The AHL’s expansion to the West Coast paid dividends at the gate, as the Triple-A level of hockey set a new attendance record during the ’15-16 season. The league’s 30 teams averaged 5,982 fans per game this season, up 9% from last season and passing the previous record of 5,960 set during the ’04-05 season. Seven clubs moved during the offseason, with five creating a new Pacific Division. The move to California paid off, as each of those five clubs saw strong double-digit percentage increases in attendance. Leading the way were the San Diego Gulls, who saw an 83% jump compared to last season in Norfolk, Va. The club, which had 11 crowds of 10,000+ fans at Valley View Casino Center, also finished second among all AHL clubs at the gate. Leading the way for the 10th straight season were the Hershey Bears at Giant Center in Western Pennsylvania. The Ontario Reign also had a strong AHL debut (+53%). The club played in Manchester, N.H., last season. The Reign were technically an ECHL (Double-A) club last season, and led that league in ’14-15 with 7,802 fans per game.
CHANGE IS GOOD: Despite a move from Time Warner Cable Arena -- home of the Hornets -- to the smaller Bojangles’ Coliseum, the Charlotte Checkers saw a 1% jump in attendance. St. John’s, Newfoundland, also stayed strong with a franchise swap this season. The city technically lost its franchise to Winnipeg (Manitoba Moose) after last season, but the Hamilton Bulldogs relocated to St. John’s for ’15-16. The move paid off for both franchises at the gate.
PENALTY SHOTS: The Bridgeport Sound Tigers saw the sharpest drop among AHL clubs, down 17% at Webster Bank Arena in Connecticut. Also down around 10% were the Syracuse Crunch, while the San Antonio Rampage were down 7%. Finishing last in attendance were the Springfield Falcons, but the Coyotes have already announced plans to buy the Falcons and relocate the club to Tucson, Ariz., for next season. The Falcons were down 5% this season after a 14% drop last season (Austin Karp, Assistant Managing Editor).
|
'15-16 AHL REGULAR-SEASON ATTENDANCE
|
| TEAM |
GAMES
|
TOTAL
|
AVG.
|
PREV.
|
% +/-
|
'14-15
GAMES
|
| Hershey Bears |
38
|
372,008
|
9,790
|
9,791
|
0.0%
|
38
|
| San Diego Gulls* |
34
|
294,962
|
8,675
|
4,752
|
82.6%
|
38
|
| Lake Erie Monsters |
38
|
326,654
|
8,596
|
8,331
|
3.2%
|
38
|
| Ontario Reign* |
34
|
291,366
|
8,570
|
5,621
|
52.5%
|
38
|
| Grand Rapids Griffins |
38
|
324,629
|
8,543
|
8,082
|
5.7%
|
38
|
| Providence Bruins |
38
|
319,601
|
8,411
|
8,389
|
0.3%
|
38
|
| Lehigh Valley Phantoms |
38
|
313,286
|
8,244
|
8,163
|
1.0%
|
38
|
| Chicago Wolves |
38
|
302,580
|
7,963
|
7,958
|
0.1%
|
38
|
| Manitoba Moose* |
38
|
276,845
|
7,285
|
5,778
|
26.1%
|
38
|
| Toronto Marlies |
38
|
242,940
|
6,393
|
5,347
|
19.6%
|
38
|
| Milwaukee Admirals |
38
|
234,404
|
6,169
|
5,809
|
6.2%
|
38
|
| San Antonio Rampage |
38
|
233,212
|
6,137
|
6,579
|
-6.7%
|
38
|
| Rochester Amerks |
38
|
230,550
|
6,067
|
6,165
|
-1.6%
|
38
|
| Charlotte Checkers |
37
|
218,494
|
5,905
|
5,822
|
1.4%
|
38
|
| Iowa Wild |
38
|
222,135
|
5,846
|
5,659
|
3.3%
|
38
|
| St. John's IceCaps* |
38
|
217,228
|
5,717
|
4,452
|
28.4%
|
38
|
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins |
38
|
214,885
|
5,655
|
5,708
|
-0.9%
|
38
|
| Syracuse Crunch |
38
|
205,583
|
5,410
|
5,986
|
-9.6%
|
38
|
| Bakersfield Condors* |
34
|
176,613
|
5,195
|
3,262
|
59.2%
|
38
|
| Texas Stars |
38
|
192,562
|
5,067
|
5,002
|
1.3%
|
38
|
| Rockford IceHogs |
38
|
190,525
|
5,014
|
4,834
|
3.7%
|
38
|
| Stockton Heat* |
34
|
158,011
|
4,647
|
3,642
|
27.6%
|
38
|
| Hartford Wolf Pack |
38
|
168,728
|
4,440
|
4,468
|
-0.6%
|
38
|
| San Jose Barracuda* |
34
|
150,679
|
4,432
|
3,847
|
15.2%
|
38
|
| Bridgeport Sound Tigers |
38
|
149,727
|
3,940
|
4,744
|
-16.9%
|
38
|
| Utica Comets |
38
|
146,680
|
3,860
|
3,720
|
3.8%
|
38
|
| Binghamton Senators |
38
|
144,852
|
3,812
|
3,773
|
1.0%
|
38
|
| Albany Devils |
38
|
127,889
|
3,366
|
3,323
|
1.3%
|
38
|
| Portland Pirates |
38
|
127,806
|
3,363
|
2,963
|
13.5%
|
38
|
| Springfield Falcons |
38
|
118,092
|
3,108
|
3,273
|
-5.1%
|
38
|
| AHL TOTALS |
1,119
|
6,693,526
|
5,982
|
5,508
|
8.6%
|
1,140
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
CHART NOTES: * = Several clubs relocated move after the '14 season. The Norfolk Admirals became the San Diego Gulls, the Manchester Monarchs became the Ontario Reign, the St. John's IceCaps became the Manitoba Moose, the Hamilton Bulldogs became the St. John's IceCaps, the Oklahoma City Barons became the Bakersfield Condors, the Adirondack Flames became the Stockton Heat and the Worcester Sharks became the San Jose Barracuda.
HEADED FOR WARMER CLIMATE: In Tucson, Ryan Finley notes many believe the AHL's success in San Diego is “one of the reasons for Tucson’s latest chance at a professional sports team.” Tucson’s Rio Nuevo Multipurpose Facilities District is “prepared to foot the bill, in the millions of dollars, to make Tucson Convention Center’s arena suitable for minor-league hockey.” The deal to move the Falcons is “contingent on both league approval -- the AHL’s Board of Governors meets next month -- and a lease being struck between the Coyotes and the city of Tucson.” The arena in Tucson underwent a $7.8M renovation in '14, but still “needs a few million more in upgrades” for an AHL club. The league “could vote on relocation as soon as May 10" (ARIZONA DAILY STAR, 4/20).
LONG TIME COMING: A SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN editorial noted the "hourglass for pro hockey in Springfield has been running low on sand for some time." But city officials and others "hold out hope that hockey will be back at the MassMutual Center." It is "possible the Coyotes will not be able to move the franchise into a suitable arena” in Tucson in time for the '16-17 season. But the “most likely scenario is an empty arena” when the AHL season opens in October. While league offices "remain in Springfield and the AHL has always favored retaining a team in the city,” this is “not the AHL's problem" (MASSLIVE.com, 4/19).
