NHL Eastern Conference teams are seeing average home attendance up 3.5% through Jan. 17, with the last-place Hurricanes the only club in the conference with a decline (-2.2%). Despite being near the bottom of the standings, the Islanders lead all clubs with a 25.6% jump at the gate to date. The team, however, ranks last in the conference in attendance and is filling Nassau Coliseum to only 78.3% capacity. The Panthers, who are in contention to make the playoffs for the first time since '00, are seeing a 10% increase in attendance at BankAtlantic Center. The Lightning have seen attendance jump 9.9% at Tampa Bay Times Forum despite struggling on the ice. Listed below is team-by-team attendance for NHL Eastern Conference teams through Jan. 17, with comparisons to the same period last season. See yesterday's issue for Western Conference figures (THE DAILY).

NOTES: Attendance figures for the Compuware NHL Premiere series and Bridgestone Winter Classic have been replaced with the team's home capacity. All NHL attendance data is based on totals posted immediately following games. Figures do not reflect any subsequent adjustments made by teams or the league. * = The Jets are playing in MTS Centre this season, having relocated from Atlanta, after the '10-11 season. Figures for the '10-11 NHL season include data for the Thrashers.