NHL posts record opening-round attendance, television viewership continues to build


NEW YORK -- With one game still to be played, the National Hockey League already has established record attendance figures for the first round of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In 46 Conference Quarterfinal games played through Monday, the League has set records for average attendance (18,751) and total sellouts (44). The mark for total attendance will be set tonight, when the current total of 862,556 is boosted by the sellout crowd of approximately 19,500 at Air Canada Centre for Game 7 of the Toronto Maple Leafs-Ottawa Senators series.

The figures for sellout percentage (44 of 46, 96%) and percentage of seating capacity (100.3%) are the highest since the numbers first were compiled in 1993.

The numbers reflect significant playoff attendance growth over the past decade. The first-round sellout percentage was 70% in 1992-93 (31 sellouts in 44 games), 63% in 1993-94 (30 of 48) and 55% in 1994-95 (27 of 49).

Also: Stanley Cup Playoff television viewership continues to build in the U.S. heading into the Conference Semifinals

Stanley Cup Playoff viewership has increased in the Conference Quarterfinals on ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 compared to last season, according to Nielsen television data.

The NHL on ABC recorded a seven-percent increase in average viewers per game (1, 848,383 vs. 1,732,262) after the first week of Quarterfinal round coverage (4/10/04). Average viewers per game for fans watching Stanley Cup Playoff action on ESPN and ESPN2 during the first round have risen 10 percent (599,272 vs. 545,530) and 26 percent (475,000 vs. 378,149), respectively.

-Taken from NHL.com.....good news for hockey.

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