The home sellout streak for the Vancouver Canucks is about to end. The Canucks anticipate their streak will officially end when the club hosts the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, October 18th. The streak, which began in 2002, will conclude after an incredible 474 games.
Recognizing the streak’s days were numbered, the Canucks Tweeted out a fun graphic paying tribute to all of the fans who made it possible.
Thank you #Canucks fans for an amazing sellout streak. Here’s a look back at the ride. http://t.co/MkM9nO7gTP pic.twitter.com/JLBCaRqAOs
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 17, 2014
Remarkably, the streak endured an extremely disappointing 2013-14 for the team. The Canucks lacked an identity and despite lots of empty seats, the team still “sold out” each game. Most teams calculate attendance based on tickets distributed as opposed to the actual number of fans who walk through the gate.
The end of the streak shouldn’t come as a surprise. Back in September, one ticket broker revealed that interest in Canucks tickets was at a new low. Though the secondary market isn’t always indicative of the whole situation, it’s fair to assume that a dismal secondary market means the Canucks are struggling to move tickets too.
What will the Canucks do to bring fans back to the arena? The best cure is winning, but for the immediate future the organization may need to offer some promos and discounts to lure fans in until the team’s rebuild is further along.
