One of the most enduring things about the Edmonton Oilers fan base is that, no matter how good or bad the team is, they will still turn out in their droves to attend home games in Edmonton. During the 10-season drought between 2006-07 and 2015-16, attendances at Rexall Place still averaged more than 16,800 people per contest, which speaks volumes.
Of course it's been easier to follow the Oilers since they moved to Rogers Place, even allowing for the increased arena capacity. That's what happen when you have players such as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitil on the team, as well as regularly qualifying for the playoffs.
As a result, the latest findings from The Athletic (subscription required), are unlikely to come as much surprise to anyone in Edmonton. (Or outside for that matter.) The sports media platform decided to compare attendance figures for all 32 teams before and since the New Year, and it makes for positive reading for the Oilers and their fans.
Oilers fans representing Edmonton well
It turns out that the Oilers have averaged 18,347 at Rogers Place throughout this season, whether it be the 2024 or 2025 portion of the schedule, with the latter up to and including Mar. 24. Given that this is the capacity of hockey games inside the arena, that means the organization has continued to operate at a 100 percent capacity in 2024-25.
This is nothing new when it comes to the Oilers, who have mostly operated at 100 percent capacity ever since moving to Rogers Place for the beginning of the 2016-17 season. Any negative impact has come as a result of the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While not exactly struggling this season, the Oilers have been less consistent than you would expect, but the fans continue to turn up and get behind the team. In fairness though, at 22-12-3 they still have one of the better home records in the NHL.
NHL looking good overall
On the subject of the NHL, the attendance review looks positive for the league as a whole, with 20 teams seeing an increase in average attendance since 2025 began. Chief among these are the Western Conference Winnipeg Jets, with a 7.5 percent increase since the start of the year.
On the other hand, only six teams have experienced a decrease in attendance, with The Athletic noting that nearly all of these dips are negligible. The biggest drop has been 6.6 percent by the Pittsburgh Penguins which is slightly surprisingly, only because they also have a loyal fan base like the Oilers, combined with having a certain Sidney Crosby playing for them.
Overall, these are good times for the NHL in general and the Oilers specifically. Of course all that matters now is securing a sixth consecutive trip to the playoffs and another run at the Stanley Cup Final, although whatever happens, at least you know the fans will be there in the arena to support them though thick and thin.
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