Guess tonight’s attendance: Dallas visits Columbus

Jason Brough

Oct 18, 2011, 11:44 AM EDT

28 Comments

COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 12: Vinny Prospal #22 of the Columbus Blue Jackets has the puck deflect off of his shoulder while attempting to redirect it past Semyon Varlamov #1 of the Colorado Avalanche during the first period on October 12, 2011 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

The Columbus Blue Jackets host the Dallas Stars tonight at Nationwide Arena. Good seats are still available. Great seats even. Like, you could probably sit on the Columbus bench if you made a call or two. Might even get to take a shift.

Yes, after GM Scott Howson’s summer of spending, the Jackets are off to a dreadful start. They’re 0-4-1. Last in the Central division. They can’t score. They can’t keep the puck out of their own net. Their power play is terrible. As is their penalty kill. They smell. They’re overweight. Awful skin. Breath is horrible. Super annoying to talk to at parties. Bad team all around.

Not surprisingly, the fans in Columbus haven’t exactly been flocking to BJs games. Last Wednesday against Colorado, just 8,986 bothered to show up to watch the home side lose in a shootout. As always in these types of situations, that number is probably generous. And when I say probably, I mean definitely. “We counted the cannon as 20 people.”

Anyway, what better game to fill the seats than a Tuesday night affair with Dallas?

That sound you’re hearing is scalpers sobbing.

Now, before we get to the part where we guess the attendance, I’m not sure if the Jackets have some sort of ticket promotion planned for tonight. Maybe anyone with a college ID can sit in the upper deck for $20, gets a free foam finger and unlimited nachos. For example, here’s what the Jackets are offering for next Tuesday’s game versus the Red Wings…

That’s a pretty good deal, says the guy from Vancouver.

OK, so let’s guess the attendance for tonight. I’m going to say…8,457. What say you? We’ll announce the winner tomorrow on PHT. Free Ferrari for anyone who hits it right on the nail.*

*Offer void on planet Earth

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28 Comments (Feed for Comments)

cshearing - Oct 18, 2011 at 11:57 AM

9,452

I live on the moon, BTW, so shipping costs on that Ferrari may be high.
Mike Halford - Oct 18, 2011 at 11:59 AM

Gonna say 9,103. I think they break the 9k mark, which in turn sets off a wild celebration.
wildinkc - Oct 18, 2011 at 11:59 AM

7,495
icelovinbrotha215 - Oct 18, 2011 at 12:01 PM

As proven once again, CBJ isn’t a hockey ‘town.’ Well done Gary Bettman.
- paulsdamnblog - Oct 18, 2011 at 12:48 PM
  
  Bettman is still sore over losing the Atlanta TV market, so he’ll fight for all he’s worth to keep this one. Although Seattle, Quebec, and Hartford all make better sense, fanbase wise.
- sunking1 - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:07 PM
  
  Hmmm…Maybe the problem is that they have been in existence 10 yrs, averaging a whopping 74 pts a year (when 90+ pts are typically needed to make the playoffs), made the playoffs ONCE and were swept in 4 games…
  Maybe the fans ARE speaking with their pocketbook over the quality of play…Maybe the fans aren’t just sheep who blindly keep paying for the same crap over and over and over and over (like the Maple Leaf fans do baaaa baaaa baaaa)…
  
  Or, the losers can keep blaming Bettman whenever a crappy team doesn’t draw
  
  p.s. I am a Michigan man who does not come to the defense of C-Bus lightly. But I am soooo tired of the argument that any “Non Traditional” hockey city doesn’t deserve hockey. Get over it.
  - icelovinbrotha215 - Oct 18, 2011 at 4:27 PM
    
    When you think of Columbus you think of???? The Ohio State University Football team. Fans are speaking with their wallets alright. Have you heard about the economy in OH/MI? Not good. There would be more pressure for management/ownership to put a competitive team on the ice if there was a large enough outcry. You can’t even pull double digits? Not in the beginning of the season? We aren’t talking about February or March. It’s October. Like I said, Columbus isn’t a hockey town. Gary Bettman should’ve done his research before allowing a team in a state that really only cares about football.
- hockeyfan1701 - Oct 18, 2011 at 4:52 PM
  
