NHL 2024-25 attendance check-in: Almost league-wide gains as season nears its finale

New York Times

27-03-2025

Twenty NHL teams have seen an increase in their average attendance since the calendar flipped to 2025. In contrast, only six teams have seen a decline at the box office during this time frame, with nearly all of the dips being negligible.
The takeaway: Most NHL teams are filling seats with ease down the stretch of the 2024-25 season. This isn't a surprising trend — the league's second-half attendance has typically been stronger in years past. It's still a healthy indicator, however, given how large a driver ticket sales are for overall hockey-related revenue.
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With approximately 85 percent of the season completed, we're going to take an updated look at each team's home attendance numbers.
We'll break down these numbers in a couple of ways in this piece. The first separates how close teams are to playing to a full house on a nightly basis so far this season. The second analyzes home attendance figures from a similar point last season, allowing for a direct comparison for each franchise.
From there, we will be able to see which teams have made the biggest gains and losses year over year.
A few disclaimers for our readers regarding these attendance figures:
1. Attendance figures used are from Hockey-Reference and include all games played through Monday, March 24.
2. In the event of a discrepancy in arena capacity size, we went with the official number supplied by a team's media guide or arena website (when available).
3. Utah Hockey Club isn't included in this piece, as we covered their unique situation in detail in our November attendance look. Because of the club's relocation from Arizona to Salt Lake City and the different buildings involved, this exercise doesn't work for them.
4. Some teams have played overseas or outdoor games that technically counted as 'home' appearances. We're excluding those games from the average attendance figures.
Winnipeg Jets: +996 fans/game (7.5 percent increase)
The positive momentum has continued for the Jets, both on and off the ice.
After a 3-2 overtime win against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, Winnipeg clinched a playoff spot for the third straight year. The Jets have the second-best record in the league, with an NHL-best 49 wins through 72 games.
The team is also up year-over-year at the gate, and since our last attendance update in January (+178). Now, it's not a massive victory lap for attendance in Winnipeg. Its actual attendance number (14,219) is the second lowest in the league, given the size of Canada Life Centre.
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But these are still significant improvements from last year, when team chairman Mark Chipman sounded the alarm on the attendance. Beyond just their play, the Jets have done well to improve their game-day experience, with improved food and beverage offerings and an upgraded sound system.
And The Athletic's Jets writer Murat Ates can attest to the vibes in Winnipeg being much better this season.
'The building seems like a more fun place to be this year,' he said. 'The crowds have gotten snarky in a good way again, too, with chants such as 'U.S. backup' (at Jake Oettinger) hearkening back to the old days.'
Florida Panthers: +569 fans/game (3.0 percent increase)
The reigning Stanley Cup champions are contenders once again, which is an obvious reason for the Panthers to be risers year-over-year. Matthew Tkachuk has emerged as one of the most marketable players in the league, even appearing on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon' after the 4 Nations Face-Off. He's not the only reason for an uptick in attendance, but it certainly doesn't hurt.
Florida's attendance has also improved over the last few months after another splashy trade deadline by GM Bill Zito — adding Brad Marchand — and as fans gear up for another deep playoff run.
Washington Capitals: +474 fans/game (2.7 percent increase)
This one is really easy to understand.
The Capitals have the best record in the league and were the first team to clinch a playoff spot last week. Oh, and Alex Ovechkin is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's long-standing NHL goal record.
Capital One Arena has announced sellouts for every Capitals home game in March, with the Ovechkin countdown reaching single digits early in the month.
With a goal against the Jets on Tuesday night, Ovechkin is now only six goals away from history.
San Jose Sharks: +309 fans/game (2.3 percent increase)
Macklin Celebrini has helped perk up the Sharks' attendance with almost 14,000 fans per game at this point in the season. The 18-year-old is a true centerpiece for a rebuilding franchise and is second in rookie scoring — only two points behind Montreal defender Lane Hutson — with 52 points in 58 games. His 21 goals lead all rookies.
His linemate Will Smith (fourth in rookie scoring) helps too. Not to mention, their friendship is endearing to fans even outside of San Jose.
Nothing like a post-win family sleepover 💤
📷: IG/@tytoff16 pic.twitter.com/fYutkCBvQU
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) March 5, 2025
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1,187 fans/game (6.6 percent decrease)
The Penguins continue to be one of the biggest fallers at the box office this season, and it's not hard to understand why.
Sidney Crosby could clinch a 20th season averaging at least a point per game, which would pass Wayne Gretzky (19) for the most in NHL history. Crosby is on an eight-game point streak and is still a reason to watch the Penguins. But, that only goes so far when we're talking about a spoiled fan base watching another losing season.
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The team's 16,667 average attendance is the lowest since 2006-07, when the team was playing at Mellon Arena. With the old rink's capacity in mind, that number was close to a sellout. So we're actually looking at 2003-04 — the pre-Crosby era — to find a building this empty in Pittsburgh.
Los Angeles Kings: -757 fans/game (4.2 percent decrease)
The Kings are a tad perplexing. The team is good — seventh in the league standings — and its numbers have improved from the mid-November attendance check-in (up to 17,189 from 16,931). But still, only the Penguins have fallen off more in the year-over-year box office.
Maybe there's no big reason for this. Sometimes there are fluctuations in attendance over an 82-game season. Not to mention, the Kings do well relative to other teams, with almost a 95 percent capacity rate, better than 11 other teams.
