Aces, ECHL celebrate attendance figures

Published on April 25, 2008 under ECHL (ECHL)
Alaska Aces News Release


ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The ECHL celebrated its 20th season by becoming the only minor professional hockey league to see a rise in attendance during the 2007-08 regular season, an increase bolstered by the Alaska Aces, who welcomed two sell-out crowds and set a record for pre-season attendance.

The third-longest tenured professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL averaged 4,174 per game. It is the fourth year in row and the 16th time in the last 18 years that the league has averaged over 4,000 fans. For the fifth consecutive season since entering the ECHL in 2003, the Aces easily surpassed the league average, finishing at 4,717 per game.

The Premier 'AA' Hockey League welcomed 3,756,191 fans, marking the fifth straight season and the 11th time in the last 12 years that it has exceeded 3.75 million fans. The 51 sold out crowds are the most in the last five seasons and mark the fourth time in the last five years that the ECHL has had at least 40 sellouts.

Stockton led the league in attendance for the third year with an average of 6,648 per game while Florida was second at 6,033. The Everblades led the ECHL for a record five straight years from 2000-05. Alaska's two sell-outs came Dec. 8 vs. Bakersfield and March 29 vs. Phoenix. The Aces have had 20 regular season sellouts since 2003 and raised $103,000 for cancer awareness with two massive pre-season crowds of 5,668 October 10 and a standing-room-only throng of 6,451 October 11, shattering all existing ECHL pre-season records for attendance. Alaska sold more than 5,500 group tickets alone over the two nights.

For the third consecutive year, Jack Michaels and John Carpenter will anchor Aces postseason television coverage from the road, with all games scheduled in Las Vegas simulcast on GCI Cable Channel 1 and the flagship home of Aces hockey, AM 750 KFQD. The Aces, winners in four straight over Idaho in the first round, will be attempting to advance to the National Conference Finals for a record fourth consecutive year. Alaska opens the best-of-seven series at Orleans Arena tonight and tomorrow at 6:05 p.m. ADT, having gone 4-2 against Las Vegas during the regular season, with five of the six meetings decided by a single goal. The series shifts back to Anchorage for Games Three and Four next Tuesday and Thursday at 7:15 p.m.

Playoff tickets are on sale at the team offices at the corner of 15th and Gambell weekdays between 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Tomorrow and Sunday, April 26-27, the offices also will be open from Noon-5:00 p.m. All playoff games, home and away, are broadcast live on AM 750 KFQD with coverage beginning 15 minutes prior to face-off.

#1 Las Vegas vs. #5 Alaska: (all times AT)

Game 1: Alaska at Vegas Tonight 6:05 p.m.

Game 2: Alaska at Vegas Tomorrow 6:05 p.m.

Game 3: Vegas at Alaska Tue., April 29 7:15 p.m.

Game 4: Vegas at Alaska Thu., May 1 7:15 p.m.

Game 5: Vegas at Alaska Fri., May 2 7:15 p.m. *

Game 6: Alaska at Vegas Tue., May 6 6:05 p.m. *

Game 7: Alaska at Vegas Wed., May 7 6:05 p.m. *

*If necessary

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