Stars' Lack Of Big Names Making It Difficult To Draw Fans In Dallas

The Stars are a "blue-collar team trying to succeed in a white-collar town," according to Rick Gosselin of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. Following the departures of C Mike Modano in '10 and C Brad Richards in '11, the team has "no stars, no names." And in Dallas, the "bigger the name, the warmer the reception." Stars LW Brenden Morrow said, "We have star players well known in the hockey world but not really well known in this market." Gosselin writes the franchise "lacks more than the names, however. It lacks success." The Stars have not qualified for the playoffs in the last three years and finished in last place of the Pacific Division the last two seasons. Gosselin: "Dallas does love its stars. But it also loves winners." There were "3,000 empty seats at American Airlines Center on opening night last weekend" when the Stars hosted the Blackhawks. There were "considerably more empties -- 12,000 -- on Monday when a lesser opponent (Phoenix Coyotes) came to town." Another "sparse crowd is expected Thursday when the lowly St. Louis Blues visit." The Stars "realize that without the name attractions, they have only one thing to sell this season -- success" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/13). In Dallas, Mike Heika noted the combination of a 5:00pm CT Columbus Day start and the Rangers playing at the same time in the MLB playoffs "helped the Stars to their smallest regular season crowd ever at American Airlines Center." Official attendance "was 6,306." The Stars "last season averaged 15,073 at home" (DALLASNEWS.com, 10/10).

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: In Toronto, David Shoalts noted there were "lots of sellouts in the first few days" of the NHL season. In addition, a "key indicator of the league’s economy that came out this week has a positive outlook." The accountants employed by both the league and the NHLPA "agreed that the percentage of players’ salaries that will be withheld in escrow for the first quarter of the season is 8.5." That is "half of the 17 per cent held back a year ago in the first quarter and the lowest percentage since the first season after the 2004-05 lockout when the system was introduced." By "slashing the first quarter's deduction to 8.5 per cent, they are betting on a good year for the league." Shoalts noted the move of the Thrashers to Winnipeg played into the projections for NHL revenue this season, as the Jets "will blossom into a profitable club." Also "helping out is the continued strength of the Canadian dollar." But Shoalts added "mixed signals are coming from around the NHL about its economic health in the early days of a new season." Shoalts: "On the one hand, there are disquieting attendance numbers in some cities, such as 6,306 in Dallas, 12,096 in New Jersey and 11,278 on Long Island on Monday night and 9,187 in Columbus on Saturday. Those are the official attendance numbers from the teams, so the actual number of fans in the seats was certainly lower" (GLOBE & MAIL, 10/12).