AHL teams, playing at what is considered the Triple-A level of North American hockey, averaged 5,402 fans per game during the ’13-14 regular season, down 5% from last season. The Hershey Bears led all teams for the eighth straight season with 9,664 fans per game, but that average was down 4%. Two AHL clubs played in new markets this season -- the former Houston Aeros moved to Des Moines to become the Iowa Wild, while the former Peoria Rivermen relocated to Utica, N.Y., to become the Utica Comets. Both clubs saw sharp declines in attendance in their new markets. The Wild were down 13% compared to the final season in Houston in ’12-13, while the Comets were down 32% compared to the final season in Peoria. The sharpest drop in the league belonged to the Portland Pirates, down 51%. The club, which normally plays at Cumberland County (Maine) Civic Center, was forced to play nearly 30 miles away in Lewiston at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée due to a lease dispute. The team was even forced to play its final game at its practice facility due to double booking with a circus. However, the Pirates will return to downtown Portland for the ’14-15 season. Also seeing a sharp drop (-20%) were the Abbotsford Heat, which announced last week that the club will leave British Columbia after only five seasons. The Binghamton Senators led all teams in gains at the gate, up 11%.
|
AHL REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE TREND
|
|
SEASON
|
GAMES
|
TOTAL
|
AVERAGE
|
|
'13-14
|
1,140
|
6,158,350
|
5,402
|
|
'12-13
|
1,140
|
6,510,295
|
5,711
|
|
'11-12
|
1,140
|
6,426,934
|
5,638
|
|
'10-11
|
1,200
|
6,455,951
|
5,380
|
|
'09-10
|
1,160
|
5,915,480
|
5,100
|
|
'08-09
|
1,160
|
5,933,381
|
5,115
|
|
'07-08
|
1,160
|
6,112,703
|
5,270
|
|
'06-07
|
1,080
|
5,909,687
|
5,472
|
|
'05-06
|
1,080
|
5,926,660
|
5,488
|
|
'04-05
|
1,120
|
6,675,786
|
5,961
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13-14 AHL REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE
|
| TEAM |
GAMES
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
GAMES ('12-13)
|
| Hershey Bears |
38
|
367,238
|
9,664
|
10,046
|
-3.8%
|
38
|
| Grand Rapids Griffins |
38
|
312,355
|
8,220
|
7,681
|
7.0%
|
38
|
| Lake Erie Monsters |
38
|
309,472
|
8,144
|
7,680
|
6.0%
|
38
|
| Providence Bruins |
38
|
309,113
|
8,135
|
8,188
|
-0.7%
|
38
|
| Chicago Wolves |
38
|
301,214
|
7,927
|
8,230
|
-3.7%
|
38
|
| San Antonio Rampage |
38
|
266,053
|
7,001
|
7,067
|
-0.9%
|
38
|
| Charlotte Checkers |
38
|
241,685
|
6,360
|
6,781
|
-6.2%
|
38
|
| St. John's IceCaps |
38
|
238,906
|
6,287
|
6,287
|
0.0%
|
38
|
| Toronto Marlies |
38
|
228,490
|
6,013
|
6,681
|
-10.0%
|
38
|
| Iowa Wild* |
38
|
223,559
|
5,883
|
6,793
|
-13.4%
|
38
|
| Milwaukee Admirals |
38
|
222,082
|
5,844
|
5,624
|
3.9%
|
38
|
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
38
|
220,556
|
5,804
|
6,038
|
-3.9%
|
38
|
| Manchester Monarchs |
38
|
213,104
|
5,608
|
5,706
|
-1.7%
|
38
|
| Syracuse Crunch |
38
|
211,815
|
5,574
|
5,399
|
3.2%
|
38
|
| Rochester Amerks |
38
|
205,669
|
5,412
|
6,314
|
-14.3%
|
38
|
| Texas Stars |
38
|
201,174
|
5,294
|
5,146
|
2.9%
|
38
|
| Norfolk Admirals |
38
|
190,143
|
5,004
|
5,451
|
-8.2%
|
38
|
| Hamilton Bulldogs |
38
|
187,938
|
4,946
|
5,342
|
-7.4%
|
38
|
| Bridgeport Sound Tigers |
38
|
184,688
|
4,860
|
5,300
|
-8.3%
|
38
|
| Rockford IceHogs |
38
|
182,540
|
4,804
|
4,560
|
5.3%
|
38
|
| Adirondack Phantoms |
38
|
159,289
|
4,192
|
3,994
|
5.0%
|
38
|
| Hartford Wolf Pack |
38
|
154,680
|
4,071
|
4,540
|
-10.3%
|
38
|
| Worcester Sharks |
38
|
150,402
|
3,958
|
4,374
|
-9.5%
|
38
|
| Binghamton Senators |
38
|
149,560
|
3,936
|
3,559
|
10.6%
|
38
|
| Springfield Falcons |
38
|
143,916
|
3,787
|
3,906
|
-3.0%
|
38
|
| Utica Comets** |
38
|
130,518
|
3,435
|
5,027
|
-31.7%
|
38
|
| Albany Devils |
38
|
127,673
|
3,360
|
3,860
|
-13.0%
|
38
|
| Oklahoma City Barons |
38
|
127,228
|
3,348
|
3,527
|
-5.1%
|
38
|
| Abbotsford Heat |
38
|
114,250
|
3,007
|
3,778
|
-20.4%
|
38
|
| Portland Pirates^ |
38
|
83,040
|
2,185
|
4,444
|
-50.8%
|
38
|
| AHL TOTALS |
1,140
|
6,158,350
|
5,402
|
5,711
|
-5.4%
|
1,140
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: * = Played last season as the Houston Aeros. ** = Played last season as the Peoria Rivermen. ^ = Played '13-14 season in Lewiston, Maine, due to lease dispute, but will return to Portland in '14-15.
