But losing records in MV's two seasons have kept enthusiasm from nondiehards at a minimum. So the sellout crowds that Tompkins seems to need to stay afloat have not materialized. It's that simple. So the problem is one of dollars. To be sure, the Utica Memorial Auditorium is not a cash cow for the Prowlers.
Parking is limited, and the facility is old.
But that alone does not explain the team's problems. Tompkins is the general manager. The buck stops with him. And if he is unable to put a winning team on the ice, it's unfair for him to ask the community to fill the Aud night after night. Julian and Oneida County Executive Ralph Eannace call the current crisis a quality of life issue.