The American Hockey League (AHL) had a lot to celebrate in their 80th season. The league announced that they set a new record for total overall attendance and average attendance per game in 2015-16, breaking previous records set over 10 years ago.
A total of 6,693,526 fans attended AHL action over the course of the 2015-16 season (up 8.6% compared to last year), beating out the previous record for total attendance of 6,675,786 from 2004-05. The average crowd per game in the AHL grew from the old record of 5,960 in 2004-05 to 5,982 in 2015-16.
David Andrews, AHL President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the new records:
“On behalf of the entire American Hockey League, I want to extend thanks to the nearly 6.7 million fans who attended games this season and everyone who supports our teams in 30 cities across North America. We are all looking forward to continuing to provide our fans with exciting and affordable entertainment during the upcoming Calder Cup Playoffs and beyond.”
The AHL’s attendance records are great not only for the league itself, but also for the sport of hockey as a whole. Fans tuning in to watch younger talent bodes well for all aspects of the sport, including the NHL. More and more fans are dedicating time to the great talent which spends time in the AHL prior to making the leap to the NHL.
Here’s a look at the AHL’s attendance leaders and some other stats:
[AHL]
