The Blackhawks' average attendance of 21,000-plus tracks to lead the NHL for the 12th consecutive seasonGETTY IMAGES
The United Center "remains one of the NHL's top draws, even going on four years post-Stanley Cup dynasty" for the Blackhawks, who "sold out their 504th consecutive home game Thursday, so far surviving an October that has already killed comparable sellout streaks" for the Wild and Jets, according to Ben Pope of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. The Blackhawks' average attendance of 21,000-plus "stands on track to lead the league for the 12th consecutive season." StubHub GM of NFL, NBA and NHL Akshay Khanna said that he is "confident the Hawks are nowhere near attendance doomsday." Khanna: "The fact that there is such a big, rabid fanbase that has now experienced success hopefully translates into a few years where fans are willing to look past a season or two where the team doesn't make the playoffs." Pope noted the prices of Blackhawks tickets on the secondary market have "declined in recent seasons." Still, the team remains "one of the pricier draws in the league" and their merchandise is "more popular on eBay than every other NHL team." Season-ticket holders are "provided exclusive off-ice events, develop personal relationships with sales representatives and asked to give input to improve the arena experience." Those developments are "largely because young people and families have begun to infiltrate what was once a uniform mass of 21,000 upper-class businessmen" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/26).
