NHL teams in a free fall do not draw well. There are exceptions. Supply and demand in Original Six cities, particularly in Toronto and Montreal, guarantee big crowds. But even allegedly awesome hockey markets, like those in Colorado, Detroit and Pittsburgh, have attendance problems when their teams struggle.
The Johnny Gaudreau bump has kept Nationwide Arena from emptying out even though the Blue Jackets are among the worst teams in the league. And while there must be some fans regretting the expense, it’s a testament to Columbus that 16,000 are regularly showing up to witness the brutality. Penguins fans stayed away when their team rotted in the period between Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby.