A down season for the North Bay Battalion saw total attendance dip by 21.8 per cent this year. The Battalion drew just over 88,000 fans to 34 home games, an average of 2,601 per game. Last season they drew over 113,000 which is an average of just over 3,327 per game. Season tickets were also down this season, after the expiration of the three-year period where fans were asked to sign up as the franchise relocated.
The biggest crowd this season was 3,279 for a 3-2 overtime loss to the Sudbury Wolves on December 29th. The second-biggest was 3,080 for the season opener on September 23rd against the Niagara IceDogs, who won 3-1, and the third-largest was last Thursday when 3,019 people witnessed a 4-0 victory over Sudbury at Memorial Gardens.
Battalion Owner Scott Abbott says the team endured a disappointing season on the ice, and missed the playoffs in North Bay for the first time. Abbott says they recognize there’s work to be done to grow attendance back to previous levels going forward. Abbott finished by saying the team realizes the issues affecting attendance go way beyond the product on the ice, including the economic climate in the city right now.
