Although it still is preseason, fans in many markets are still willing to attend essentially scrimmage games for a cheaper price. However, at least one Canadian team is appearing to already have some attendance warning signs. Last Friday, the Winnipeg Jets visited the Ottawa Senators, and played a game in front of essentially zero fans.
Even as a preseason game, the matchup was a chance for fans to see these two Canadian teams renew their rivalries for the upcoming season, which developed in the COVID seasons' North Division. While the players got up for the game, it appears the local Ottawa didn't feel the same way. Just 10 minutes from the start of the game, a fan posted the video below of the dismal attendance.
The fan was called out by other Sens fans for posting just a picture, and the original poster responded with another video, showing just how empty the arena was while the game was ongoing.
With new ownership and a hope for the playoffs, there should be much more excitement for hockey in Ottawa this season, and it just doesn't seem to be the case. Perhaps after the last several years falling short of expectation, fans are waiting to see if the team is even competitive this year in the regular season. The Arizona Coyotes college arena is a joke to the NHL, but so is an 18,000 seat arena in Canada being this empty.
