Tonight is the last game of the season for the Arizona Coyotes. With a 28-40-13 win/loss/OT record they will not be headed to the playoffs. This will almost certainly not impact the Coyotes' ability to fill the ASU Mullett arena as data shows every game played since they moved from the 17,125-seat Desert Diamond Arena to the 4,600 Mullett arena has had 100% attendance.
An analysis of average monthly attendance per game since the 2017 season shows the Coyotes have averaged a 4,600 crowd in every game played. In prior seasons at Gila River, now Desert Diamond Arena, average monthly attendance typically ranged from 13,000 to 14,000.
Last season, the Coyotes had an attendance problem. About 5,500 seats on average per game were vacant throughout the season. Prior to COVID-19, the vacancy rate was much lower. The 2019-2020 season averaged 2,500 vacancies per game, or about 85% full. The 2018-2019 season saw an average of 3,100 vacancies or about 80% of the capacity.
The much smaller Mullett arena is most likely impacting ticket revenue. Due to a higher average ticket price, however, the figures would remain in line with some recent seasons. ESPN estimates the average ticket price for a Coyotes game this season was about $90, which would theoretically generate about $17 million in revenue. That compares with the 2017-2018 season when data from Seatgeek.com reports an average ticket price of $35. Data shows total attendance in that season was three times higher than this season.
With the Coyotes playing in a college-sized arena, the number of total fans who attended games this season is, by far, the lowest in the NHL. The top team by total attendance is the Montreal Canadiens who has attracted 843,000 fans. At max capacity, the Coyotes can only manage 184,000, about a fifth as many. The team with the next lowest capacity, the San Jose Sharks, still had three times as many fans in attendance.
