The Coyotes are "trending positive in ... attendance, merchandise sales and TV ratings” despite the “worst 41-game start in franchise history since the team moved to Arizona" prior to the '96-97 season, according to Richard Morin of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The team’s attendance through the first 18 games at Gila River Arena was “up 5 percent from the same time last season," while group ticket sales "ranked in the NHL’s top six.” Despite that, the Coyotes still rank "just 29th out of 31 teams in average attendance” at 13,124, ahead of only the Hurricanes and Islanders. Meanwhile, the Coyotes also have seen a "positive trend in TV numbers," with ratings are up 13% for games that start at 6:00pm MT or later. Online streaming via Fox Sports Go is also up 33%. There also has been an 8.25% "increase in merchandise sales.” Coyotes President & CEO Steve Patterson believes that figure could be "partially attributed to selling licensed apparel of visiting teams at select games at Gila River Arena.” He added that “such sales occasionally make up 20 percent of the night’s outgoing product” (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 1/12).