  They once said Pittsburgh was not a Hockey town too. Now they print money at Consol Energy Center. Winning changes everything.
  - bsputnik - Oct 18, 2011 at 6:16 PM
    
    In all fairness, it took a stable owner who was loved by all of Pittsburgh and a new arena to do that. Only since Lemieux has owned the team has there been real effort to reach out to the fans and make this a hockey town. They still do student rush when they could sell those seats as season tickets or full price individual game seats, free preseason games for youth hockey and Children’s Hospital. Neither DeBartolo, Baldwin or Marino did anything like that. After 10 years, the Pens had been owned by the league for a short time and gone through bankruptcy.
    It takes a long time to build a fan base. In Pittsburgh, they had the Steelers and Pirates to compete with. The Pens were able to capitalize on the complete embarrassment of the Pirates and replace the 125 yr old team as the #2 team in the city. In Columbus, they have different competition in Ohio State. I don’t know how that changes the dynamic, if it does at all, but it is still competition. These expansion teams/owners/fans are expecting immediate results. That isn’t realistic. Though, they really should have at least a playoff win by now.
    
    My Guess:
    8,354
  - nhlbruins90 - Oct 20, 2011 at 5:32 PM
    
    How true. A few years back, the B’s were offering special ‘college night’ tickets mid-week for some of the crappier opponents. Cheap seats in the upper deck. Lots of empty seats just a few years back. Not any more. They’re printing it at the TD Garden as well.
    
    Building a hockey franchise is just like any other business. You have to work at it and it takes time. People won’t fork over hard-earned money for nothing.
paulsdamnblog - Oct 18, 2011 at 12:45 PM

I’ll go with 7,684.
lapsncaps - Oct 18, 2011 at 12:57 PM

5,281 – I like my chances
Exiled1 - Oct 18, 2011 at 12:59 PM

32
greynraney - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:07 PM

Last Blue Jacket home game = 8,986
Last Stars home game = 8,305

As a Stars fan, it’s depressing to see the low attendance.

I will go with the average and say tonights attendance will be 8,645
contraryguy - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:17 PM

The Avs game last week was a franchise low. I doubt it’ll drop below that. Cannon shot for 10k+?

btw I see a news item that Carter’s out with a fractured foot. Just great…
nhlbruins90 - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:41 PM

That’s a hell of a deal for 30 bucks. They ain’t offering anything like that at TD Garden. Thirty bucks will get you a couple of hot dogs and a junior Coke. I’m all in at 9,999. Seems to working for Herman Cain.
- mikebel11 - Oct 18, 2011 at 2:16 PM
  
  In Toronto it gets you A beer
  
  …at the bar down the street, while watching the Leafs lose on t.v.
  - nhlbruins90 - Oct 18, 2011 at 11:05 PM
    
    See ya Thursday. Bring your wallet.
prolibertate85 - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:41 PM

Make it 8, bring Jeff Carter and Rick Nash home.
sknut - Oct 18, 2011 at 1:50 PM

I will go with 7379.
hockeylifer - Oct 18, 2011 at 2:03 PM

10,423……but really closer to 7500 in the building.
lonespeed - Oct 18, 2011 at 3:42 PM

I like 7,685.
quizguy66 - Oct 18, 2011 at 4:26 PM

6,666

-QG
contraryguy - Oct 18, 2011 at 9:33 PM

Final: Dallas 3, CBJ 2 (with one Jackets goal called back). Didn’t catch the attendance, it should be announced in the postgame.
- contraryguy - Oct 18, 2011 at 9:35 PM
  
  NHL.com lists attendance as 9,158. Congrats to someone. House certainly looked empty on TV.
cbjfan75 - Oct 19, 2011 at 10:47 AM

As one being in attendance, I’d say that number was about right… 1/2 cap…

And winning changes everything!
ferrytales1 - Oct 22, 2011 at 11:34 PM

8,458. I’m totally pulling a classic Price is Right move. Dick move for sure. Hate me all you want, you have to hit the nail on the head now to win. (Oh, is that not how this is going to work? Oh well, I’ll stick with it.)
- ferrytales1 - Oct 22, 2011 at 11:35 PM
  
  Just now realized this game was 4 days ago.

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