More of this "pathetic" fanbase has ponied up over the years and actually attends games than any large market. I know a lot of rabid fans in Montreal and Toronto that have never attended a single game in person. Ottawa is different, as a % of the population there is lot higher participation in attending games than the big cities.
I get tired of the easy shots at a fan base that relies more on the everyday person than any other team in the league. The Government is the major employer and does not buy tickets, employees can lose their job for accepting tickets, both are huge drivers of corporate ticket sales in other cities. Ottawa is a different market and people have trade offs and limited funds. When my kids got into skiing the number of games we went to went down because the funds are limited and the cost for 4 tickets adds up quick.
Tickets are priced to squeeze every buck they can, fair enough, and they sell a heck of a lot of tickets. A lot of people can get to one game but not multiple. Sorry if the economics offend people but they are there.