Saturday, January 22, 2011

Attendance Woes Just Won't Go Away for Sun Belt Teams

Alan Adamsby Alan Adams

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True story.

When covering a junior team in Western Canada a couple of decades ago, a reporter listed the fans in the stands by first name, and he didn't take up much space in his report.

You will never see this happen in the NHL, but attendance in about a handful of U.S. markets is an issue Commissioner Gary Bettman wakes up to every day he is on the job.

The Columbus Blue Jackets had its smallest ever regular season crowd -- 9,802 -- for its Oct. 20 game against Anaheim, well below the capacity of 17,206. A few nights later, the Blue Jackets' crowd for their game against Montreal was announced at 10,466, far off the capacity of 17,206.

The same night the Blue Jackets faced Anaheim, the Atlanta Thrashers were playing host to the Buffalo Sabres and a franchise-low 8,820 were in attendance.

 

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