Big crowds return but average stays low

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - TD Station felt much more "normal" this past season.

For the first time since the 2018-19 season, the Saint John Sea Dogs' schedule was not impacted by COVID-19 in any way. That resulted in over 100,000 tickets being sold/distributed to Sea Dogs games for the first time since the 2019-20 season, a campaign that was cut a bit short by the pandemic.

The Sea Dogs had a total attendance of 100,536 for an average of 2,957 in 2022-23. Both are an increase from last season, but the impacts of COVID were being felt much more at this time a year ago.

Saint John finished seventh in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League average attendance this year, the lowest they've ever finished (much of that has to do with big seasons in Sherbrooke and Gatineau). The league's average attendance was 3,198.

The Sea Dogs had three crowds over 5,000, the most since 2017-18. The team had just one crowd over 3,600 in 2021-22.

Here's a look at Saint John's year-by-year attendance figures.

Season	Total	Average
2005-06	156,694	4,477 (4th)
2006-07	134,354	3,839 (6th)
2007-08	139,214	3,978 (5th)
2008-09	133,613	3,930 (5th)
2009-10	140,779	4,141 (4th)
2010-11	152,237	4,478 (4th)
2011-12	155,060	4,561 (3rd)
2012-13	135,732	3,992 (4th)
2013-14	116,380	3,423 (5th)
2014-15	121,782	3,582 (5th)
2015-16	123,399	3,629 (4th)
2016-17	142,829	4,201 (3rd)
2017-18	144,723	4,257 (4th)
2018-19	116,511	3,427 (5th)
2019-20	107,042	3,345 (6th)*
2020-21	25,123	1,478 (3rd)**
2021-22	89,846	2,643 (5th)***
2022-23	100,536	2,957 (7th)

*Final two home games cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

**All 17 home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

***Three home games played under COVID-19 capacity restrictions

It is a bit challenging to compare numbers from previous years given that some were "inflated" more than others. But Saint John's average attendance was 3,992 in 2012-13. 10 years later it's at 2,957. While there are external factors at play (pandemic stuff, inflation stuff, population/demographic stuff, etc.), that is a less than ideal drop.

Hopefully this year's attendance numbers are as low as they get during this rebuild and things start to take a swing upward next season.