreclosures, too. Detroit's entertainment dollar is "severely stretched," says Comerica Bank chief economist Dana Johnson.

"With the way things are around here in the economy, people — even my friends — don't go to as many games as they used to," Red Wings goaltender Chris Osgood said following the team's win Thursday night. "But the bars are packed."

Fans looking to tighten their belts also have plenty of sports alternatives. The NBA's Pistons are deep in the playoffs and fans are flocking to see the Detroit Tigers after the baseball team picked up several stars this off-season.

In Joe Louis, meanwhile, a degree of malaise is on display.

As local singer Karen Newman began performing the national anthem, she noticed those vacant seats. Ms. Newman, in her 18th year performing the song at the arena, said of the recent ennui, "It never bothered me, per se, but it kind of bothered me for the organization, because I was like, 'What's with all the empty seats?'"

During Ms. Newman's Thursday performance, someone threw a dead octopus on the ice as she sang the words "land of the free." The eight-legged octopus serves as Hockeytown's mascot, dating to the 1950s, when it took eight playoff games to win the Stanley Cup. There was only one other octopus thrown that night, a paltry total compared to Hockeytown's heyday, when several such animals would land on the ice.

The organization is not sitting still. Unlike some other sports leagues, where enormous television and licensing contracts line owners' pockets, ticket sales remain the lifeblood for NHL organizations.

In November, the team hired Steve Violetta away from the Predators as a marketing executive. Mr. Violetta helped accelerate an initiative that included slashing some ticket prices, marketing more aggressively to families via group sales and other promotions — such as free lunch boxes — and hosting "dollar days," where a particular concession item costs only $1.

Late in the season, general manager Ken Holland signed Darren McCarty, a blue-collar player most popular for his willingness to fight during an earlier stint with the team. Mr. McCarty had been away from hockey prior to last fall and has battled substance abuse. Mr. Holland told McCarty's agent the forward would have to come back "clean-cut" and avoid becoming a "circus situation." The executive hoped Mr. McCarty would inspire enthusiasm.

Mr. Violetta said the moves are working, leading to sellouts late in the season and an uptick in playoff sales compared to last year.

Still, after years of success, it's hard to impress fans.

"I've seen them win a Cup, so I won't be totally disappointed if they don't win one this year," said Bruce Anderson, a season-ticket holder for nearly 40 years.

Others suggest that Detroit hockey fans need to form bonds with the new players, often Europeans, who dominate the roster. Steve Yzerman, the team's longtime face, retired in 2006. Other well-known names like Brendan Shanahan now play in other cities. The stands are still flooded with fans wearing jerseys with the names of Yzerman and Shanahan on their backs.

Fans do appear to be warming to the new generation of Red Wings. Center Johan Franzen, for instance, is on a record-setting scoring pace in the playoffs. Veteran Kris Draper insists that Franzen, nicknamed "The Mule" for his gritty play, is custom-made for Detroit's blue-collar ethic. Others, including center Henrik Zetterberg, are slowly gaining recognition after spending years playing in Yzerman's shadow.

Osgood, the goalie, is on his second tour in Detroit, and said that the team's problems pale in comparison to those faced by most towns. Osgood is popular now, but he has not always been a hero. The team cast him aside in 2001 for a more experienced goaltender. He signed with the New York Islanders and then St. Louis, returning to the Red Wings as a backup in 2005. As the current starter he knows that life at the top can be fleeting.

He hopes Red Wings fans understand that "it might not last forever."

Neal Boudette contributed to this article.