Attendance Twitter

**Attendance Twitter** is the nickname for Ottawa Senators attendance discussions on Sens Twitter. These discussions usually occur when Bruce Garrioch, Sports Writer for Postmedia Network, tweets out the attendance numbers during home games. Typically when the attendance numbers are released, fans will argue or justify why the numbers were low for the game. Attendance Twitter has grown to be so popular that even Leafs and Habs fans like to chime in (usually to troll). The Canadian Tire Center, located in Kanata, has a capacity of 18,652 and it can be more with standing room. Average attendance of late has been a little over 15,000.

#### **Background**

The Ottawa Senators would regularly sell out their home games from the late 90s to the mid 2000s when the team was consistently at the top of the standings during the regular season and making the playoffs. Attendance was also often selling out up until 2013 the year of the 48 game lockout shortened season and Alfredsson's last as a Senator. After, attendance has been up and down. Most notably was during the 2016-2017 season in October when a home game against the Arizona Coyotes drew in only 11,061 fans. Later that same season during the playoffs in the second round, game 1 against the New York Rangers, the Senators drew in only 16,744 fans. This prompted an unusual amount of media coverage including a rant by Toronto media personality, Sid Seixeiro and even comments by then Hockey Night in Canada co-host, Don Cherry. The following season, attendance was constantly covered by the media on the Senators. Then Senators President, Tom Anselmi, opted to tarp off seats in the 300 level in an attempt to draw in more fans by limiting the capacity. This ultimately backfired as it did not improve attendance and made it worse. Then midway through the same season during the Heritage Classic weekend in Ottawa then owner, Eugene Melnyk, implied during an interview that if the attendance didn't improve he would have to move the team. He would later attempt to retract his statements. Attendance hit rock bottom for the Senators from 2018 to 2019 when the team decided to rebuild by trading away star players Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone and Matt Duchene. This caused a boycott from fans to attend games. From late 2019 to 2021 attendance around the league had been limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic with State and Provincial laws on public gatherings. This had affected the Senators to an extent with attendance though it was mandated. There are many arguments to why attendance has dwindled over the years but the most common argument is the arena location which is in Kanata, a west-end suburb in Ottawa. Over the years with more reliance on public transit, Ottawa growing, and the Canadian Tire Center aging there have been calls for the team to move downtown. After a failed attempt previously, there are now renewed plans to build a new arena on Lebreton Flats which is more central in Ottawa.

#### Attendance Twitter Arguments

Below are some arguments either reasonable or not made by Sens fans to why attendance has been low over the years.

- Ownership

- Top players leaving

- Free agents not wanting to play in Ottawa

- Front office staff leaving suddenly

- Team not listening to fan input

- Sens being inconsistent since the mid 2000s

- Arena located in a suburb and not downtown

- Ottawa transit

- Canadian Tire Center parking prices

- Canadian Tire Center concession prices

- No hot water at the arena

- Traffic after games

- Phoenix pay system not paying government employees

- Government town

- Government departments not being allowed to buy season tickets

- Weekend games being more ideal

- Ottawa being in between Toronto and Montreal

- Ticket prices (though Ottawa is one of the lowest in the league)

- Ottawa residents randomly being fans of other teams

- Sens fans flipping tickets to Leafs or Habs fans to make a profit

- Covid-19 pandemic

- Inflation

- Interest rates