It is widely assumed the Lightning operates under financial stress, but other than the $15 million it received in league revenue sharing, the scope has been hard to quantify.
It is widely assumed the Lightning operates under financial stress, but other than the $15 million it received in league revenue sharing, the scope has been hard to quantify.
Attendance figures provided by Hillsborough County - an average turnstile count of 10,576 through the first 12 games at the 22,000-seat St. Pete Times Forum - indicate a difficult environment, especially considering that ticket and concession sales are the lifeblood of NHL franchises.
Officially, Tampa Bay entered Wednesday with an average announced crowd of 14,470, 24th in the 30-team league. But as is customary in the NHL, that number includes tickets sold and distributed. The countys number is fans in the building. Unavailable was how many tickets were sold.
I dont know if ticket numbers are ever where you want them to be, and we know our team performance the past couple of years combined with a difficult economy does not make a good equation by any means, Lightning spokesman Bill Wickett said. But we are bullish on the remainder of this year and the future.
Still, how different this season is from 2005-06, the first season after the organizations 2004 Stanley Cup victory, when it averaged an announced crowd of 20,509, second in the league.
Not only do smaller crowds diminish the atmosphere - the Oct. 31 game with the Devils was a season-low 7,882 - but the Lightning this season discounted a good percentage of season-ticket packages and always has deals.
That said, attendance is expected to increase once football season goes away and more snowbirds are in the area. What would help most, though, is a better on-ice product.
Our team is competitive, Wickett said. As 2009 turns into 2010, we expect stronger attendance numbers night in and night out.
UP WITH DOWNIE: Coach Rick Tocchet went out of his way to praise RW Steve Downie, whom he called one of our best forwards the past six games.
Downie, 22, had five goals and 12 points entering Wednesday, and three goals and five points in eight previous games.
Hes progressed from training camp, Tocchet said. Every day hes gotten better.
Downies reward: He began Wednesday on a line with C Steven Stamkos.
It doesnt matter if I play good or bad if were not winning, Downie said. Were struggling, so its hard to be happy.
WHERES NIK? Oilers G Nikolai Khabibulin did not make the trip because of a back injury that has caused him to miss nine straight games. It is the third time the former Lightning star missed a chance to play at the Times Forum since leaving as a free agent.
Khabibulin, whose last game in Tampa was Game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup final, was to play here in December 2005 with the Blackhawks until he said he decided it would be too emotional. He missed last seasons chance with a groin injury.