The past week or so after my Spokane Chiefs played a game in Seattle, I was checking on the attendance over there, something I do from time to time around the league. I couldn't believe it. At the time, Seattle was in first place in the U.S. Division of the W.H.L. The attendance was like 3,300!!! This is in Key Arena which will hold about 11,000 for hockey! Seattle never has been much of a hockey town, for any number of reasons, but I honestly don't know how the T-Birds can stay in Seattle with attendance like this. They must be getting incredible perks or breaks from Seattle Center or something. Does anyone know if they have theme nights over there, or cheap hot dogs or beer night to get some extra bodies in the seats? And if so, what do they draw then? I am curious. I know attendance in newbie Everett is quite good from what I am told.

Puckman, I think the T-Birds don't draw well because you much have to be a winner to draw the fans here. There's too much entertainment in the area and people would rather spend their $$$ elsewhere than on minor league hockey.

Plus, you have the Sonics, Seahawks, and Huskies all competing for the same $$$. Even the Sonics are not drawing well compared to their record. Over there in Spokane, you have the Chiefs and The Zags.

Everett does pretty well because it's the only game in town even though Seattle is only half an hour away.

Hey Mariner. But would you not consider this years team who has either been in first or a very close second to Everett a winner? Compared to our record here, I sure would. I know there is alot of competetion over there for the sports buck. For sure, but my point is that I don't think the T-Birds have ever drawn well in Seattle. Let me know if I am wrong on this. wink

My thought is: it's still minor league hockey. Unless there's a fan base that's really dedicated to the sport and/or not much competition for the sports dollar, it's not going to draw consistently huge crowds. If the NHL were alive and had a team in Seattle, they'd automatically do better just because the NHL is the major league level. That's not to say they'd be a success -- the attendance might just be a few thousand higher, not necessarily sellouts every night -- it's just that people in general have a mindset that the major leagues are automatically better than the minor leagues.

Also keep in mind that hockey--at any level-- is a niche sport. Non-fans may attend an occasional basketball or baseball game but only hockey fans will go to a hockey game. Do the T-Birds get much coverage in the local papers/sports reports, compared with the Sonics, Seahawks, Mariners?

~Adam

I sincerely doubt it Adam. Good point. I watch the Seattle area's tv station called NWCN alot. (Northwest Cable News). Its alot like our version of CNN. I watch alot of their sports news, and they never ever have any T-Bird scores, let alone WHL scores. Its just not big over there. To many other sports diversions I reckon.

It's pretty simple, people in Seattle, including me dont know anything about hockey, and really arent willing to learn by watching a minor league team, when we have the big leaguers in the other 3 sports. And like Duck Boy said there are just too many other activities, events, and so forth, for Minor league hockey to compete with. Everett is a different story because it is a bedroom community, families can take their kids there without dealing with the traffic into Seattle, and then take pride in their own downtown. Plus a lot of people dont like the arrogance of the big leaguers anymore.

The Thunderbirds used to draw bigger crowds, especially when they played in the Seattle Arena but it was never to the point where tickets were hard to get. As C said, I don't think the majority of Seattlites really care about hockey. Even KJR, the sports radio station, rarely talks about the team. But then, they normally don't talk about minor league teams, and the Weatern Hockey league could be considered comparable to single A baseball. And "minor league" teams just don't get the attention that the major pros, colege or even high school teams get.

Everett games on the other hand, are broadcast over the Everett local radio station and the players visit thr local sports guy, "The Fish" in the studio. There's much more promotion for the Silvertips in Everett. But then again, as Rock_N pointed out, Everett is much smaller than Seattle. I still haven't been to a 'tips game yet, but I will try to go to one this year and compare it to watching hockey games at the Key.