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Registered User
Earlier this year over 17,000 watched the Baby Leafs replacement players in the Air Canada Centre and last night over 13,000 watched the Crunch play in the Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Edmonton fans have been very supportive of the Roadrunners with many crowds over 10,000.
The NHL may not sellout with replacement players out of the gate but as new players become familiar names and high picks develop into the next generation of stars the NHL can and IMO will regain most of the fans that used to support the old NHL. I have now watched a dozen AHL games this year and the entertainment value by large has been better than what I watched in the NHL the last 5 years. NHL players in the AHL are only blending in. Very few if any have stood out in the games I have watched which proves that AHL players are better than many fans think or many NHL players are not the superior talents that many believe.
Put replacement players into NHL uniforms next year at AHL ticket pricing to start off and watch how hockey grows and how current NHL players return to the game at a small % of what they could have salvaged now.
The NHL may not sellout with replacement players out of the gate but as new players become familiar names and high picks develop into the next generation of stars the NHL can and IMO will regain most of the fans that used to support the old NHL. I have now watched a dozen AHL games this year and the entertainment value by large has been better than what I watched in the NHL the last 5 years. NHL players in the AHL are only blending in. Very few if any have stood out in the games I have watched which proves that AHL players are better than many fans think or many NHL players are not the superior talents that many believe.
Put replacement players into NHL uniforms next year at AHL ticket pricing to start off and watch how hockey grows and how current NHL players return to the game at a small % of what they could have salvaged now.