The Islanders not only are way up on TV so far this season (see post below), they also are doing boffo business at the box office.
Their 34 percent attendance increase leads the NHL. They're up from a 10,902 average in '06-07 to 14,605.
The Devils also are doing nicely, riding the new Prudential Center to a 21.1 percent increase relative to this time last season.
Imagine what the Islanders' numbers will look like when their revamped building opens! That's supposed to be any decade now, right?
Comments (5)
We know WFAN's Steve Somers likes to refer to the NC as the Mausoleum. When exactly is the renovated Coliseum supposed to be finished?
Give the fans some exciting, fast and physical hockey, give them a superb new arena [in NJ] that's easy to get to, give them tickets that are easy and relatively cheap [Islanders], give the Icelanders credit for some good promotions plus a stellar Al Arbour night ... give the NHL credit for scheduling division rivalries to start out the season, plus lay in the fact that on the local sports scene [especially that football team that trains east of the Hudson] there ain't nothin' happening now ... I'm sick of the A-Rod stuff and the soft-pedaling of the Mets collapse ... just think if the Knicks get hot ...
Maybe there are just more hockey fans here than the Magic Johnson-Larry Bird-Michael Jordan (they're still playing right?) obsessed sports editors & directors in this town give the area credit for. At least, while he may root for hockey's version of the "Evil Empire", Boomer Esiason gives the hockey fan a little love, by giving it some mentions in the morning.
To get such a large % increase in attendance, you need a low starting point, don't ya?
Imagine if Wang lied like Dolan about his attendance and started his own season ticket holders waiting list and just wrote 16,234 on every game report like Dolan writers 18,200.