Attendance Watch 2013 - AKA, Mr. Bettman's Box Office

While it may be a new season and everyone happy that #hockeyisback, there is still one elephant in the room these days in the NHL, some of the member cities it seems, don't particularly like hockey.

At least, that is what we could surmise if we check the attendance figures from the nightly contests of last year.

However, since we're all turning pages and all of that with hockey's return, perhaps hope will spring eternal of a Renaissance of sorts in such locales as Dallas and Columbus, with an eye watchful on developments on Long Island (hang on Brooklyn, we are comin') and Phoenix (no really, anyone want to buy a hockey team?).

So with the 2013 season now underway, we'll keep an eye on the attendance listings (all be it sometimes perhaps less than, oh shall we say, reflective of the actual numbers) from some of the teams that may make up our talking points later in the season.

For our faithful readers in Quebec City, Seattle, Hamilton and other would be NHL host cities, the numbers may provide some hint as to who may one day be making moving plans in the future.

It's an arbitrary number on our part, but we will use the 13,000 mark as the cut off for our attendance review, so only those games which are listed as having 13,000 or less in attendance will be listed below. We also will include which team was in town that night to perhaps provide some explanation as to the recorded attendance.

We will be watching with interest to see if the numbers grow or if teams stabilize as the season moves forward, regardless as sure as a puck will find the net, somewhere along the way this year rumours will start to swirl as to possible troubles in some hockey paradise locations, the numbers below will probably help explain some of those percolating points.

The review can be accessed from our GM's office links on the right hand sidebar.

Attendance figures as of April 16, 2013.

Bottom Feeders (our three dim star selection)
Three teams with lowest attendance, teams the most times below 13,000.

1. New York Islanders 
2. Phoenix Coyotes
3. Columbus

Columbus

February 26, 2013 -- 11,523 (Dallas)
February 11,2013-- 10,837 (San Jose)
February 7, 2013-- 10,484 (Calgary)
February 5, 2013-- 11,019 (Los Angeles)
January 28, 2013-- 10,475 (Dallas)


New York Islanders

April 2, 2013-- 11,819 (Winnipeg)
March 21, 2013-- 11,012 (Montreal)
March 19, 2013-- 10,668 (Ottawa)
March 5, 2013-- 9,498 (Montreal)
February 28, 2013 -- 9,222 (Toronto) 
February 26, 2013 -- 12,788 (Boston)
February 24, 2013 -- 10,048 (Carolina)
February 11,2013 -- 9,622 (Carolina)
February 9, 2013 -- 12,608 Buffalo
February 5, 2013--  11,318 (Pittsburgh)


Phoenix

April 2, 2013-- 12,934 (Los Angeles)
March 7, 2013-- 11,482 (St. Louis)
March 4, 2013-- 11,024 (Anaheim)
February 28, 2013-- 11,547 (Minnesota)
February 4, 2013-- 9,508 (Minnesota)
February 2, 2013-- 12,151 (Dallas)
January 30, 2013-- 12,995 (Edmonton)
January 28, 2013 -- 8,581 (Nashville)
January 23, 2013 -- 8,355 (Columbus)