Headcount: ECHL 2018-19 Edition

July 17, 2019

Welcome to Headcount! A series where we take a look at attendance trends throughout minor professional hockey. Today we will be taking a look at the ECHL attendance from the 2018-19 season and comparing them to the 2017-18 season.

Teams will be placed in one of four different categories: 
- Excellent = More than 1,500 above League Average
- Above Average = Less than 1,500 above League Average
- Below Average = Less than 1,500 below League Average
- Danger Zone =  More than 1,500 below League Average

ECHL Average Attendance for 2018-19 was 4,445, which is up 0.45% from the 2017-18 season (4,425).

2018-19 ECHL Attendance (Attendance Averages provided by HockeyDB.com)

         Team                             AAPG        Change from 2017-18
1. Fort Wayne Komets:            7,932            +1.90% (7,784)
2. Toledo Walleye:                  7,783            +2.41% (7,600)
3. Jacksonville Icemen:           5,993            +4.63% (5,728)
4. Tulsa Oilers:                       5,762            -4.46% (6,031)
5. Wichita Thunder:                5,679           +11.97% (5,072)
6. Orlando Solar Bears:            5,612            +2.77% (5,461)
7. Florida Everblades:              5,586           +1.84% (5,485)
8. Utah Grizzlies:                    5,496            -3.00% (5,666)
9. Cincinnati Cyclones:            5,068           +2.10% (4,964)
10. Kansas City Mavericks:       4,859            -0.63% (4,890)
11. Atlanta Gladiators:            4,686           +11.17% (4,215)
12. Idaho Steelheads:              4,539            -0.20% (4,548)
13. South Carolina Stingrays:   4,250            +8.39% (3,921)
14. Worcester Railers:             4,233            -3.64% (4,393)  
15. Greenville Swamp Rabbits: 4,206           +4.50% (4,025)
16. Indy Fuel:                          4,156           +6.21% (3,913)
17. Allen Americans:                4,073           -0.22% (4,082)
18. Newfoundland Growlers:    3,784      N/A (Inaugural Season)
19. Norfolk Admirals:               3,590           +37.97% (2,602)
20. Adirondack Thunder:          3,409           +6.83% (3,191)
21. Reading Royals:                 3,166            -7.72% (3,431)
22. Maine Mariners:                 2,998      N/A (Inaugural Season)
23. Rapid City Rush:                2,897             -5.11% (3,053)
24. Brampton Beast:                2,816             -6.72% (3,019)
25. Kalamazoo Wings:              2,720             -0.18% (2,725)
26. Manchester Monarchs:        2,458             -11.99% (2,793)
27. Wheeling Nailers:               2,265             -5.23% (2,390)

Let's start with the biggest drop in attendance percentage-wise over the last season. Unsurprisingly, given events that transpired back in May, the Manchester Monarchs had the biggest drop in attendance. Of course, it was announced back in May that the Monarchs had ceased operations, you can check out my extended thoughts here. At one point the market had over 9,000 spectators a night, now its seats will remain empty for the time being.

Now onto the biggest percentage gain in the ECHL. As another former AHL market, the Norfolk Admirals saw a near 38% increase in overall attendance in 2018-19 compared to the season prior. Norfolk was second-to-last in 2017-18, but have greatly improved and have gotten out of the danger zone. The scope of their situation seems far less dire now.

Just like the AHL, as mentioned in the first Headcount article, the ECHL only has 12 of its 27 teams above the league average of 4,445 for the 2018-19 season. This is the same total as last season though, as while the ECHL lost the Colorado Eagles to the AHL, the Atlanta Gladiators were able to climb to over the league average this season.

In regards to other notable increases, the Wichita Thunder had the second-highest percentage increase in the ECHL, with attendance being up about 12% from 2017-18. This put the Thunder into the top five in attendance for the first time in their ECHL history. The Fort Wayne Komets, Toledo Walleye, and Jacksonville Icemen (each team in the Top 3) saw increases in attendance this season as well.

For the other notable decreases, let's start with the entire bottom five. Of course, we already mentioned the Monarchs, but the Rapid City Rush, Brampton Beast, and the Wheeling Nailers each saw a decrease of 5% or more. The Kalamazoo Wings only saw a tiny decrease of 0.18%, the smallest change in attendance, decrease or increase, that the ECHL saw in 2018-19.

Finally, let's talk about the two brand new teams to the ECHL in 2018-19, the now champion Newfoundland Growlers and the Maine Mariners. Both the Growlers and Mariners represent markets most recently held by an AHL team. The Growlers attendance was certainly not the sell-out crowds that the AHL St. John IceCaps had in their first few seasons, as the Growlers brought in under 3,800 in their championship campaign.

Meanwhile, the Mariners, who enter a market that fell on hard times with the last few seasons of the AHL Portland Pirates, were near danger zone levels of poor attendance. As the Mariners brought in under 3,000 in their opening season. Unless things change soon, I may begin to worry about the future of the team, but for now, we must wait and see.

- Marc of The Robinson Report