clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

How Bad Are The Barons' Attendance Numbers?

By Derek Zona
Would he help?
Would he help?

The Oklahoma City Barons beat the Houston Aeros last night, and in doing so closed out the first series win in franchise history. While only 2,859 people witnessed the game three loss (attributed to a Sunday evening start time), logic dictates that the fans would love a chance to see the first-place team close out a series against a rival on a Monday night. It should have been better, or even well-attended. But it wasn't.

Only 1,922 fans turned out to see tomorrow's stars put a shellacking on the Aeros.

The two-night average of 2,390 was 163 less per game than last year's three-game average in the series loss to Hamilton. We know it's bad, but just how bad is the attendance problem in Oklahoma City?

According to the AHL and ECHL's published attendance numbers, the Barons ranked 39th of 50 minor league teams in per game attendance.

Rank Team League Total Games Average
1 Hershey AHL 375,146 38 9,872
2 Chicago AHL 300,550 38 7,909
3 Lake Erie AHL 298,096 38 7,845
4 Providence AHL 297,037 38 7,817
5 Houston AHL 278,299 38 7,324
6 Grand Rapids AHL 275,632 38 7,253
7 San Antonio AHL 271,083 38 7,134
8 Charlotte AHL 257,189 38 6,768
9 Ontario ECHL 227,123 36 6,309
10 St. John's AHL 239,299 38 6,297
11 Toledo ECHL 225,060 36 6,252
12 Milwaukee AHL 236,579 38 6,226
13 W-B/Scranton AHL 229,053 38 6,028
14 Stockton ECHL 212,988 36 5,916
15 Manchester AHL 216,622 38 5,701
16 Rochester AHL 212,605 38 5,595
17 Toronto AHL 208,223 38 5,480
18 Texas AHL 207,855 38 5,470
19 Peoria AHL 205,726 38 5,414
20 Colorado ECHL 190,404 36 5,289
21 Syracuse AHL 199,354 38 5,246
22 Gwinnett ECHL 185,794 36 5,161
23 Portland AHL 195,997 38 5,158
24 Norfolk AHL 194,521 38 5,119
25 Florida ECHL 180,139 36 5,004
26 Bakersfield ECHL 178,662 36 4,963
27 Bridgeport AHL 185,236 38 4,875
28 Hamilton AHL 184,232 38 4,848
29 Adirondack AHL 175,982 38 4,631
30 Connecticut AHL 173,788 38 4,573
31 Alaska ECHL 160,182 36 4,450
32 Utah ECHL 158,824 36 4,412
33 Worcester AHL 167,292 38 4,402
34 Reading ECHL 157,146 36 4,365
35 Las Vegas ECHL 156,208 36 4,339
36 Rockford AHL 161,286 38 4,244
37 Cincinnati ECHL 150,852 36 4,190
38 Idaho ECHL 140,577 36 3,905
39 Oklahoma City AHL 140,008 38 3,684
40 Springfield AHL 139,050 38 3,659
41 Binghamton AHL 135,950 38 3,578
42 Abbotsford AHL 134,715 38 3,545
43 Albany AHL 130,529 38 3,435
44 Elmira ECHL 119,502 36 3,320
45 Greenville ECHL 118,774 36 3,299
46 South Carolina ECHL 117,051 36 3,251
47 Kalamazoo ECHL 109,501 36 3,042
48 Trenton ECHL 108,470 36 3,013
49 Wheeling ECHL 95,234 36 2,645
50 Chicago ECHL 90,273 36 2,508

While that's bad in and of itself, the post-season average thus far, 2,390 would rank dead last in the minors.

The Barons have been willing partners for the Oilers since inception, and numbers like these are going to draw the attention of the big club. The question now becomes, are the Oilers willing to step in and lend a hand? Would "Meet Jordan Eberle Night" or "Taylor Hall Autograph Night" help the numbers? What about giving away a mini-stick or bobblehead or whatever else Rexall fans go crazy for? Maybe The Flaming Lips would drop by for an after-game concert on the Oilers dime?