EDMONTON – It has the capacity to hold 16,839 people; but anyone who was at the Edmonton Oilers game Tuesday night will tell you there definitely were not that many fans in the stands at Rexall Place.
“Last night, about 10 minutes into the game, I looked down from up top and I could see down, in front of me, behind, and across and there was 12 empty seats in a row in the lower bowl,” said Dustin Nielson, a morning show host with TSN 1260.
Nielson says Tuesday night wasn’t the first time this season he’s seen empty seats.
“I’ve noticed it at a couple other games,” he said. “Last night it kind of really hit me.
“It just seems weird, atmosphere-wise, to see that many seats empty in Edmonton. It’s a little strange…It’s pretty quiet.”
With 25 points on the season, sitting last in the Western Conference, Nielson attributes some of the empty seats to an inconsistent team.
“People are frustrated, rightfully so. They’ve cheered for a losing team for quite some time,” he said Wednesday afternoon.
“You could pay your money to go watch one night and have that game like Colorado where they score eight (goals) and people are chanting ‘we want the cup.’ And then… the Calgary game would have been extremely frustrating for people, for sure.”
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Dan Mason, a professor of sport management at the University of Alberta, says the drop in attendance may be a reflection of the commitment of some of the Oilers fanbase.
“These people certainly don’t have the same level of attachment as some of the other fans who are there.”
But regardless of the reason, he says it’s not going to be good for the organization in the long run.
“That’s not going to be helpful for the team because they’re not going to be buying things at the arena and spending money on other things at the arena. But it also gives them a sense of how attached to the team those people are in the first place.”
While some of the seats may be empty, the games are sold out, which offers some relief to the Oilers organization.
Oilers President and COO, Patrick LaForge, says the Oilers keep a close eye on attendance numbers. He believes the recent cold snap in Edmonton may be to blame.
“All the seats compete with the couch or the family room,” LaForge explained. “About 30, 35 per cent of our customers come from more than an hour away from the city. And everybody knows the weather has been just absolutely brutal.”
LaForge says the drop in concession and merchandise sales do hurt, but believes the Oilers have plenty to offer fans, adding there’s nothing quite like taking in a live game.
“There’s nothing better than being in the building when Jordan Eberle scores in OT to win one. There’s nothing quite like that, it’s bigger than big.”
With files from Tom Vernon, Global News.
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