Dallas Stars Attendance Takes Hefty Leap In 2014-2015

The Dallas Stars did not live to see the NHL postseason and would probably like to have a retry with their 2014-2015 regular season. With a record of 41-31-10, there wasn’t much to celebrate and tell the world about. Well, except Jamie Benn’s scoring title of course…

But even with a step down from the 2013-2014 year, some good news was able to be salvaged. That is in regards to the Dallas Stars’ average attendance in their home games.

The Stars shone bright in the beginning of their new era last season. With a fresh, young team, a new look to the front office, and some pretty green jerseys, the Stars put together a brilliant run and ended up in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in six seasons. Though they fell in six games to the Pacific Division Champion Anaheim Ducks, they gave it all they had and rallied a city behind them. They rallied a city that did not know hockey, or at least had forgotten what it was all about.

With an outstanding offseason, the team seemed destined for glory. Until a few major hiccups here and there caused them to tank severely and end the season on a rather early note. Nonetheless, they were able to rattle off one positive from the season.

That positive is their attendance numbers.

In the 2013-2014 season, the Dallas Stars put together a playoff run after a six year hibernation. Sadly, that six year hibernation took a shot at their popularity. The average attendance in the 13-14 year at the American Airlines Center was 14,658. The American Airlines Center holds 18,532 at full seating capacity. That means that on average for the 41 home games, the Stars filled only 79.1% of the seats. These numbers put the Stars in 28th place for average attendance in the NHL, just a few bodies ahead of the Florida Panthers and Arizona Coyotes, both teams who are known for their empty arenas.

That is just pitiful for a playoff team. So, after the playoffs and hype hit, the numbers soared. This year, the Stars finished up with an average of 17,350, which translates to about 93.6% full. An impressive improvement in just one season, even if it was a derailed season in itself. That has the Stars at 19th place in the NHL at the current moment.

“The market is absolutely viable. Attendance was up almost 3,000, and I think we’ve done a great job of marketing and creating a buzz for the team. I think we have to be better at home. We owe that to the fans. Good teams are good at home. Now, the fact we were so good on the road, I think that creates a lot of confidence that we can fix our home record, because we have shown we can do the harder part of that equation. But I think it’s important to win at home and make home a tough place to play and a great place for the fans. That’s a huge priority.” -Tom Gaglardi

With the improvement in attendance, one thing is clear: Jim Nill’s mission is being fulfilled. Hockey is being put back on the map in Dallas. The Stars are being noticed by their city for once in a while, and it can only help them going forward. Sadly, this season was not the best one at home, where the Stars finished with a record of 17-16-8. But it is still encouraging to see the team gaining support.

Next: Dallas Stars Thriving In Early Going At World Championships

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