Niagara Icedogs 2024-25 Season, Part I

[frontsfan67]

I think Niagara is unique. If you ask people here if we have an NFL team, they will tell you we do and they are the Bills. From St. Catharines the stadium is an hour away. From Niagara Falls it’s even closer. When Covid hit and there were issues crossing the border, the Bills said they had 8000 Canadian season ticket holders. Most are probably from Niagara. Personally I am not a football fan but a lot of people in Niagara are.

I know fronts season ticket holders that would rather watch football rather than go to the fronts games. If the season ticket holders are like this imagine the casual fans. Our Sunday attendance has always sucked.

Surprised yours is so good. Good for you guys.

 

[Sam14]

Guess we'll have to rely on the reported attendance, which will be closer to actual, what with the massive decline of STH. For the Sunday, NFL games we'll have to rely on the subjective bums in seats equation to see how many attendees are dressed like empty seats.

Oct 13, 2023. Announced attendance was: 2700 (as a point of reference that would be the arena half full)

Actual Attendance was: approximately 900-1000

A have several picture examples of these attendance figure discrepancy of various games throughout the season. There were a few that matched a little more closely, but never a game that represented the announced attendance. Most games I attended live, the announced and the actual where not close. What was your experience with that?

 

[WorkHardEveryShift]

Last year on Sundays

Sunday March 17 - 4538
Sunday Feb 18 - 4856
Sunday Feb 4 - 5021
Sunday Jan 7 - 3872
Sunday Dec 31 - 4624
Sunday Dec 3 - 4384

Average Sunday attendance - 4549

Average attendance for entire season - 3878

Hope I didn't make a mistake with the data but that is a pretty compelling argument to increase Sunday home games.

You can't argue with numbers. But people will. Clearly it's drawing families who probably don't care about the NFL. Not everyone does. And if you're getting the kids out, hopefully it's growing the game

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

It has always been like that Sam14.. The attendance figure is sold tickets and not people in the building.

 

[knowescape]

Oct 13, 2023. Announced attendance was: 2700
Actual Attendance was: approximately 900-1000

A have several picture examples of these attendance figure discrepancy of various games throughout the season. There were a few that matched a little more closely, but never a game that represented the announced attendance. Most games I attended live, the announced and the actual where not close. What was your experience with that?

View attachment 912390

Last year was the start of the massive STH exodus. Even though many had already paid for their seats and were counted in the "attendance" numbers, there was plenty of absenteeism. Most of my row was STH and many times it was empty.

Without the STH numbers, it is walk-ins, pre-sales and value-packs which will fluctuate significantly. I've speculated there are only 1,500 STH left, at best. That translates to an average attendance in the 2,000's.

Great picture, would love to see a collage of stand photos 30 minutes into each game. Look for the concessions to be consolidated into one or two locations.

 

[Sam14]

You can't argue with numbers. But people will. Clearly it's drawing families who probably don't care about the NFL. Not everyone does. And if you're getting the kids out, hopefully it's growing the game

Just clarify no one is arguing, we are discussing numbers because IceDogs do not have a complete set of Sunday numbers during the NFL season to compare.

What we do know is that Saturday night in Niagara has traditionally draws exceptionally well. DD has flipped IceDogs primarily game day from Saturday to Sunday.

Now if Sunday, throughout the NFL season, proves to draw better (actual fans) than the past history of Saturday nights, then we’ll call that a good move, if not it will be a bad move. That’s really the discussion here.

It has always been like that Sam14.. The attendance figure is sold tickets and not people in the building.

DE I trust you to give us an actual fans in seats estimate on Sunday . I’m recording the game. I won’t be watching until Monday morning

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Great picture, would love to see a collage of stand photos 30 minutes into each game. Look for the concessions to be consolidated into one or two locations.

For a handful of games last season they actually did close a couple of concession stands.

My prediction, last years attendance will be very close to this years attendance. Which is poor by our standards. Bet we get 2 sell outs this year.

Sam14:
DE I trust you to give us an actual fans in seats estimate on Sunday . I’m recording the game. I won’t be watching until Monday morning

I will report at what I think the actual attendance looks like. I do agree there was 5 or 6 games last year that looked like around a 1000 people. Back in the glory years I remember announced sell-outs that was only 3/4 full. I used to joke the 50/50 winning amount was the actual attendance.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

omg. Wycisk is in the lineup tonight. I wonder when was the last time he played.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1842320702059192628

 

[dogs777]

It has always been like that Sam14.. The attendance figure is sold tickets and not people in the building.

People also dont take into account people standing or in the club seats

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I see Wassilyn has his first 2 goals in a 3-2 lead against Oshawa.

Looking forward to the home opener but fully expect Brampton to wreck them.

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

Amazing second period. Go Dogs!

4 to 2

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

3 game win streak … on the road.

Starting to love this team!!

 

[Mcnotloilersfan]

I'll maintain what I've been saying since the summer. As long as it isn't tinkered with too much, I think there is just too much fire power on this team to miss the playoffs. They won't win a round. Might even get swept. But they should finally get in

 

[three dog night]

Icedogs 5 Oshawa3 for three straight road wins to start the season.

