The National Hockey League sent out a press release this morning showcasing a league record in attendance. The sport that regularly trails the “Big Four” has already surpassed last season’s total with three more days to go in the season. While the Blackhawks aren’t as competitive as in their hayday a decade ago, the addition of Connor Bedard certainly has helped the league.
The league still has a playoff to compete in–which could benefit greatly from its superstars going deep into the second season. Last year’s total attendance saw just over 24 million in an arena. With the frantic pace of the last few weeks in the Eastern Conference playoff run combined with the star power and accolade chases with Connor McDavid (100 assists) and Auston Matthews (70 goal season?), there’s plenty to keep people moving through those turnstiles.
But the League can’t settle with slight increases. It’s time to set things higher, beyond the arena, too.
Blackhawks Can Help Boost Numbers Further
Bedard alone is major star power and as the team improves, so too will the numbers organically. The first real litmus test will be the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, which could be stuff of legends if Bedard has a big game on a day where people are ringing in the New Year. Not only will it sell out, but the eye balls on the screen will only draw more people into arenas wherever he is.
According to the League, teams have played to 97% capacity this season–so now it’s about maintaining and improving. The playoff chase has been significant in keeping attention–a racuous Little Caesars Arena watched the Red Wings erase a 4-1 deficit and win in overtime, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
The excitement factor is there. But it has to continue and go beyond just putting rear ends in the seats. Hockey can grow–and has grown–but marketing the sport in an apporachable way is the only way it can go further. Ratings have to follow, too, but it’s a tough ask when the opening round of the playoffs will compete with the NFL Draft, and then down the road, the NBA playoffs.
So the hard part is finding the sweet spot in doing so. It’s not as if they haven’t tried–Lord knows they signed Josh Richards to try and appeal–but it goes beyond that. The greatest way to sell the game is to provide exposure to it while emphasizing what makes the game great.
Look at the Red Wings game from Monday night–Lucas Raymond burying the tying and winning goals, and Detroit rallying from a 4-1 deficit–with their playoff lives on the line. Matthews chasing 70 goals should be on blast everywhere right now, similar if the home run record was being chased in baseball or the all-time points record in the NBA.
Hockey’s biggest struggle is that it can’t be as pick-up-and-go as other sports and that familiarity in non-traditional markets has been the riddle the league can’t crack. That’s where it’s on the teams to heavily invest in communities–something the Blackhawks have done.
For a sport always trying to grow, the attendance numbers are great to see. But it’s not a reason to just coast off the excitement. There’s a geniune chance to build off of it and use it to draw more attention to the sport outside the arena.
A young growing Blackhawks team, led by Bedard, can certainly help there. Now they just have to take advantage of it.
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