ECHL attendance was down around 2% this season as the league took on eight new teams. The '14-15 regular season saw 28 ECHL clubs average 4,598 fans per game, down from 4,706 for 22 clubs last season (includes two now-defunct teams). An offseason merger with the CHL added seven clubs to the ECHL this season, while the Indy Fuel came on as an expansion team. The Ontario Reign led the ECHL in attendance for the fifth time in six years with 7,802 fans per game, down around 4% from '13-14. However, the ECHL will lose the market next season to the AHL, with the ECHL club moving operations to Manchester, N.H. The ECHL's two other California markets -- Stockton and Bakersfield -- also will move to an AHL affiliation, with the ECHL teams moving to Glens Falls, N.Y., and Norfolk, respectively. Among the CHL additions, the Tulsa Oilers fared best, finishing fifth in attendance at 5,479 per game. Only one ECHL club, the Kalamazoo Wings, saw a double-digit percentage drop in attendance this season (-14%). The Wheeling Nailers again ranked last at 2,499 fans per game, but had a league-best 11% increase.
|
'14-15 ECHL REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE
|
| TEAM |
GAMES
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
PREV.*
|
% +/-
|
| Ontario Reign |
36
|
280,866
|
7,802
|
8,158
|
-4.4%
|
| Ft. Wayne Komets |
36
|
261,976
|
7,277
|
7,211
|
0.9%
|
| Toledo Walleye |
36
|
231,847
|
6,440
|
6,022
|
6.9%
|
| Orlando Solar Bears |
36
|
223,518
|
6,209
|
6,355
|
-2.3%
|
| Tulsa Oilers** |
36
|
197,249
|
5,479
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Missouri Mavericks** |
36
|
191,427
|
5,317
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Colorado Eagles |
36
|
190,395
|
5,289
|
5,289
|
0.0%
|
| Florida Everblades |
36
|
187,397
|
5,205
|
5,046
|
3.2%
|
| Evansville IceMen |
36
|
180,688
|
5,019
|
5,369
|
-6.5%
|
| Wichita Thunder** |
36
|
180,255
|
5,007
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Gwinnett Gladiators |
36
|
177,365
|
4,927
|
5,171
|
-4.7%
|
| Utah Grizzlies |
36
|
177,067
|
4,919
|
5,003
|
-1.7%
|
| Bakersfield Condors |
36
|
172,777
|
4,799
|
4,859
|
-1.2%
|
| Stockton Thunder |
36
|
166,368
|
4,621
|
4,786
|
-3.4%
|
| Alaska Aces |
36
|
157,197
|
4,367
|
4,619
|
-5.5%
|
| Cincinnati Cyclones |
36
|
156,325
|
4,342
|
4,229
|
2.7%
|
| Reading Royals |
36
|
150,903
|
4,192
|
4,087
|
2.6%
|
| Allen Americans** |
36
|
147,454
|
4,096
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Idaho Steelheads |
36
|
145,067
|
4,030
|
3,997
|
0.8%
|
| South Carolina Stingrays |
36
|
143,240
|
3,979
|
3,812
|
4.4%
|
| Quad City Mallards** |
36
|
140,885
|
3,913
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Rapid City Rush** |
36
|
138,826
|
3,856
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Indy Fuel^ |
36
|
133,921
|
3,720
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Greenville Road Warriors |
36
|
130,299
|
3,619
|
3,430
|
5.5%
|
| Kalamazoo Wings |
36
|
97,302
|
2,703
|
3,138
|
-13.9%
|
| Brampton Beast** |
36
|
92,578
|
2,572
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Elmira Jackals |
36
|
92,056
|
2,557
|
2,629
|
-2.7%
|
| Wheeling Nailers |
36
|
89,953
|
2,499
|
2,252
|
11.0%
|
| ECHL TOTALS |
1,008
|
4,635,201
|
4,598
|
4,706
|
-2.3%
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
NOTES: * = Attendance for '13-14 includes the S.F. Bulls, who ceased operations in January '14 after 18 home games. It also includes the Las Vegas Wranglers, who ceased operations following the season. ** = Seven new teams were added to the ECHL this season following a merger with the CHL. ^ = Expansion club for '14-15 season.
