Actually, they don't. The Revenue Performance Standards in Article 49.3(d) to receive a full share are not based on arena capacity or even actual team attendance percentage.
They are based on:
1. Sequential year to year revenue growth in excess of league average.
and
2. Average paid attendance being > 13,125 (`07-`08) / 14,000 ('08-`09+) (75%/80% of a standard NHL arena size of 17,500) or greater than league average.
Quote:
(d) Revenue Performance Standards and Effect on Continued Eligibility to Receive Player Compensation Cost Redistribution Funds.
(i) Beginning in the third League Year of this Agreement (the 2007-08 League Year), the eligibility of Clubs for a "full share" Distribution shall be conditioned on Club revenue performance standards, as follows:
(A) After the 2006-07 League Year, any Club that would not qualify for a "full share" Distribution based on the Club revenue performance standards applicable in the 2007-08 League Year will be notified by the NHL of such fact, and areas of potential improvement will be identified.
(B) In the 2007-08 League Year, only those Clubs meeting the following criteria shall be eligible for a "full share" Distribution:
(1) The Club is generating a year-to-year revenue growth rate in excess of the League average revenue growth rate (i.e., the Club's revenue growth rate from 2006-07 to 2007-08 is greater than the League average revenue growth rate from 2006-07 to 2007-08); and
(2) The Club is averaging paid attendance at or exceeding a level that is the lesser of either 13,125 per game (seventy-five (75) percent of 17,500) or the average League-wide paid attendance.
(C) Beginning in the 2008-09 League Year, and for all subsequent League Years, only those Clubs meeting the following criteria shall be eligible for a "full share" Distribution:
(1) The Club is generating a year-to-year revenue growth rate in excess of the League average revenue growth rate (i.e., the Club's revenue growth rate from the previous League Year to the current League Year is greater than the League average revenue growth rate from the previous League Year to the current League Year); and
(2) The Club is averaging paid attendance at or exceeding a level that is the lesser of either 14,000 per game (eighty (80) percent of 17,500) or the average League-wide paid attendance.
(ii) For Clubs that do not meet the criteria for a "full share" Distribution as set forth in subsection (d)(i) during the 2007-08 League Year, or any subsequent League Year, such Clubs shall be subject to Distribution "reductions" as set forth below:
(A) First time "non-performers" (i.e., Clubs that do not meet the performance standards set forth above for the first time) shall have the amount of their Distribution reduced to a seventy-five (75) percent share of the full amount.
(B) Repeat, sequential "non-performers" that do not meet the performance standards in two (2) consecutive years shall have the amount of their Distribution reduced to a sixty (60) percent share of the full amount.
(C) Repeat, sequential "non-performers" that do not meet the performance standards in three (3) consecutive years shall have the amount of their Distribution reduced to a fifty (50) percent share of the full amount.