David Paitson - Chill Factor: How a Minor-League Hockey Team Changed a City Forever

Does doing funky things with a minor league team guarantee its success? Absolutely not! There are plenty of teams that arent successful that do crazy things. What the Columbus Chill had is hard to quantify, but I think it was soul. Their antics were genuine and touched their audience far deeper than anyone could expect. Their souls divinity was to entertain the fans. Fun was so imbedded into their DNA that their success amazingly spawned a major league team. If I could get into a time machine Id go back and enjoy those Columbus Chill games.

Jon Spoelstra, author of Marketing Outrageously Redux and coauthor with Steve DeLay of The Ultimate Toolkit

Chill Factor is both an entertaining tale of an underdog sports franchise that beat the odds and a highly compelling marketing case study. At times it reads like a novelwith fun characters both on the ice and in the front officebut it really happened. Its a terrific story, well told, and the marketing and leadership lessons will stay with you long after you put it down.

Kevin Sullivan, founder, Kevin Sullivan Communications, Inc.

My life as a rock star began in the fall 1991 and, for me, lasted through the spring of 1993. At that time I was a player for the Chill and living in the sudden, and shocking, hockey utopia of Columbus, Ohio. An eccentric creation, the Chill was unconventional in every manner. Their whacky approach to sports marketing and in-game operations roused the people of the city, galvanized them to dream bigger, and in the process created a cult following unlike anything Ive seen in my twenty-plus years in the sports business. Chill Factor is the intriguing story of this happening and the mastermind behind it, team President David Paitson, whose approach in life is akin to Jerry Seinfeld and his promotions like Bill Veeck on steroids.

Don Granato, head coach, US National Team

The Columbus Chill grew the interest in hockey in Ohio, creating the opportunity for the NHL to expand there and without the hockey fanatics the Chill had created, I am not sure the NHL would be there now. Chill Factor is a great historical story of the game of hockey, from minors to majors in small town USA. David Paitson was a visionary when it came to running and marketing a minor league sports franchise. He knew how to put a great product on the ice and ran a first class program and knew how to survive as a franchise in a very volatile minor league climate. I once interviewed there for the coaching vacancy and came back to my wife and said this program is first class and this guy is brilliant and, if I were to get into coaching, Columbus would be my first choice.

Craig Laughlin, television analyst for the Washington Capitals

I remember finishing up many a Blue Jacket Radio Network postgame show and then standing around the main concourse of Nationwide Arena to talk hockey with the hardcore fansmany of which used to be Chill fans. Many a story was told about the Chill, from the on-ice excitement and shenanigans to the off-ice marketing and promotions, which seemed to go from the bizarre to off the charts! The on-ice success of the Chill would eventually result in a minor league record for consecutive sellouts and help set the table for the arrival of the NHL Blue Jackets in the fall of 2000. You will find Chill Factor to be a fun and informative read on the running of a successful minor league franchise in Columbus, Ohio.

George Matthews, original voice of the Columbus Blue Jackets

Copyright 2015 by David Paitson and Craig Merz

Foreword copyright 2015 by Bob Hunter

Inquiries may be addressed to:

http://www.chillfactorbook.com

For a complete listing of team and franchise information, visit www.columbuschill.net, and for regular updates on Chill news join the Columbus Chill Memories Facebook page.

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10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Cover design by Brian Peterson

Cover photo courtesy of Greg Bartram, Better Image Photography

Print ISBN: 978-1-61321-767-2

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-61321-795-5

Printed in the United States of America

To my wife, Lauren, and step daughters, Aubrey and Kristey, for all of your patience, love, and support.

And to my father, Jim Paitson, for encouraging me to always follow my instincts.

DP

* * *

To my parents, Dave and Vicki, for instilling the work ethos that allowed me to see this project to fruition. Somehow my patience didnt match yours as you raised four rambunctious, sports-crazed boys.

To my brothers David, Eric and Chris, thanks for all the great memories growing up and the desire, like mine, to see the NHL someday come to Columbus. And, for those epic two-on-two floor hockey games in the basement.

I only wish Dad and David were here to see this book published. I hope I made you proud.

To Mary. When we met ten years ago you said I should someday write a book. Thanks for your patience. We did it.

CM

CONTENTS

In a city that was named after Cristobal Colon,

Theres a hard-hitting hockey team that calls the town home. (Hi home)

Well their sticks are stout and their blades are sharp,

Youre gonna feel the Chill right through your heart.

OOOOOOOOOOOO yes you will, call them the Columbus Chill.

OOOOOOOOOOOO yes you will, youre gonna feel the Chill.

Gotta warn their opponents to make a Doctors appointment,

Cause theyre gonna need a cast and crutch and some ointment.

Well they slice and slash and dice and trauma,

Theyre gonna send the other guys crying to their momma.

OOOOOOOOOOOO yes you will, youre gonna feel the Columbus, the Columbus,

The Columbus Chill,

OOOOOOOOOOOO call them the Columbus Chill.

The Chill Fight Song by Heywood Banks

FOREWORD

A t the time of the Chills birth announcement in 1991, I must have been a bit underwhelmed. Professional teams had come and gone from Columbus like frenzied Christmas shoppers through a department store revolving door.

Twenty-three years later, the names still roll off the tongue like a bartenders beer menu, but affixing a league and a sport to these ghostly images is more of a challenge.

Magic... All-Americans... Golden Seals... Capitals... Bucks... Cagerz... Xoggz... Checkers... Stars...

Its not difficult to imagine the haunting echo of a genius on Jeopardy! who always has the principal export of Mauritania in his back pocket:

Ill take Failed Columbus Sports Franchises for $200, Alex.

Thats a joke, but it wasnt that funny when the Chill arrived; Columbus was a minor league city with a major league population, one that attracted minor league franchises in just about every sport that had them and major league franchises that were major only in name.