Vancouver Canucks Are Undefeated but Attendance Is Still Down
The Vancouver Canucks are off to a historic start, but attendance seems to be lower than usual.
The Vancouver Canucks are the only undefeated team in the NHL right now. This is a team that was predicted by all the experts to finish in 30th place with around 65 points. Through four games, the Canucks are proving everybody wrong. But is anyone actually paying attention?
If you’ve watched the last few games, you would notice rows upon rows of empty seats in Rogers Arena. This is something normal for Florida or Arizona, but isn’t something you would ever see in Vancouver. Rogers Arena may not have been the loudest arena in the NHL, but it was sold out for 474 games.
Two years ago, things changed. For the first time in 12 years, the Canucks failed to sell every ticket in the building for a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since then, ticket prices have fallen to unimaginable levels. You can find your way into Rogers Arena and get good seats for around $40 per ticket right now. Five years ago, those same seats would probably cost you north of $100 and probably closer to $200.
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The Canucks have also resorted to marketing ploys such as free beer for the home opener and holding an open practice fundraiser with the University of British Columbia that gets you a free ticket to a Canucks game. Again, these things were once unthinkable and it doesn’t seem to be doing enough to get butts in the seats.
In the first few games of this Canucks season, the Canucks have announced an attendance that is hovering around 17,500. That would put them in the lower half of the league. The Canucks’ opponent from last night, the Buffalo Sabres, are seventh in the league with an attendance slightly over 19,000 for their home opener according to ESPN. Of course, announced attendance is almost always inflated because teams announce how many tickets were sold, not how many tickets were actually used. If the Canucks’ announced their legitimate attendance, chances are it would be a lot lower.
So, what exactly is causing the poor attendance? A lot of people credit it to the real estate market. There are claims that people just don’t have enough room in their budgets to take in a Canucks game because they’re spending too much money elsewhere.
The other factor is expectations. The Canucks are expected to be near the bottom of the standings this year. People generally don’t want to watch a team lose because it’s not entertaining to watch. Losing is not enjoyable and anyone who is says it is, is a liar.
However, the Canucks are not losing right now. Among 30 NHL teams, they are the only ones who can still say they are undefeated. It’s highly unlikely this will continue throughout the entire year, but it’s happening right now. If you can afford it, go out and support them while it lasts. It could be a while before they’re on a streak like this again.
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