What can we say about the attendance?

--Compare to last year: through eight games last year, the average was 3289. This year, it's 4124, an increase of 835. Problem: this year, the Winterhawks have played four of eight in the Rose Garden, last year they only played two of the first eight there.

--Compare building to building: Last year, in the six games at Memorial Coliseum, the average was 2362. This year, in the four games there, it's 2226, a drop of 140. And last year, the season opener was at Memorial Coliseum which drew 4232. Considering that, I would argue the Winterhawks have actually done the same or better at the MC this year. Are you surprised by that? The first six attendances at Memorial Coliseum last year were 4232, 1552, 2307, 2662, 1523, and 1895.

The two at the Rose Garden last year averaged 6070; the four this year, 6022. Last year's Dash for Cash got 8753; this year's, 8432.

To the extent this tells us anything, it's hard to argue attendance is worse. Maybe you can argue it's better; you aren't comparing apples to apples much, however.

There's a perception it should be better, though. I don't have any insight into that. The factors cited--high school football on Friday, the Ducks game on Saturday, the World Series, the venue, Halloween on a Saturday night--seem pretty valid to me. It seems like they were overcoming these things ten years ago. Things are different, I guess, and they probably weren't making money back then, either. Plus you have the factors that apply everywhere, like the economy. Attendance is down in most cities.