The Sea Dogs announced Monday that single game playoff tickets for the general public will be just $10 while season ticket members can purchase $7 tickets, plus taxes and fees.
“We appreciate the support from our season ticket members and the region, and this is a small way for us to say thanks", said Sea Dogs president Trevor Georgie in a release. “We want to make it easy for everyone to come and support and be part of Sea Dogs playoff hockey.”
The Sea Dogs begin the playoffs in Drummondville with Games 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday night. The series shifts to Saint John for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Saint John will be massive underdogs in this series — even more than last year when they went up against the Gatineau Olympiques, a series they did win one game in. The Sea Dogs haven't won a playoff series since 2017.
The Sea Dogs made tickets $7 for Game 5 against Gatineau last year, attracting 4,796 fans. Games 3 and 4 at TD Station featured crowds of 1,487 and 1,568, respectively.
The cheap tickets come after another rough season for the Sea Dogs at the box office. Saint John averaged 2,760 fans per game this season, which is down nearly 200 fans per game from last year. It's the lowest average the team has had in a season with no COVID restrictions.
| 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) |
| 2023-24 | 93,850 | 2,760 (8th) |
*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
The attendance numbers can't be good financially for the team and they certainly aren't fun for fans who sit in a building that is more than half empty most nights. Saint John is one of the few QMJHL teams that hasn't had the big bounce back from COVID.
Saint John finished eighth in QMJHL average attendance, the lowest the team has ever placed. The Charlottetown Islanders are slowly creepy up on them (2,680) which would have been unfathomable a decade ago.
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