“We have more fans from Finland than from Florida here,” the 23-year-old from Tampere, Finland said after an audience member yelled something at him as he approached the microphone.
That’s a pretty bold statement to make about your employer (what I would do to be a fly on the wall the next time he sees the team’s owner, Vincent Viola) and fanbase; however, the joke landed because, well, it’s a pretty accurate statement.
According to
Hockey Reference, the Panthers averaged 13,262 fans per game at the BB&T Center during the 2018-19 regular season. Considering that rink can hold up to 19,106 people, Florida’s 69.4% capacity placed them last in the NHL. Meanwhile, the only team to draw fewer fans per game was the New York Islanders.