A little over a week ago, Penguins CEO Jeff Barrett and Vice President of Business Development Jon Stephenson went on a field trip of sorts.

Their destination? Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa — the home of the AHL's Wild — for an Andy Grammer concert. But they weren't there to hear "Good To Be Alive," "Fresh Eyes" or any of the 36-year-old's other hit songs.

They were doing their homework.

With Wilkes-Barre/Scranton set to host its first postgame concert series on Friday and Saturday, featuring tribute bands A Proud Monkey and No Quarter, they wanted to see how the Wild organized a similar event on a much larger scale.

"The concerts are something that we're excited about," Stephenson said Monday in a phone interview. "This is kind of a starting block to our bigger picture of things to come. We're looking at booking a national act toward the end of this year, which will lead into next year. If you're a season ticket holder, it adds value."

And if you're not a season ticket holder — or even a hockey fan, for that matter — it's a way for Stephenson and the team at Coal Street to entice you to attend more games at Mohegan Sun Arena. Either way, the Penguins are hopeful this weekend's concerts help keep attendance numbers going in the right direction and are the start of something big.

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton started very slow this season, averaging only 4,252 in paid attendance through its first 12 home games. That was a decline of roughly 23 percent compared to the total 38-game average of 2018-19.

In other words, the Penguins were on pace for the largest single-season attendance drop in team history. However, a few notable promotions like the team's annual Teddy Bear Toss in December and the McDonald's FAN-Tastic deal on Jan. 11 have led to some of the biggest game crowds. The paid average has risen to almost 4,800 through Thursday, and the team is hopeful it can make up more ground to rival last season's totals.

Stephenson said attendance traditionally rises by roughly 1,200 fans per game after Jan. 1 because the onslaught of fall and winter holidays dies down. This year, the Penguins' early schedule has also featured a number of back-to-back games and long homestands that haven't done any favors for ticket sales.

"I try to do an optimal sales schedule," Stephenson said. "I have to work with guidelines submitted by the league, and then you have to mix in the arena and what they're booking. In a perfect world, I'd love to just have a one-off (game) on a Friday. We try to spread them out.

"We always play the Saturday after Thanksgiving; it's usually one of our biggest games. This year, we brought back the Wednesday night game before it, and it just diluted the attendance for both. Then later on, we also found out they moved the start of hunting season to Saturday."

All things considered, the Penguins are in a good position given the prolonged lease negotiations that occurred last year between the Luzerne County Convention Center Authority and Pittsburgh to keep the team at the arena. Stephenson said the late timing put them 2 to 3% behind on ticket renewals, but new sales allowed them to make up for it.

The team has still placed a heavy emphasis on season tickets and group sales, although Stephenson said more fans are buying walkup tickets this season by using their cell phone or computer for convenience. The upcoming concerts have been well-received, and fans can still purchase $50 VIP packages that include special lounge access, all-you-can-eat food options and a discounted bar. Postgame music has become a popular trend throughout hockey; the Milwaukee Admirals are slated to have REO Speedwagon perform in March, and the NHL's Arizona Coyotes welcomed the Gin Blossoms back in October. So, it's no surprise the Penguins would want to capitalize on that.

As for whether they help the team match last season's attendance average, it won't take long to find out.

"That's our goal," Stephenson said. "If we catch it, I don't know. Our final Saturdays and Sundays should help."

Contact the writer: tpiccotti@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2089; @CVPiccotti on Twitter