Stars, Jackets among major-league teams with worst attendance drops

Of the 10 major-league teams that saw the largest drop in attendance over the last 10 years, two of them were from the NHL, according to analysis by 24/7 Wall St.

The Dallas Stars (-23.2%) and Columbus Blue Jackets (-19.2%) rank fifth and 10th, respectively, in the rankings.

The Seattle Mariners (-51.4%) top the list, followed by three other MLB teams (Cleveland, Houston, and Arizona).

Not surprisingly, the common theme among all teams is losing.* The Stars have missed the playoffs the last four seasons, while the Blue Jackets have made the postseason just once since coming into the league in 2000.

Obviously, not every city is willing to support a perennial loser like Toronto supports the Maple Leafs.

That said, a team like Dallas, which has at least been competitive the past couple of seasons and made it all the way to the conference finals in 2008, might not have suffered such a precipitous drop in attendance in a more traditional NHL market.

* The Mariners, Astros and Diamondbacks also moved into new stadiums in the last 15 years, and a new stadium is only a novelty for so long.