Checkers, Jackals, Reign Help Boost Attendance
Published on November 3, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL remains ahead of its average attendance from a year ago after the third week of the season following a third straight sellout for the Elmira Jackals and strong home openers for the Ontario Reign and the Charlotte Checkers.
The third-longest tenure professional hockey league behind only the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League, the ECHL is 3.9 percent ahead of its average for the first three weeks in 2008-09 with 4,261 per game.
The only minor professional hockey league to increase average attendance each of the last two seasons, the Premier 'AA' Hockey League has averaged more than 4,000 fans each of the last five seasons and 17 times in the last 19 years while drawing more than 3 million fans for 16 straight seasons.
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Ontario had 8,067 for its season opener on Oct. 30 while Charlotte had 6,566 for its opener on Nov. 1. The Reign are averaging 5,924 after their first three games which is up from their inaugural season when they finished second in the league with 5,856 per game. Charlotte tied for the league lead with five sellouts a year ago and finished sixth in average attendance with 5,311 per game.
Elmira had its third consecutive sellout and second -largest crowd of the season with 3,912 on Oct. 30. The Jackals lead the league in sellouts and are averaging 3,848 per game which is 101.7 percent of the capacity at First Arena and up 15.4 percent from a year ago. Elmira has had 22 sellouts since joining the league in 2007-08 and they tied for the lead in 2008-09 with five sellouts.
Toledo is second in the league with 6,412 per game which is an increase of more than 63 percent from 2006-07 when the team played its last season in the Toledo Sports Arena. Stockton, which has led the league in attendance each of its first four seasons, is third with 6,007 per game.
Utah is fourth with 5,491 per game while Cincinnati is fifth with 5,086 per game. Kalamazoo is averaging 3,548 per game which is an increase of 11.2 percent from 2008-09 when they competed in the International Hockey League.
ECHL Stories from November 3, 2009
- Stefano Giliati Named Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player Of The Week - Reading Royals
- California Hockey Day - Ontario Reign
- Reign Partners With Inland Valley Hope Partners For A Thanksgiving Food Drive - Ontario Reign
- Ontario Reign Name The Jester Contest Winner - Ontario Reign
- Countdown To Face-Off - Kalamazoo Wings
- Reading's Giliati Named Sher-Wood Hockey ECHL Player Of The Week - ECHL
- Checkers, Jackals, Reign Help Boost Attendance - ECHL
- Steelheads: Idaho's Bachman Named Reebok ECHL Goaltender Of The Week - Idaho Steelheads
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Jackals Brothers Featured On NHL.com - Elmira Jackals
- Steelheads Bachman Named Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender Of The Week - ECHL
- Chiefs Announce Crow's Nest Pint Glass Giveaway - Johnstown Chiefs
- Chiefs To Meet Fans This Evening - Johnstown Chiefs
- Laliberte Becomes 413th ECHL Player To Reach NHL - ECHL
- Elmira's Johnson Suspended One Game, Fined - ECHL
- Cincinnati Cyclones Sign Brett Motherwell - Cincinnati Cyclones
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