Comments on: Potentially HUUUUGE Move For Albany AHL Hopes http://grossmisconducthockey.com/2010/02/10/potentially-huuuuge-move-for-albany-ahl-hopes/ Making fun of the hockey establishment since 2007. Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:34:51 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Hockey Joe http://grossmisconducthockey.com/2010/02/10/potentially-huuuuge-move-for-albany-ahl-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-649 Hockey Joe Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:24:22 +0000 http://grossmisconducthockey.com/?p=619#comment-649 While it'd be fun to say that the Phantoms helped sink Albany's attendance, I don't think that's the case at all. Albany has been drawing poorly the last few seasons. All the Phantoms have done is help give Glens Falls a team again and they've done their part averaging about 4,200 a game in a place that holds about 4,800 for hockey. A lot of the hockey fans from Glens Falls held it against the River Rats for chasing the Adirondack Red Wings out of town and never became Rats fans. Once they had a new team to latch on to, and one that would compete with the Rats, they got back on board fast. Also, hockey is a much bigger deal in Glens Falls than it is in Albany. Albany is more of a basketball town as evidenced by Siena getting 8,000 fans or so per game at the TU Center. While it’d be fun to say that the Phantoms helped sink Albany’s attendance, I don’t think that’s the case at all. Albany has been drawing poorly the last few seasons. All the Phantoms have done is help give Glens Falls a team again and they’ve done their part averaging about 4,200 a game in a place that holds about 4,800 for hockey.

A lot of the hockey fans from Glens Falls held it against the River Rats for chasing the Adirondack Red Wings out of town and never became Rats fans. Once they had a new team to latch on to, and one that would compete with the Rats, they got back on board fast. Also, hockey is a much bigger deal in Glens Falls than it is in Albany. Albany is more of a basketball town as evidenced by Siena getting 8,000 fans or so per game at the TU Center.

]]> By: PNaw10 http://grossmisconducthockey.com/2010/02/10/potentially-huuuuge-move-for-albany-ahl-hopes/comment-page-1/#comment-648 PNaw10 Wed, 10 Feb 2010 13:11:21 +0000 http://grossmisconducthockey.com/?p=619#comment-648 Interesting stuff, Joe... it'll be interesting to see if Billy actually goes through with buying a franchise. Hopefully he doesn't go overboard with self-promotion and wind up scaring people away. I don't hate Billy as much as some people do, but he can be a little grating after awhile. <blockquote>"kind of guy the AHL needs to help build up attendance in a city that has severely lagged behind."</blockquote> Lagged behind, indeed! The one time I've ever been to the Knickerb-errr... Pepsi Arena to see the Syracuse Crunch play a road game against the Rats, I was amazed at the low attendance. Granted, the arena is giant compared to the often-packed War Memorial in Syracuse, but the Albany metro area's population is also considerably larger than Syracuse, so I still expected to see many more seats filled. In your opinion, how has the revival of a team in Glens Falls impacted the Albany fan base? I would imagine fans would easily drive the hour or so to Albany to get their hockey fix, but no point in driving that far after Glens Falls got back on the map. Interesting stuff, Joe… it’ll be interesting to see if Billy actually goes through with buying a franchise. Hopefully he doesn’t go overboard with self-promotion and wind up scaring people away. I don’t hate Billy as much as some people do, but he can be a little grating after awhile.

“kind of guy the AHL needs to help build up attendance in a city that has severely lagged behind.”

Lagged behind, indeed! The one time I’ve ever been to the Knickerb-errr… Pepsi Arena to see the Syracuse Crunch play a road game against the Rats, I was amazed at the low attendance. Granted, the arena is giant compared to the often-packed War Memorial in Syracuse, but the Albany metro area’s population is also considerably larger than Syracuse, so I still expected to see many more seats filled.

In your opinion, how has the revival of a team in Glens Falls impacted the Albany fan base? I would imagine fans would easily drive the hour or so to Albany to get their hockey fix, but no point in driving that far after Glens Falls got back on the map.

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