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| quote: | Originally posted by DJ Eco
Well, it's a weird case for the Devils... I'm not gunna defend them and say they sell out game after game... But it's very misleading when you look at the numbers... Our average attendance the past decade is usually only 1000-1500 below that of the Rangers, and runs around 16,000... A good majority of the NHL attendance is 17,000-18,000 (which is also the Rangers' numbers) with one or two teams going past the 20 and 21 mark.. The numbers are all out there if you wanna disagree with me, nothing to dispute really...
Also, one facet of the new stadium that doesn't really help our cause are the new viewing bars for the centrally seated ticketholders, otherwise known as the "Fire & Ice" lounges... Naturally, there's a huge hole in the center seats because at least half the people sitting there are watching the game from Fire & Ice, while getting free food and sometimes open bar... So that's a couple thousand people that aren't sitting in their seats, so yes, it looks bleak when watching on TV, seems like no one's there... In the grand scheme of things, the Devils are still within the top 10 of teams in terms of revenue, believe it or not. Rangers are top 5, but hey, it's New York, and it's one of the original teams....
As far as the Rangers-Devils games, it's common sense. When tickets to see a regular Rangers game cost $50-100, obviously a shitload of Ranger fans buy Rangers-Devils tickets (in Jersey) when they cost $25, and is well-connected to Penn Station in NY... You'll hear a lot of Rangers fans say some of the few games they go to during the season are the Rangers-Devils and Rangers-Islanders away game, simply because it's cheaper... Makes sense, I guess... |
If you're going by the NHL's attendance numbers, which probably count the number of tickets sold (not asses in seats during the games), you're going to be misled from the truth.
I'm not saying the Devils don't draw, but it's been known that teams inflate their attendance numbers, especially the Islanders, who claim they are drawing a decent amount of fans per game when they are really only drawing 6-7k. This year they're probably doing better in attendance because the team is better and they have Tavares, but in the past they would grossly lie about their attendance numbers.
Every team I've seen (whether it's the NHL level or minor-pro) inflates their numbers. If you counted the actual amount of Devils fans at the Rock during a game it would probably be much lower than the NHL's figures.
I remember a couple years ago Tampa was ranked near the top of the league for attendance, because they were allegedly drawing 19,000+ fans a game. Bullshit. I've seen plenty of NY teams play in that building and they are nowhere near to capacity.
As for the Rangers, I don't go to their games anymore. I used to go to two games a season at the Garden with my Dad with tickets we would get from his job, but lately the prices have skyrocketed and the team has gotten worse.
The last game I went to was when the Rangers lost 6-3 to the Canucks in November 2008 and the only reason I went was because I managed to get a pair of seats in the 100's ($200+ value) for free from a hockey forum I frequent.
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Hello, Lord Stanley!!!
