NOJHL attendance figures


By
October 13, 2016

Through the first month or so of the 2016-2017 season, Soo Eagles lead the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League in attendance and the Timmins Rock is not far behind.

Following is the per-game average home attendance for teams in the 12-member NOJHL.

1. Soo Eagles 652
2. Timmins Rock 651
3. Elliot Lake Wildcats 410
4. Iroquois Falls Eskis 371
5. Blind River Beavers 297
6. Kirkland Lake Gold Miners 289
7. Espanola Express 277
8. Cochrane Crunch 276
9. Powassan Voodoos 208
10. French River Rapids 199
11. Rayside-Balfour Canadians 186
12. Soo Thunderbirds 180

The good numbers in the Michigan Soo, Timmins and Elliot Lake are a continuance of the fine fan support in those three communities.

And attendance is up about 100 per game from last season to this one in Blind River while Espanola has also shown a decent improvement from 2015-2016 to 2016-2017.

But for whatever reason or reasons, attendance is down in both Kirkland Lake and Cochrane.

As for the two-time reigning champion Thunderbirds, perhaps it is time to leave the 4,500-seat Essar Centre and return to the friendly confines of the John Rhodes Community Centre.


What you think about “NOJHL attendance figures”

  1. Would be nice if the T-Birds would move back to the Rhodes.
    More of a Junior A atmosphere.
    With the difference in seating area the Rhodes seems to look full.
    Why the Essar with not even 200 in attendance, looks like no one there.
    Leave the Essar to the Hounds.

  2. I am not sure what has happen to the fan base up here tho I do know that some fans did not take to kindly to the Gold Miners threat to leave if attenadance did not improve. I am quite disapointed in our attendance. We are a better hockey town than we are showing having said that I do not know why there are not more fans out at the Joe.

  3. Team fees are way way up and Attendance is way down! Where is the NOJHL Business Plan on this?
    Randy why don’t you ask your buddy Robert the Commissioner?

  4. I guess the days of Rayside packing the barn with 500 to 600 fans are over real bad attendance numbers that’s unfortunate, It Did not work in Copper Cliff it looks like its off to a rough start back in Rayside here’s hoping things improve in the near future !

  5. Lol. Me thinks it’s a good thing fees are up if fans are down, if not you’d be really need to examine the business plan. How else could a team with little fan support operate without the said fees? Or are you suggesting fans aren’t watching because kids are paying to play?

    Continuance of fine fan support, how did Iroquois Falls not make that list? they’ve only demonstrated it for more than a dozen years.

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