Bruins Attendance Down; Empty Seats Popping Up In Vancouver

Bruins Rank 24th In NHL In Average Attendance This Season

The Bruins’ only sellout through their first 13 home games was the home opener, where there were “still a large number of vacant chairs in the building,” according to Douglas Flynn of the BOSTON HERALD. Thursday’s home game against the Maple Leafs drew a season-low 11,150, “leaving more than a third” of TD Banknorth Garden’s 17,565 seats empty. It was the second crowd under 12,000, and “nine of the 13 home dates have drawn less than 15,000.” The Bruins’ 76.6% average capacity ranks 25th in the NHL and their average attendance of 14,262 ranks 24th. Flynn noted attendance is “down around the league” and some of the “biggest struggles are in traditional hockey hotbeds.” Only ten teams are “playing to full houses, with eight drawing less than 80[%] of capacity.” The Blackhawks are selling just 64.2% of tickets (BOSTON HERALD, 12/3).

STREAKING TO A HALT? In Vancouver, Ben Kuzma noted the Canucks posted their 140th consecutive sellout on Saturday, but with the team “playing around the .500 level -– and struggling to score goals –- empty seats have been popping up.” Four hours before Thursday’s home game against the Ducks, fans “could still purchase prime tickets”; Ticketmaster had a pair of lower-bowl center-ice seats or two blueline seats for C$179.25 each. Also, tickets on the secondary market are “often sold below face value.” A local ticket broker said, “It’s not a hot ticket, given the way they are playing. But it could also be the (snowy) weather and trouble getting to games” (Vancouver PROVINCE, 12/3).