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n/a
deleted
149 Posts |
 Posted - 03/25/2012 : 3:11:31 PM
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Last night the Gems announced attendance of 5002 beat the Cyclones by an even dozen-Cyclones had 4990.
http://www.pointstreak.com/prostats/boxscore.html?gameid=1672925
That near capacity crowd-Hara seats 5300-would be a nice send off for the CHL Gems.
Next season, Evansville and Fort Wayne will be joining the ECHL. Quad Cities and Bloomington, Dayton's closest remaining CHL rivals, are both in very shaky financial circumstances. Dayton's attendance-while improving-isn't nearly sufficient to support AA hockey long term. It doesn't look good for the future of the CHL in Dayton.
However, the Gems have been selling season ticket packages for next season. This doesn't guarantee a team next season, but it's not a negative either. Perhaps the Gems might land in the single A Federal League next year. In any case, it's encouraging that season tickets are being sold. Wheeling evidently isn't selling STs for next season and one can only deduce that the Nailers time is up.
Dayton has fielded a professional hockey team for over 20 straight seasons and it would be a sad event should pro hockey cease to exist in Dayton after the Gems game in Fort Wayne today. |
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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2012 : 3:28:08 PM
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The ECHL would like to have Dayton back in the league, and will in the foreseeable future.
Fort Wayne was always a fun place to watch a game during the IHL Cyclones years. The Komets arena is perfect for minor pro hockey. |
www.twitter.com/donhelbig |
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AwesomeSauce
(The Next Level!)
159 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2012 : 3:37:58 PM
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| I wish Dayton luck with keeping the team. I dont however think that the city is a viable long term market for the ECHL anymore. Would be nice though as that was a great rivalry. |
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Donnie Hockey
(Loves To Post!)
USA
1514 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2012 : 7:15:23 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by AwesomeSauce
I dont however think that the city is a viable long term market for the ECHL anymore.
Not too long ago neither was Cincinnati.
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n/a
deleted
149 Posts |
Posted - 03/25/2012 : 8:55:30 PM
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Unfortunately I agree that Dayton isn't viable.
The Bombers never made money in the 14 years that they moved to Nutter from Hara. The Gems have bled money from their start 3 years ago.
The average paid attendance over the past 10 or so years in Dayton has been in the 1000-1500 range. That's not near enough to support a AA hockey team.
In Cincinnati, the "hockey wars" killed both teams. There was no prolonged period where aggregate hockey attendance ever sank as low as Dayton's has.
Also, Dayton has lost so many good paying jobs (30,000 GM jobs alone have left Dayton in the past 2 decades) that the core of fans which comprise the base of a minor league hockey team's attendance either has left the area or lacks the disposable income that it once had.
The only hope that I would see would be the new arena strategy. Mandalay Bay-which owns the very successful Dayton Dragons-looked into this years ago and decided against pursuing this option. The public funding options for a new arena don't look good at this time and even if such funding were secured, the requisite fan base for long term survival of a AA hockey franchise probably no longer exists in the area. |
Edited by - n/a on 03/25/2012 8:57:32 PM |
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