Belleville Senators still in playoff hunt in inaugural season

It’s been about four months since the Belleville Senators made their “home-ice” debut in the Friendly City.

We wanted to find out if the novelty of having an American Hockey League team has worn off and are there enough fans in the stands? Rob Mullowney is the Sens’ chief operating officer, and he says so far so good.

“It’s been the engagement of the community, we’ve been playing in front of almost 90 per cent capacity every game. Most recent game Friday night was sold out, our 50/50 draw was over $10,000.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It's been the engagement of the community, we've been playing in front of almost 90 per cent capacity every game. Most recent game Friday night was sold out, our 50/50 draw was over $10,000."

The Senators have a season ticket base of just under 2,400 and Mullowney says that’s strong. Four games in the next six days, that’s what the Belleville players are up against. The Sens are still in the playoff hunt, and stringing a number of victories together will certainly help their cause. Dave McIntosh is a season ticket holder.

“They’ve had their ups and downs, but it’s the first season,” says Dave McIntosh, a season ticket holder. “I love this hockey up here, it’s real good, it’s a higher calibre of junior A and it’s fast.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "They've had their ups and downs, but it's the first season," says Dave McIntosh, a season ticket holder. "I love this hockey up here, it's real good, it's a higher calibre of junior A and it's fast."

Mullowney says the community understands hockey, they enjoy hockey and that’s what’s really made this such a great success out of the gate. The next step on the ice — making the postseason.