The Chicago Blackhawks finished the season with the second-fewest points in the NHL, and while the final stretch showed some promise for the future, it was another tough year for the fans to witness. It had been reported that the television ratings are way down, in part due to the new CHSN’s unavailability on Xfinity, however, the fans still showed up to support the team in person.
Despite the record, the Blackhawks drew 743,407 at the United Center this season, averaging roughly 18,585 fans a game, per the data available on Hockey-Reference. The arena’s capacity for hockey is 20,243. Important to note that these numbers do not include the Winter Classic at Wrigley Field, in which they drew 40,933, inflating their season average to 19,130 and totaling 784,340 fans for all 41 home games.
Yes, there were a few weekday games against non-big-name teams with plenty of unoccupied seats, but only 13 games drew under 18K this past season, with five under 17K and none less than 15K. Considering the circumstances, overall pretty darn good.
Blackhawks fans enjoying the experience at the United Center
It’s understandable why fans would be frustrated in having to pay extra to watch games on TV or have to buy an antenna, but the experience of a Blackhawks game is still worth the price of admission. Picking and choosing a game to go to was arguably more appealing than paying for an app to stream games for a team not built to win. If you’re going to watch a rebuilding team, might as well be part of the fun at the game, right?
The Blackhawks and the United Center have added more family-friendly amenities in recent years, which might not always be for the “old guard,” but they’re more incentives for people to bring their kids to a game. Not to mention other recently added amenities such as the atrium, better food choices, and more in-game entertainment.
Consider too that in the dead of winter in Chicago, football is over and there is not as much to do, going to a hockey game is a solid option for a night out. Much can be said about the Chicago Bulls experience too in the same building, which has also kept many people coming in lean years.
Compare now to the “old” days of Blackhawks hockey
Once upon a time, a Blackhawks team with this type of record would not be drawing near this. Early and mid-2000s, the United Center would have crowds of 10K with little to no energy in the stadium. Those days are long over, even if there are broadcasting woes. At least games are not being completely blacked out like they once were under Bill Wirtz.
The 2010s dynasty created more lasting interest in hockey in Chicago, even if it’s still nowhere near the level of baseball, football, or basketball. The interest in hockey among youth is much higher in the Chicagoland area now than it was 20-some years ago.
With all of this being said, the attendance will only improve and get closer to 2008-2018 if the team improves going forward. The Blackhawks have been in a full rebuild for several years now, and the fans are ready to see more competitive hockey again. They might be able to sustain solid attendance numbers, but it won’t get any better without results.
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