Keep the ball rolling

Some have already braced themselves that their favorite hockey team, the Minnesota Wild, will probably not make the post-season. The team is not in a good position to date, and even though the season is not even half-way completed, history shows that being on the outside at this point in the season likely means that is where they will stay. However, that does not mean fans are off the bandwagon, are not rooting for, and are not hoping that things don't turn around. We still follow every move and watch intently as the season unfolds and hold out with optimism with each and every win. And tonight is another opportunity to keep that hope alive as the Wild are currently riding a three-game winning streak. Points are valuable at every stage of the season, especially winning Western Conference points, and if there is ever going to be a surge, now is the time to keep thing rolling. And remember who edged Minnesota out last season for the final playoff spot...Anaheim, tonight opponent. And the Ducks are currently the lone team sitting below the Wild in the conference standings, with Minnesota one point ahead.

NHL attendance

Just by taking a peek at the NHL attendance figures you may find a few interesting numbers.

• Most markets see a direct coloration between on-ice product and sellouts, with one exception being the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have had a strong team for years, yet there seems to be a lack of interest from the fans when it comes to buying tickets. For a few seasons, the team has been consistently in the mid-to high 80% range at the Prudential Center's capacity, and currently sits at only 85.8% full for home games.
  
  
• The Chicago Blackhawks are one of the franchises on the other side of the on-ice product & sellout relationship. The Hawks have made a huge comeback both on the ice and in the stands and currently lead the league in games played in front of capacity crowds, as they are playing at 103.8% above a sellout through 13 games. And this comes after they led the league a season ago at 111.2%.
  
  
• Whatever the problems are in attendance may not be immune to 'traditional' markets. The storied New York Islanders, who have not put a strong team on the ice for years, are also one of the weakest in terms of sellouts. The organization is currently in the middle of The Lighthouse Project, a proposed transformation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the area surrounding it into a modern suburban area. One wonders if a new re-vamped Nassau Coliseum would do the trick. And another traditional market team, the Colorado Avalanche, who are currently off the Northwest Division lead by one point, are struggling at the gate as well. Remember it was not that long ago that this franchise held the record for most consecutive sellouts, which still stands at 487 games.
  
  
• The Phoenix Coyotes are one sad franchise, with one sad fan base. The franchise is in limbo and fans are staying away to the tune that they are lucky to get their building half full, which should be looked at as an embarrassment to the league. Although the Coyotes have been near the bottom for years, new low-levels have been reached so far this season, as the team has been playing in the Jobing.com Arena that has been only 56.6% full on average.
  
  
• Another knock on a non-traditional hockey market...the honeymoon is long over in Columbus, the newest franchise along with the Wild, and their numbers have been steadily decreasing for years. After playing near capacity for a few years, the organization has seen their numbers go down each season, and are currently playing 82.8% full.
  

My interest on the NHL attendance figures has been peaked by being able to view several games a night via the Center Ice package. It seems that more often than not, rows and rows of empty seats can be seen on any given night, a worrisome trend that should concern all franchises and the NHL.

Remember the radio network

The Wild really do employ two of the finest radio personalities in the business in play-by-play guy Bob Kurtz and analyst Tom Reid. These two not only describe the action to a 'T', are true professionals, but also make a great working team. This is old news here but just a reminder where you can catch all of the Wild action via the radio airwaves.

• Albert Lea, MN KATE- AM 1450
  
• Austin, MN KAUS-AM 1480
  
• Bemidji, MN KBUN-AM 1450
  
• Brainerd, MN KUAL-FM 103.5
  
• Crookston, MN KROX-AM 1260
  
• Detroit Lakes, MN KDLM-AM 1340
  
• Duluth, MN KZIO-FM 104.3/94.1
  
• Ely, MN WELY-AM/FM 1450/94.5
  
• Fairmont, MN KSUM-AM 1370
  
• Glenwood, MN KMGK-FM 107.1
  
• Grand Marais, MN WXXZ-FM 95.3
  
• Grand Rapids, MN KOZY-AM 1320
  
• Hibbing, MN WMFG-AM 1240
  
• Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN WCCO-AM 830 (Flagship)
  BOB FM 106.1 KBGY-FM 107.5
  
• Montevideo, MN KKRC-FM 93.9
  
• New Ulm, MN KNUJ-AM 860
  
• Northfield, MN KYMN-AM 1080
  
• Red Wing, MN KCUE-AM 1250
  
• Rochester, MN KOLM-AM 1520
  
• Roseau/Warroad, MN KRWB-AM 1410
  
• St. Cloud, MN KXSS-AM 1390
  
• Thief River Falls, MN KKAQ-AM 1460
  
• Waseca, MN KOWZ-AM 1170
  
• Winona, MN KWNO-AM 1230
  
• Sioux City, IA KMNS-AM 620
  
• Fargo, ND KVOX-AM 740
  
• Grand Forks, ND KKXL-AM 1440
  
• Aberdeen, SD KSDN-AM 930
  
• Sioux Falls, SD KWSN-AM 1230
  
• Vermillion, SD KVTK-AM 1570
  
• Eau Claire, WI WBIZ-AM 1400