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Post by Score on Jan 9, 2024 18:24:39 GMT -4
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Post by Mika on Jan 10, 2024 8:56:57 GMT -4
That's kind of surprising given how down in some rinks the attendance is. Moncton in particular has been very disappointing from what I've been seeing on the game sheets.
Good to see though.
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Post by Reesor on Jan 10, 2024 8:59:15 GMT -4
Some pretty good attendance numbers out there. Gatineau is only down 24 fans per game compared to this time last year, which is excellent considering they were near the top of the league last year and are at the bottom this year. Quebec is actually up 200 fans per game. Baie-Comeau is up almost 50% per game compared to this time last year, which is great for them.
Should be worth noting that small details can make a big difference in average attendance numbers year over year. For example Halifax averaged 9905 fans in the two games they had between Christmas and New Years this year. Those games always draw well, but the Moose didn't host any games during that period last year due to the World Juniors being in town. So if you replace those games with a couple random Thursday night games, you probably lose close to 5000 fans on the total, bringing their yearly attendance over the course of 34 games down 150 people per game in 2023 compared to 2024.
Good to see an increase in attendance, but there are a lot of variables that make it difficult to see trends comparing year over year. You almost have to compare cycle by cycle.
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Post by Reesor on Jan 10, 2024 9:04:18 GMT -4
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Post by lirette on Jan 10, 2024 9:45:48 GMT -4
That's kind of surprising given how down in some rinks the attendance is. Moncton in particular has been very disappointing from what I've been seeing on the game sheets. Good to see though. Moncton's attendance will eventually surpass last years average of 4500. The 2nd half schedule is much friendlier with limited week night games, and January is pretty light so attendance will end up being concentrated over the next 3 games. Both games this weekend will be over 5000 with Timbits/Teddy bear toss weekend, I expect a large crowd for the family day game as well and then usually the last game of the year is close to a sellout. When I think about regular season attendance for junior hockey I would almost never put Moncton in the disappointing category. They just sold out the NYE game. Playoffs is an entirely different story though. Teams like SJ & CB would kill for the base crowd (STH + Corporate support) that the Wildcats get. Where the Wildcats go wrong is that they do very little to try and fill the rink for Thursday games or back to back weekend games. So I guess in that sense disappointing is fair, but I'm not disappointed because it is to be expected. They can make a strong effort for one particular night (Corey Crawford retirement, home opener, nye etc) but I believe some theming + creative discounting could net them ~500-1000 more fans on some of these nights where its just the game and that's it. That's never going to change while Irving is the owner though. The teams been run the same way for over 20 years, limited overworked staff, micromanaging, limited room for creativity etc. I have no doubt this is a similar way to how his companies are run. Very often a good idea happens, it works and then for whatever reason is never replicated again. They put together 2 successful star wars nights years ago and then never did anything like it again. The night with the Moncton Hawks jerseys was a huge success, and yet we haven't seen any further attempt at a retro night. On an unrelated note, I read so many comments about how removing fighting was going to kill attendance and I cant help but think how its made zero difference in attendance this season. Almost as if fighting hasn't been a big part of junior hockey for the last 10 years anyways.
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Post by Jack Bauer on Jan 10, 2024 11:43:17 GMT -4
That's kind of surprising given how down in some rinks the attendance is. Moncton in particular has been very disappointing from what I've been seeing on the game sheets. Good to see though. Moncton's attendance will eventually surpass last years average of 4500. The 2nd half schedule is much friendlier with limited week night games, and January is pretty light so attendance will end up being concentrated over the next 3 games. Both games this weekend will be over 5000 with Timbits/Teddy bear toss weekend, I expect a large crowd for the family day game as well and then usually the last game of the year is close to a sellout. When I think about regular season attendance for junior hockey I would almost never put Moncton in the disappointing category. They just sold out the NYE game. Playoffs is an entirely different story though. Teams like SJ & CB would kill for the base crowd (STH + Corporate support) that the Wildcats get. Where the Wildcats go wrong is that they do very little to try and fill the rink for Thursday games or back to back weekend games. So I guess in that sense disappointing is fair, but I'm not disappointed because it is to be expected. They can make a strong effort for one particular night (Corey Crawford retirement, home opener, nye etc) but I believe some theming + creative discounting could net them ~500-1000 more fans on some of these nights where its just the game and that's it. That's never going to change while Irving is the owner though. The teams been run the same way for over 20 years, limited overworked staff, micromanaging, limited room for creativity etc. I have no doubt this is a similar way to how his companies are run. Very often a good idea happens, it works and then for whatever reason is never replicated again. They put together 2 successful star wars nights years ago and then never did anything like it again. The night with the Moncton Hawks jerseys was a huge success, and yet we haven't seen any further attempt at a retro night. On an unrelated note, I read so many comments about how removing fighting was going to kill attendance and I cant help but think how its made zero difference in attendance this season. Almost as if fighting hasn't been a big part of junior hockey for the last 10 years anyways. The loudest about the fighting are the ones who still think its happening everywhere as if its still 1986. I even see people suggesting the Q can't get kids ready for the NHL now. Its amazing for how educated and knowledgeable hockey fans want to be at times that they say that shit while seemingly forgetting how the NCAA has never allowed fighting and its only becoming a larger development ground for pro hockey.
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Post by moosefan1994 on Jan 10, 2024 12:45:38 GMT -4
Moncton's attendance will eventually surpass last years average of 4500. The 2nd half schedule is much friendlier with limited week night games, and January is pretty light so attendance will end up being concentrated over the next 3 games. Both games this weekend will be over 5000 with Timbits/Teddy bear toss weekend, I expect a large crowd for the family day game as well and then usually the last game of the year is close to a sellout. When I think about regular season attendance for junior hockey I would almost never put Moncton in the disappointing category. They just sold out the NYE game. Playoffs is an entirely different story though. Teams like SJ & CB would kill for the base crowd (STH + Corporate support) that the Wildcats get. Where the Wildcats go wrong is that they do very little to try and fill the rink for Thursday games or back to back weekend games. So I guess in that sense disappointing is fair, but I'm not disappointed because it is to be expected. They can make a strong effort for one particular night (Corey Crawford retirement, home opener, nye etc) but I believe some theming + creative discounting could net them ~500-1000 more fans on some of these nights where its just the game and that's it. That's never going to change while Irving is the owner though. The teams been run the same way for over 20 years, limited overworked staff, micromanaging, limited room for creativity etc. I have no doubt this is a similar way to how his companies are run. Very often a good idea happens, it works and then for whatever reason is never replicated again. They put together 2 successful star wars nights years ago and then never did anything like it again. The night with the Moncton Hawks jerseys was a huge success, and yet we haven't seen any further attempt at a retro night. On an unrelated note, I read so many comments about how removing fighting was going to kill attendance and I cant help but think how its made zero difference in attendance this season. Almost as if fighting hasn't been a big part of junior hockey for the last 10 years anyways. The loudest about the fighting are the ones who still think its happening everywhere as if its still 1986. I even see people suggesting the Q can't get kids ready for the NHL now. Its amazing for how educated and knowledgeable hockey fans want to be at times that they say that shit while seemingly forgetting how the NCAA has never allowed fighting and its only becoming a larger development ground for pro hockey. People who were going to stop paying to Q games solely because of fighting or lack of it left years ago, or most of them anyways.
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