The Coyotes rank last in NHL attendance at "a little more than 13,500 fans a game, but the first season under the new nine-person IceArizona ownership group has changed the atmosphere surrounding the franchise," according to Kevin Allen of USA TODAY. The Coyotes, who "couldn't market properly when the franchise was owned by the league, are marketing more aggressively than before." Elementary schools "are a major target," and "educating youngsters about the game is a priority." The Coyotes have had "seven sellouts this season." Although the attendance is "not significantly different from last season, the Coyotes have broken the team record for ticket revenue, which had stood" since '97-98. They "raised ticket prices and charged for parking for the first time." Ticket sales have "picked up as the season has worn on." Coyotes President & CEO Anthony LeBlanc said, "It was really encouraging to me that we had just under 15,000 in the building on a Thursday night for a game against Florida, which is not a traditionally strong draw. We are encouraged by how the numbers are trending." He added that season-ticket renewals "have also been strong." LeBlanc: "We are meeting our expectations, but we are a group of guys that want to do more than that" (USA TODAY, 3/26).
