IceHogs set attendance record

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wasteland
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IceHogs set attendance record

Post by wasteland » Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:08 pm

April 11th, 2011 01:19pm

With a sold-out home finale on Saturday night, the Rockford IceHogs crushed last year’s attendance mark and set a new record by drawing 174,418 to the MetroCentre for minor league hockey during the 2010-2011 season.

That’s a 9.6 percent increase, or 15,298 better than last year. And the IceHogs finished the season by winning five consecutive games and 10 of 11, including an overtime nail-biter 5-4 in the final game of their season Sunday in Chicago.

General Manager Gordon Kaye said he and the Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment Authority can be proud of the attendance record.

“It speaks to the strength of our fan base,” Kaye said. “There were times in the season where we weren’t playing well and our fans kept coming back. We did a good job of entertaining people, particularly in the second half of the season and by the end of the season, the game experience was as good as any in minor league hockey.”

Gordon said staff would spend the summer reviewing what worked and didn’t during this season to improve for next year. During the season, 10 IceHogs players were called up to play for the Blackhawks and six IceHogs players made their National Hockey League debut.

“I think it’s cool you can come to the IceHogs game and for $10 see a guy who next week could be playing for the Blackhawks,” Kaye said. “That’s a real draw to coming to the MetroCentre which is convenient, clean and the food is good.”

Kaye said although the IceHogs finished a respectable 38-33-4-5, this is the first time in six seasons the team isn’t going to the postseason.

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