It’s been a season of ups and downs for the Peterborough Petes.
A hot start, followed by injuries to key players has left the Petes in the midst of a three-game losing streak.
But one thing that has been constant this year is attendance. For the first time in years, the Petes are averaging more than 3,000 fans a game.
“It’s awesome. Every guy in the room loves it,” said Petes goalie Dylan Wells. “Having a full rink is something you dreamt of coming to Peterborough to play for the Petes.”
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“I think it started with a strong season (in 2016),” added Petes captain Logan DeNoble. “It’s carried over to this year.”
Overall, attendance is up 34 per cent over the same period last year. Season ticket sales are also up by 16 per cent.
The Peterborough Memorial Centre is averaging 81 per cent capacity so far in the 2017-18 season.
“I think having a winning team helps, but also our new packages involving holiday flex packs, half season tickets and seventeen game split, has brought up our attendance nicely,” said Steve Nicholls, co-ordinator of season ticket sales and service for the Petes.
But it wasn’t always this way for the Petes. The team was last in attendance just two seasons ago.
“Obviously, some nights with lower attendances, it’s not fun,” said Wells. “I think when you get those larger crowds, it ups your intensity. You want to play for the fans.”
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The trend is expected to continue to go up.
“Based on the last few seasons, we’ve seen an increase (in attendance) from December onward. So we’ll probably end up averaging around 3,200 fans per game. With our flex packs being redeemed through January and onward, that should help out attendance as well,” added Nicholls.
The Peterborough Petes play their next home game on Thursday night against the Hamilton Bulldogs.
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