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CHL Mississippi RiverKings

Riverkings Attendance Continues Climbing

February 22, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


Whether you call them Mississippi or Memphis, the RiverKings continue to draw hockey fans from across the Mid-South.

And the fans seem to come in droves these days.

Through 21 of its 32 home games this season, the RiverKings have brought an average of 3,340 fans per game to the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven. With a per game attendance increase of 500 fans from last season, the RiverKings have shown an increase of over 17 percent in each of the last two years. That percentage leads the Central Hockey League over the last couple seasons.

RiverKings Director of Business Operations Dave Mattice says the organization did not want to rest on its laurels after the Central Hockey League named it its most improved franchise last season.

"The players might have an off-season, but we don't," says Mattice. "We're always trying to find a way to improve the product, and a lot of that work happens during the summer months."

Things have also gone better for the RiverKings in comparison to last year than the two other professional sports teams in the Mid-South. The National Basketball Association's Grizzlies' average attendance through 28 home dates at FedEx Forum has dropped 13.60 percent this season compared to last season. As for the Pacific Coast League's Redbirds, attendance from last season dropped 9.83 percent from 2006.

An exciting playoff race can partially explain the increase in hockey fans. The two-time President's Cup champion RiverKings could finish as high as third place in the Northern Conference in qualifying for the postseason for the second straight year. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies will likely finish with a losing season for the second straight year and they have yet to win a single playoff game in franchise history. And the Redbirds finished with the worst record in the PCL last season.

But why else would Mid-South sports fans flock to the "Top of Mississippi" instead of downtown Memphis? Winning isn't everything, right?

Well, Mattice agrees. After all, fans want entertainment. And it helps when they get a chance to play a part in the show.

"Fan interaction is a top priority for us when it comes to game nights," says Mattice. "For example, we've had a handful of post-game jersey auctions this season to benefit some great causes. We had Pink at the Rink a couple weeks ago to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the players wore jerseys with pink trim for that one night. So not only did we raise money to help fight breast cancer, but we also had over four thousand people come to the game.

"Some of these people had never been to a game before," Mattice says. "Hopefully we made some fans that night."

Entertainment appeals even more to people when they can afford it. It costs just 21 dollars to sit behind the benches at the DCC for one night, and at the low end you can get 10-dollar tickets if you bring a group of 10 or more. All of this includes free parking.

Hockey naturally has the speed and contact that brings fans out of their seats. Fans love watching the improvisational chaos that takes place on the ice through a single pane of glass.

"That's what makes RiverKings hockey a bargain," says Mattice.

The RiverKings organization has worked hard over the last couple years to re-establish itself in the Mid-South's sports landscape. Much has changed since they won back-to-back President's Cups in 2002 and 2003. However, many feel this year's team has a real shot of bringing a title back to DeSoto County.

"Having a winning team always helps," says Mattice.

Kevin McClelland won four Stanley Cups with the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers during the 1980s. His winning philosophy has infected players like long-time RiverKing Derek Landmesser, former NHLer Sebastien Centomo, and Louis Dumont, who could hit the 1,000-point mark by the end of the season.

Every team has its share of annual tweaking, but the front office did a lot of it before this season started. With the new faces behind the scenes came a different approach.

"With the opportunity to start fresh, we decided on a new philosophy in the office that everyone's a salesperson," says Mattice, who himself took on his new role last season after several years working as the RiverKings' equipment manager. "Sure, we've had to make some adjustments along the way. For some of the newcomers, it's been a season of learning on the job. But as long as you learn something every day and help contribute to the bottom line, that's great. We feel the group in the office has gelled as well as the group on the ice. I like what we have up here."

They've found a way to make it work. The fans keep coming. And the RiverKings keep winning.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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