NHL sets attendance mark

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

looks like the fans took the game back pretty well after the shitty lockout :tup: taken from nhl.com:

NHL sets records for total, average attendance
NEW YORK – National Hockey League fans returned in record numbers in the 2005-06 regular season. A total of 20,854,169 and per-game average of 16,955 attended the 1,230 games, 2.4% ahead of the 2003-04 figures (20,356,199 and 16,550) and 1.2% ahead of the previous record season of 2001-02 (20,614,613 and 16,760). In all, NHL teams played to 91.7% of capacity.

“We can’t thank our fans enough for the record support they showed,” Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “For all our Clubs, a terrific season was made even better by the enthusiasm and encouragement our fans displayed night after night. We are deeply appreciative.”

By attracting sellout crowds of 21,273 to the Bell Centre for each of their 41 home games, the Montreal Canadiens established a League single-season, single-team attendance record of 872,193. The Canadiens eclipsed the previous mark of 861,072, or 21,002 per game, which they set in 1996-97.

The Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks played to 98% of capacity or better over the full season.

The Avalanche sold out each game at 18,007-capacity Pepsi Center, extending the NHL’s longest current sellout streak to 480 games, including playoffs. The streak began in November, 1995, during the team’s inaugural season in Denver.

Twenty-four of the 30 NHL clubs finished even with or ahead of their 2003-04 performance. The top gainers were the Pittsburgh Penguins (+33%), Carolina Hurricanes (+27%), Calgary Flames (+16%), Tampa Bay Lightning (+15%), Nashville Predators (+10%), Buffalo Sabres (+10%), Ottawa Senators (+10%), Boston Bruins (+7%) and San Jose Sharks (+6%).

2

:tup: great season, absolutely. the game has changed, and changed for the better, IMO. still some kinks to be worked out but the new rules really open the game up.

3

i heart hocky

4

Buffalo Sabres (+10%),

Sweet :tup:

5

same here, but omg did oyu hear about this new game they have out called hockey? I bet its even better! :stuck_out_tongue:

But seriously, :tup: to the league for making things sooo much more fun to watch! The new rules were only for the best

6

honestly, that makes me wonder…

…anybody out there not like the new rules? and why? :shrug:

7

i hate that the goalie cant handle the puck behind the net. i think theyll take that rule out for next season

8

What are you talking about? They can handle the puck behind the net, in fact I’ve watched them do it all season… They can’t handle the puck in the corners, which was just part of the changes to increase scoring. Scoring is up, games are more fun when scoring is up, so why change it?

As for the attendance, I’m pretty sure it’s mostly due to the changes. Had they come back after the lockout and had the same NHL they had before the lockout I bet those numbers would be MUCH different. I’d like to see what the attendance was the first few games back while people were feeling out this “new NHL”. Fans got interested again once they saw how great it was to watch skilled players play, instead of watching wrestling on ice.

9

The one rule I wish they would change isnt a new one. The diving calls…either its diving, or a hook/tripping/whatever…not both.

Actually make that two rule changes…I hate seeing high sticking that is not the fault of the player penalized. Such as when one player lifts anothers stick and it ends up smacking someone in the face, but oh well, minor probs

10

That rule stays… it’s so much better than how it was… in the corners though… he can handlke it behind the net.

11

I like all the rule changes. I’d like to see them make a change in the standings and seedings for the playoffs though.

The TOP THREE teams should be 1, 2, and 3. Not 1,2, and 4 like this year. Stupid rule. Obviously the Atlantic Division was very competitive this year, but why not make it so you actually have finish in third and not just by awarded the third seed because you won your division on the last day of the regular season.

12

H O C K E Y

:tup: F T W :tup:

I thought that way for a while too, but if you win your division you should be top 3. Some divisions are harder then others and not everyone has the same schedule so if you win your division you deserve top 3. Football is like that too with playoff spots. The better record doesn’t always get you in.

13

Hockey for the win indeed! The is the first year that I was interested the whole season. I tend not to be interested until the last third of the season when the games are meaning more and you need so many points to hit the playoffs.

GO SABRE’S!!

14

i like the new rules for the most part… getting rid of the center line has made a huge difference. but like poose said, they should let the goalies touch the puck in the corners again, and if the refs are going to be calling penalties as tight as they’ve been PLEASE PLEASE start calling the dives as well. send both guys off, cause some of this is starting to get outta hand.

edit i’m still torn on the getting a point for making it to OT too

15

that has been around forever. nothing new.

16

yeah well the new rules were designed to make the game higer paced and more exciting. Getting a point in OT means that teams wont sit back and play conservative. they’re gonna be trying to score, meaning more exciting.

I wanna see more gloves being dropped. :slight_smile:

17

yea i meant in the corners…not behind the net. but if you wanna get technical, them corners are still technically behind the net.