Though it started slow, the Dallas Stars ended up turning in an impressive 2018-19 campaign. And while the team’s play on the ice was both strong and commendable, the fan attendance numbers were just as encouraging.
Residing in a southern, non-traditional hockey market can be a beautiful thing. Just ask the Dallas Stars.
In a city, state, and region dominated by the bright lights of high school, college, and professional football, trying to grow and raise a hockey fan base from the ground up can be an uphill battle at times. While hockey is almost a form of religion in northern states and across the border in Canada, things look significantly different when talking about hockey in places like Dallas, Nashville, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, and Arizona.
But that’s all part of the journey, and can also become part of the fun. Unlike in the north where almost every sports fan in a given city owns a piece of hockey merchandise but might not be able to tell you much of anything substantial when it comes to information on the team, the fans in the south are built around loyalty. Sure, they may not be the loudest or biggest group, but each fan comes with a certain level of allegiance that is hard to find elsewhere.
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You see it when you come across Dallas Stars fans that have been season ticket holders since the team relocated from Minnesota to Texas in 1993. Through 25 seasons, two trips to the Stanley Cup Final, and just one championship back in 1999, the fans have held true. The ones still around didn’t abandon the Stars when they fell into bankruptcy troubles or when they endured a five-year playoff drought. And while some ended up detaching, the central core stuck around.
That’s impossible to replace and difficult to build, but the Stars have done a good job at fostering a devoted community.
As a result, it’s shown over the past few years in the annual attendance numbers across the league. While some teams have dropped off from prominence or endured a decrease in numbers while undergoing a rebuild, the Dallas Stars have consistently been on the rise.
That can be seen as a bit of a surprise considering the team had only been to the Stanley Cup Playoffs two times in the past decade going into the 2018-19 season. There was a sincere lack of consistent success in the on-ice product. And while that led to a dip in attendance (as it would for most franchises), the ship was righted in the 2013-14 season around the time when Jim Nill took over as general manager and began his attempt at ushering in a new era of Dallas hockey.
Since then, the Stars have been steadily building upwards in terms of fan attendance at home games. With the on-ice product becoming more entertaining and hockey being successfully marketed by the team’s front office to the Texas community, the impressive rise is a sight to behold.
Here’s a quick look at the Dallas Stars’ average attendance in each of the six regular seasons since Nill arrived and took over as GM, via ESPN.com. For reference, the American Airlines Center seats 18,532 fans for an NHL hockey game.
2013-14: 14,568 fans (28th), 79.1 percent full (30th)
2014-15: 17,350 fans (19th), 93.6 percent full (24th)
2015-16: 18,376 fans (15th), 99.2 percent full (15th)
2016-17: 18,101 fans (16th), 97.7 percent full (19th)
2017-18: 18,110 fans (15th), 97.7 percent full (20th)
2018-19: 18,178 fans (13th), 98.1 percent full (15th)
In terms of percentage of the arena filled during this past season, the Stars owned the 9th-highest percentage in the Western Conference. They finished higher on the list than teams like the Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Calgary Flames, putting them above a handful of traditional hockey markets in the process.
And while the team rebounded from a slow start to the season and ended up qualifying for the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the fans followed suit. Dallas ended up knocking out the Central division champion Nashville Predators in a six-game series in round one and took the Blues to a series-deciding Game 7. Here’s a look at the Stars’ postseason attendance numbers for the 2019 playoffs, via Hockey-Reference.com:
2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs: 18,715 fans (6th), 101.0 percent (8th)
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In terms of percentage, the Stars posted better numbers than teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, and even the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. In terms of overall fan attendance compiled together throughout the playoffs, Dallas finished with the 5th-highest numbers (only behind the Carolina Hurricanes, San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, and St. Louis Blues, who all advanced further than Dallas).
And, like in any good building project, this isn’t a stopping point for the franchise. Instead, it’s another impressive step forward in building a strong and sturdy hockey culture in the metroplex.
The Dallas Stars are crafting an impressive brand in the Dallas sports world and are continuing to drive engagement and growth through their success on the ice and the outreach being done by the franchise.
Sometimes, it’s fun being in a southern, non-traditional hockey market. Instead of immediate success and following being expected of the franchise, it’s a growing process that must go over some bumps and through some obstacles on its way to becoming something truly extraordinary.
And now that the team is back in a familiar spot as a potential contender, let’s see what the 2019-20 year brings.