Charlottetown Islanders celebrate strong turnout to regular season games
'Just makes a better atmosphere for everybody, the players, the fans, the coach, everybody involved'
Attendance at Charlottetown Islanders games during the 2018-2019 season was the strongest it's been in years, with ticket sales surpassing 90,000 for the first time since 2005.
"We're quite excited," said Jason Maclean, vice-president of sales and marketing for the team.
"To see that increase and see those numbers and that amount of people back in the building has been a huge success for sure."
Team officials said almost 100,000 tickets were sold during the regular Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season.
Maclean said the increase in attendance isn't just of value to the team's bottom line — it's a real boost for the players as well.
"You can see the boys get up for the game and the excitement and all of that when the building is full and there's people here, they feed off the energy and that adrenaline." Maclean said.
"It just makes a better atmosphere for everybody, the players, the fans, the coach, everybody involved."
Sticks on the ice, fans in the seats
Maclean said a lot of time and effort went into theme nights and other promotions that would attract and engage fans.
He said there were a handful of sold-out games this season, or nearly sold-out games, where in recent years that might have only happened once a season.
The Charlottetown Islanders are facing the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in the first round of the President Cup playoffs. The Islanders are currently up 2 - 0 in the series.
The next game is on Tuesday at Centre 200 in Cape Breton.
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With files from Jessica Doria-Brown