Or maybe there's a bit of wait-and-see going on with the fan base. Sure, the team is good now, but will it be when it really matters? Or are the Kings on another path to lose to the Edmonton Oilers in the first round for a fourth straight season?
Beyond that, the Kings have a roster full of good players and some obvious names (Drew Doughty and Anze Kopitar), but not a must-see superstar. It might take that big brand-name player or a real playoff run to get fans — beyond the usual attendees — charged up about the team again.
New York Islanders: -477 fans/game (2.9 percent decrease)
The Islanders are interesting as there's been an uptick in their crowd sizes since the November and January check-ins, but there's still a year-over-year drop at UBS Arena.
It makes sense for them to be trending downward overall; the Islanders haven't won a playoff series since 2020-21 and have one of the oldest rosters in the league. But it also makes sense for there to be more fans showing up in recent months because they've been much better in the second half of the season.
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The team went on a seven-game win streak through January and into February and has put itself only one point out of a wild-card spot. Fans might continue to show up if the Islanders can make a push for the playoffs down the stretch.
Chicago Blackhawks: -254 fans/game (1.4 percent decrease).
Chicago is still top-10 in the league-wide attendance with 18,516 average fans. But that figure has dropped slightly from last season.
Last year's attendance saw a notable bump from Connor Bedard's arrival, but with another difficult season on the ice — the team has already been eliminated from the playoffs — the crowd sizes have begun to shrink.
The Blackhawks had only their third sellout of the season on March 23 against the Philadelphia Flyers, one of the team's 'Best Day Ever' kids-themed game nights. They also have had four crowds under 17,000, well under the United Center's capacity.
Ottawa Senators
When we did our early season November check-in, the Senators were only hitting 89 percent capacity. They've bumped that up to 94 percent average capacity for the season and have seen the largest increase in average attendance of any NHL team since our January check-in.
Ottawa hasn't dipped below 17,000 fans for a home game since late January. During those nine home games, the Sens have averaged 18,332 fans, which is just over 98 percent of capacity. The big difference is that the team is finally winning, with the Senators on track to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
Their overall attendance this season is down ever so slightly, but there are a few key factors to explain that:
• The Sens got off to a disappointing 8-11-1 start. Couple that with the franchise's lengthy playoff drought, and you can understand why the first-half attendance was a little bit soft.
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• Ottawa hosted the World Juniors this year, which meant some locals saved their hard-earned dollars for those games.
• The Senators didn't have any home games during the second half of December, when teams usually have an easier time selling tickets because of the Christmas holidays.
It'll be interesting to track whether the recently improved home attendance will translate into significant gains next season. Can sustained on-ice success outweigh the headwinds of the club's poor arena location?
Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers have improved their average attendance by nearly 1,400 fans per game since our early-season check-in. However, this is more of a seasonal trend than an exciting big-picture sign, because the club's attendance arc throughout last season was nearly identical and Philadelphia's year-over-year attendance numbers are basically flat. It's easier to attract fans to Flyers games in the second half of the season when football isn't dominating the local sports conversation: a phenomenon that's true for many NHL cities in the U.S.
That said, it's still notable that Philadelphia's attendance is holding steady and gradually increasing. The Flyers sold off pieces at the deadline and have had an abysmal 5-14-3 record, the worst mark in the NHL, since Jan. 28. Despite on-ice misery, the Flyers have packed at least 18,000 fans for every game during their last two homestands. That could be a positive sign for ownership that fans should stay loyal through this potential rebuild.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus' second-half attendance has been much stronger, which is the exact same trend we saw last season. This appears to be a market where the end of the college football season helps sports fans turn more of their attention toward the Blue Jackets.
Their year-over-year attendance numbers are flat, but it bears mentioning that this doesn't include the outdoor game at Ohio Stadium against the Red Wings. This event was a smashing success, drawing a monster crowd of 94,751 and generating excellent TV ratings.
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Let's see if the improved on-ice product this season can translate to improved attendance numbers next year.
Calgary Flames
The scrappy, underdog Flames are still in the thick of the playoff race, making them one of the league's better stories this season.
Calgary's attendance is up slightly compared to last season and has been gradually climbing compared to our early and midseason check-in numbers. The Flames' surprisingly competitive season obviously helps that cause; it'll be fascinating to see if the box office demand continues increasing down the stretch with high-stakes games carrying huge playoff implications.
Long term, all eyes are on the Flames' new arena development. The early renderings for Scotia Place, which is expected to be ready for the 2027-28 season, look gorgeous. And if the Flames can continue building an exciting young core in time for that arena launch, it could be the perfect recipe for a major boost in attendance/revenue.
St. Louis Blues
Last year, the Blues sold out 40 of their 41 home games. St. Louis' average attendance of 97.7 percent this season is still very healthy, but sellouts have been harder to come by, with only five of the club's first 12 home games drawing a full crowd. There was even a stretch from mid-January to early February where the Blues couldn't get a single sellout in nine home games.
The Blues are the hottest team in the NHL since the 4 Nations Face-Off, however, and that's led to renewed fan interest. St. Louis has sold out Enterprise Center in four consecutive games. Looks like the franchise is finishing strong on and off the ice.
(Top photo of Jets players and fans celebrating a goal against the Capitals at Canada Life Centre: Jonathan Kozub / NHLI via Getty Images)