Devils Yet To Sell Out Arena This Season, Including Playoffs

Devils Have Not Sold Out One Home Game This Season

The Devils host the Senators tonight in Game One of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, but the team has “yet to sell out this season” at the 19,040-seat Continental Airlines Arena, according to Dave Caldwell of the N.Y. TIMES. During their first series against the Lightning, the Devils’ three home games were played before a total of nearly 6,300 empty seats. However, both Games Two and Five “drew more than 18,000 people, which is more than the capacities at the arenas of five of the other 15 teams that made the playoffs.” Devils G Martin Brodeur said that the arena, which is the ninth-largest in the NHL, “had always been too roomy for the team’s fan base” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/26). As of presstime, lower bowl seats for $95 each were still available to tonight’s game (THE DAILY).

BUSY WEEKEND: In Ottawa, Bruce Garrioch reports the NHL asked Devils President, CEO, GM & coach Lou Lamoriello to start the series against the Senators on Tuesday “because the Meadowlands was booked this weekend,” but he refused. The Nets are hosting the Raptors on Friday and Sunday, and a Champions on Ice show was scheduled for 3:00pm ET Saturday. Lamoriello “toyed with buying out the figure skating show, but decided to avoid the cost,” instead having the show moved up to 12:00pm. Lamoriello convinced the NHL “there’d be plenty of time to get the ice ready” after the skating show for Senators-Devils Game Two, which will be played at 8:00pm ET. While the series begins tonight, sources said NHL execs informed Lamoriello “that if he didn’t start the series Tuesday, then he may have to forfeit his right to home ice” in Game Two. Garrioch: “Lamoriello obviously has a lot of pull with [NHL Commissioner Gary] Bettman” (OTTAWA SUN, 4/26).