Dallas Stars’ Bandwagon Population Slowly Beginning To Grow

The Dallas Stars early season success has been rather exciting for Stars fans. But with success comes new recruits, and the Stars organization is now seeing some bandwagon fans appearing. Should dedicated Stars fans welcome them?

Love or hate them, the Chicago Blackhawks are one of the most storied franchises currently in the NHL. They have won three Stanley Cups in the last five years, and have been to the playoffs six straight seasons. Their roster is chockfull of rising and already-proven talent, even though they had to unload some big names over the offseason.

This organization is clearly beginning to build a dynasty. They are a powerhouse in every campaign, and it is due to excellent management and the superb play of the club on the ice. Many teams look up at them for the duration of the year and strive to one day be like them.

With their success though comes something that is common among excellent teams. That is, of course, the bandwagoning scenario. The bandwagon scenario simply involves an increased attendance at home games and a sharp rise in merchandise purchased. Basically, more people come to follow the team simply because they are good.

By one token it is a helpful tool in fan support at home games and revenue generated. But by another, it is disappointing because the bandwagon fans will mix in with the dedicated fan, which results in the fans that might have been following the team for the past two decades looking just like a bandwagon fan considering they all morph together.

The appearance of bandwagons can easily be spotted as well. For example, in the 2006-2007 season, the Chicago Blackhawks were 29th in attendance throughout the entire NHL with an average of 12,727 fans attending each game. In 2007-2008 they moved up to 19th with an average of 16,814 which is an improvement but still has them in the bottom half of the league.

But when 2008-2009 rolled around, the Blackhawks were at the top of the charts for average attendance with a whopping 22,247. One year moved them up 19 spots. Why is that? In the 2008-2009 season, the Hawks qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and made it all the way to the Conference Finals. Before this season, they had endured a five-year playoff drought. Conicidence? Probably not.

The same thing, though not by the same scenario, seems to be happening to the Dallas Stars. The Stars went on a five year drought similar to the Hawks and lost a lot of following as a result.

In April 2013 after the fifth straight year of missing the mark for the postseason, newly hired GM Jim Nill took the team by the reins and began a major overhaul. Just one year later, the Stars defied all odds and qualified for the postseason. That season, the Stars were 28th in the league in average attendance.

The next year, they jumped to 19th. Sadly, their play dipped below it’s level from the year prior and they once again fell short of a playoff spot. But a powerful and loaded offseason in 2015 helped revive the spirits of the Stars club and their fan base as a whole. As expected, they once again delivered.

Now with a record of 29-11-4 and 62 points, the Dallas Stars stand atop the Central Division and Western Conference. They are five points behind the Washington Capitals for first place throughout the NHL. This is obviously helping increase the amount of attention that the city of Dallas is giving its hockey team.

Though the attendance has not spiked severely (the Stars are currently 14th in the league in attendance), there is an increased following. More fans are showing up, more victory green is being sold, more Stars-related Facebook and Twitter pages are being created, and the talk of the town is more hockey-related than ever before.

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It’s good to be near the top, that’s for sure. But with that, some consequences come along. Different Dallas Stars fans feel different ways about this as well. For one, it is nice to see more people getting into hockey and supporting the home team. But for others, it is annoying to see people all of a sudden “obsessed” with hockey just because they want to cheer for a winning team.

It’s a narrow line to navigate, and everyone has their own opinion. But in the end, Stars fans should try their best to welcome the new members. If they truly are dedicated to following and learning more about the Dallas Stars, why not be their guide and teacher? Even if you may have primarily suffered through the past decade and they haven’t, it’s always nice to have dedicated support during the prime parts of the year.

Now of course if you come across a fan who simply bought a jersey so they can look like a fan but do not want to dive into the glory that is the Stars organization, just leave them be. They will come and go as they please. But you will stay dedicated, and that is what counts.

Next: What Stars Fans Can Do To Bear These Awful Off Days

The Dallas Stars seem to be destined for big things this season and their postseason may end up being a truly special one, as long as they make it of course (not getting too cocky yet). Why not add some tourists along for the ride? It’s one of the best ways to expand. So be supportive, Stars fans! They may not know what they are seeing, but you do because you have earnestly followed the team for years on end now. Enjoy it while it lasts!