 

[mattommy98]

Flores is gunna make it realllllly hard to be THR odd man out , and you really can’t even touch loshko/van vliet so some real tough choices if Bryant comes back

 

[the dog]

Tied for for place in central with steelheads

 

[beastintheeast]

@Sam14

How are you doing? LOL

 

[bigsportsfan]

It has always been like that Sam14.. The attendance figure is sold tickets and not people in the building.

Actually I don't think the attendance figure is even tickets sold. Essentially the announced attendance seems to be:

Total Listed Capacity of Arena (minus) Tickets available for purchase by the public = Announced attendance.

Why do it this way? Well it allows for the attendance to be inflated. Included in the 5300 sold out number for the Meridian Centre is about 150 standing room spots, 80 handicapped seats, 318 private suite spots and about 300 club seats/standing spots.

But if these seats aren't available to purchase online, they can all count as "sold" in the attendance number whether the ticket is actually sold or not. Plus the IceDogs are permitted a certain number of free tickets to give away but really as long as the seats are not available to purchase online, they count as sold whether they are actually used or not.

So in reality, the attendance is very inflated. I think most OHL teams probably count attendance this way.

By the way, once there are only standing room and single seats available for a game, OHL teams can announce the attendance as the official sold-out capacity, which in the Meridian Centre's case is 5300.

Here is an interesting article about things teams do at the Major league level to increase their attendance number: How Sports Attendance Figures Speak Lies

 

[beastintheeast]

Actually I don't think the attendance figure is even tickets sold. Essentially the announced attendance seems to be:

Total Listed Capacity of Arena (minus) Tickets available for purchase by the public = Announced attendance.

Why do it this way? Well it allows for the attendance to be inflated. Included in the 5300 sold out number for the Meridian Centre is about 150 standing room spots, 80 handicapped seats, 318 private suite spots and about 300 club seats/standing spots.

But if these seats aren't available to purchase online, they can all count as "sold" in the attendance number whether the ticket is actually sold or not. Plus the IceDogs are permitted a certain number of free tickets to give away but really as long as the seats are not available to purchase online, they count as sold whether they are actually used or not.

So in reality, the attendance is very inflated. I think most OHL teams probably count attendance this way.

By the way, once there are only standing room and single seats available for a game, OHL teams can announce the attendance as the official sold-out capacity, which in the Meridian Centre's case is 5300.

Here is an interesting article about things teams do at the Major league level to increase their attendance number: How Sports Attendance Figures Speak Lies

total attendance is the number of tickets that have been issued for the game. that includes

tickets sold to season-ticket holdrs
tickets sold at the gate
comp tickets tht were given out
sponsor tickets. Usually, ads on boards and such not only have the ad as part of the deal but a set of tickets

In the case of Ottawa and Kingston probably other arenas also it is the number of tickets that the team has to pay the city for.

Back in the day, Earl used to horde comp tickets like they were gold and diamonds from Howard store. Used have to be a fight sometimes to explain why we were giving them out

 

[Dogs Enthusiast]

tickets sold to season-ticket holdrs
tickets sold at the gate
comp tickets tht were given out
sponsor tickets.

This sounds correct.

I wonder how Strohs from the old board is handling this sudden win streak. Somebody find him and bring him here (if he is not here already). I would love to hear how this is all a fluke or something.

 

[dirty12]

The IceDogs had a good off-season. Brauti was outstanding last night.

 

[Sam14]

This sounds correct.

I wonder how Strohs from the old board is handling this sudden win streak. Somebody find him and bring him here (if he is not here already). I would love to hear how this is all a fluke or something.

The IceDogs are actually doing as most expected prior to the start of the season…a playoff team.

I’m extremely happy for Ben (one of the best OHL coaches), the players but not anyone running this franchise.

We’re still only talking 3 games. Any reasonable fan, would wait a couple of months, so a meaningful discussion can be had. Reminder in 21-22. IceDogs opened the season taking 5 of 6 points and finished 20th.

However, all fans (including the hockey ops bigger critics) agree they are making the playoffs this year. Just don’t expect a “go for it” year ever with DD as the owner. Playoffs is all fans will ever get.

 

[Sam14]

The IceDogs had a good off-season. Brauti was outstanding last night.

The guy who never answers a direct question is back Haha

1. How did Brauti play in game one and two?

And in comparison…

2. How has Frolov played for Flint?

Ok go and run and hide again.

 

[dogs777]

The IceDogs are actually doing as most expected prior to the start of the season…a playoff team.

I’m extremely happy for Ben (one of the best OHL coaches), the players but not anyone running this franchise.

We’re still only talking 3 games. Any reasonable fan, would wait a couple of months, so a meaningful discussion can be had. Reminder in 21-22. IceDogs opened the season taking 5 of 6 points and finished 20th.

However, all fans (including the hockey ops bigger critics) agree they are making the playoffs this year. Just don’t expect a “go for it” year ever with DD as the owner. Playoffs is all fans will ever get.

I don’t think “all fans” thought they’d make the playoffs I bet if that old board was still active the majority would still say no playoffs. As for the teams play 3 games in its honesty better than I expected I thought they’d only manage 2 points from the opening 4 games

 

[dirty12]

The guy who never answers a direct question is back Haha

1. How did Brauti play in game one and two?

And in comparison…

2. How has Frolov played for Flint?

Ok go and run and hide again.

Haven’t seen Frolov play yet this season, but I’m sure that he could slot in 6-7 on the IceDogs D right now.