Long post:
And now the Wild have lost their sellout streak, since almost six years ago.
It was 17,300 or so against Montreal on Sunday. Isn't capacity at Excel almost 19,000 but many games, I assume with standing room, were listed over 19,0000? They don't seem to have a set attendance number unlike most teams.
They had a stretch of a few years long ago, after ineptitude, of bottoming out on some weeknight games of 14,000-15,000? So it can get worse there than the 17,000 the other night quickly if they don't improve.
Yet likely many just assumed they'll always sell out there, as they've had long stretches of sellouts since they were born, to my surprise. Because the North Stars at times had difficulty filling their 15,000 plus Met Center, right? They even dropped to 7,000 some nights the year or so before their Cup Final appearance in the early 90s.
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And now Philly is struggling. Only 18,085 or so Saturday vs. Dallas. I never saw a weekend game listed attendance there of less than 19,000 plus there. Yes, they did drop into the high 18,000+ range for some games in recent years, usually weeknights, but a low 18,000 figure on a Saturday there is eye opening
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True, in past generations, arenas were smaller and even for sellouts, we didn't see the larger crowds as we do now. In the early 70s, the Flyers capacity was only 14,000+ before the Spectrum was renovated to 16,000, then 17,000; Boston for years had a a capacity of 13,000-15,003; Los Angeles was 16,005 yet they had few sellouts before Gretzky arrived. Pittsburgh was 13,000, then 14,000-16,000+ after several remodellings of the Igloo. Even Detroit topped out at only 16,000 plus in the Olympia...and some games in the late 70s only drew 9,000-12,0000 when the team stunk! Not sure if in the 50s they were a constant sellout with good teams.
Chicago had a capacity of 16,666 for years, Montreal could squeeze 18,000+ with standing room but often reported sellouts though in the 17,000 range. ...wasn't Maple Leaf Gardens only 16,485 for years? Buffalo was 16,433 at the Aud? Vancouver was 15,000+ at the Pacific Coliseum? Heck, Edmonton until only recently had to fill only 16,000 seats, but now the new arena commands 18,000+?
Dallas was 17,000 at Reunion, now it's 18,500 or so.
On the other hand, New Jersey was 19,040 at the Meadowlands (yes, supposedly a tease of the Rangers 1940 Cup drought at the time), then in Newark down to 17,000 and now down to 16,000 (removed many seats for suites instead?).
Phoenix dropped capacity to 17,000 from 18,000 a few years after opening in Glendale, after 16,000 including obstructed views in downtown Phoenix? St. Louis seems to have suddenly dropped to 18,082 or so this year, a fixed sellout number, after many crowds over 19,000 when good over the years? (Again, conversion of seats to suites which likely dropped capacity?)
In modern times, we just expect most decent cities to be able to regularly fill or come close in the large arenas of 18,000-20,000. Thankfully, it's been quite common in this generation with the usually larger capacities.
Teams got spoiled.
But it wasn't always like that for many teams when they could not even fill smaller arenas in the 70s and 80s when I started seriously following hockey.
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Well, at least for now NBCSN has slightly higher ratings in this early season than last.
It'll take a lot, even in Minnesota, to get a serious sellout streak again.
still holding a grudge over 1996.
