AHL president offers no concerns about Phantoms


HERSHEY, Pa. — Attendance for Adirondack Phantoms games at the Glens Falls Civic Center is off 18 percent from last year, but American Hockey League president Dave Andrews sasid today that the city is a viable market.

Glens Falls returned to the league last season after a 10-year absence and averaged 3,784 . That has dropped to 3,121 through 22 home dates this year.

“Glens Falls is fine,” Andrews said at his annual “State of the League” press conference before tonight’s AHL All-Star Classic. “Last year was really good in Glens Falls, The building is working at a serviceable level. The community would like to upgrade the building in terms of the amenities for fans — scoreboards and that kind of thing. That would be good for us if it was able to happen.

“It’s fallen off this year a fair amount,” he said of attendance, “not that they’re struggling, but it’s fallen off a bit. Take a look at the standings. There’s a correlation between how a team plays, particularly in a traditional hockey market, and how many people are going to the games.

“There’s two things happening.  Bringing the team back really drove a lot of traffic in the first year. It was a big deal to have the American League back in Glens Falls. Some of that ticket investment that was there to attract a team and to make it all happen after the first year fell off in terms of commitment. And the team hasn’t performed as well as most people would like, so that’s been an impact.”

The Phantoms planned to call Glens Falls a temporary home until a new arena was built in Allentown, Pa., but so far no groundbreaking has taken place.

“In terms of Allentown,” Andrews said, “I’m not close enough other than to tell you there are still discussions going on about a facility there. If a facility does happen, we as a league would certainly like to be there. The Brooks group (Phantoms’ owners) has been part of the discussion. I haven’t heard anything recently in terms if it’s a go or not go.”

Categories: Adirondack Phantoms, AHL
Pete Dougherty

16 Responses

  1. DC35 says:

    The wife and I road trip to a LOT of different hockey arenas in the AHL and we always have the most fun at the GFCC.

  2. Phil Lander says:

    I agree with #1. I am from Albany and I go to a lot of Devils games but I prefer driving up to the Civic Center and watching games there. Its such a better, more friendly environment. The Times Union Center has some serious issues, especially with the concessions. The food sucks and is way too expensive. (Dont mention the $1 hotdogs that are so gross and over-cooked that they are inedible) Also, the people serving you look like they belong in a carnival side show. Miserable bunch of clowns honestly. Sorry, but its true.

    And Pete, when you get a chance, ask someone of authority why the hell they dont let some of the local youth hockey leagues do a short shoot-out competition between periods. That would honestly help attendance and give the kids a great thrill. You want to build interest with the community? Then make a frickin effort. These guys wonder why Albany is 30th in attendance.

  3. Rob says:

    Was there any mention of the Albany market by Andrews? We’ve had a much bigger drop off in attendance than Glens Falls from last year to this year.

  4. Islandman says:

    I find the civic center rather dangerous. Those stairs are really steep. I find the TUC much better, though I do have to say, you are right on the ice at the GFCC.

  5. paul c says:

    i dont think that new mascot is going to help attendance either. I mean really-grown men getting a pay check came up with that!!. It is an insult to everyone who buys a ticket.I dont understand any correlation ,connection,feature as it relates to the adirondack phantoms and their long hockey history.

  6. Jami says:

    @paul c
    The mascot’s not for you – it’s for the kids. How are you “insulted” by the new mascot? If you’re over 12, why do you care so much?

    The kids went nuts for Dax last week, much more so than Phlex. Along with the Phantoms’ new school program, attendance will be greatly helped by the Phantoms’ new community outreach.

  7. thatguy says:

    @Paul you are absolutely correct about the mascot not having any correlation with previous hockey history. However he is so far so good at getting kids attention and being out there in the community which will long term bring more families with kids to the game and increase revenue for the team. After one game he was a far greater presence than phlex ever was for a whole season.

  8. If you think they’re moving the Phantoms to Allentown, PA, I suggest you listen to the song “Allentown” by Billy Joel. They’re still waiting for the Pennsylvania they never found… but it is hard to keep a good man down. Just saying.

  9. Kev. says:

    @Phil: I have to agree with you, while driving to the GFCC to watch games as often as I do in Albany is alot of miles and gas on the car the intimate GFCC is nice. The food and service in Glens Falls as in most other arenas is better then the TUC hands down. The employees at the TUC are rude, not the brightest bulbs, and most importantly the food does suck and is over priced. I prefer to eat before the games to be honest because your not getting what your paying for at the TUC. I cant think of anything the GFCC really needs in upgrades other then seamless glass and maybe a paint job on the inside. Video boards and luxury suites, who needs them. The great thing about the GFCC is the “Home Town Hockey” atmosphere.

  10. DC35 says:

    @8. I’m was born in allentown and still have a lot of family in the lehigh valley. My mom still lives there and I beg her to get out of there all the time. I wonder… how many people here have been to Allentown? it has gone down hill the past couple of years…can you picture that? a town that has gone down hill even further then it was already when billy joel was signing about it?!

    now if you told me it was moving to bethlemen pa I would start to get a little nervous. Phantoms are here to stay for a while folks

  11. titans04 says:

    If they wanted to move to that area Reading already has a nice building and a solid fanbase. They would do well in that arena.

  12. chiarams says:

    Allentown today is nothing like the Allentown of the late 70′s.

    Considering the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area is becoming a mecca of warehousing and freight distribution, I’d say it’s doing better than just about any other rust belt city.

    If the state wasn’t completely broke, the arena might get built. As it stands today, I’d be stunned to see if it came about in the next decade.

  13. Zug Zug says:

    The Glens Falls Civic Center is one of the most storied arenas in Hockey History: The Adirondack Red Wings and those epic 20 years of Championships, Great Games,. It is the Montreal Fourm of AHL Hockey. Like the 1986 Game 4 triple overtine game winner in the Calder Cup Finals vs the Hershey Bears scored by Eddie Johnstone afterward he stated ” Probably the biggest goal of my career”.

    Baseball has Yankee Stadium as a cathedral, Madison Square Garden for Basketball, as stated the old Fourum in Montreal for Hockey. If GFCC were a Major League arena then it should be mentioned in the same breath. Even though it is not it stil has had its share of Major League Moments.

  14. paul c says:

    Never thought they got as much out of phlex like they could have–1st off, find someone thats 6’4 and make him look like the super hero he was supposed to be. Superhero and kids–should have been a no brainer. has anyone at GFCC heard of lazers,smoke,fog,strobe lights,atomic ray guns,pyrotechincs??? instead, a bucked tooth,doufus beaver in neon green– so glad they are going after the “Barney” crowd .

  15. chiarams says:


    We’re talking about the same concrete bowl built during the Carter administration, right?

    “It is the Montreal Fourm of AHL Hockey. ”

    Surely you jest.

  16. DC35 says:

    hey, anyone take a look at the AHL attendance averages? http://theahl.com/stats/schedule.php?view=attendance

    ADK is in 24th with 3,818 average.

    Guess who is in dead last with a 2,704 average. Yeah, if I a fan in Albany I would be more concerned about the future of Albany Hockey then what the mascot is up in the GFCC or how steep the stairs are.

    All that aside, its a darn shame the devils are going to salt the earth of Albany for another AHL team to come in after they split for A.C. I was really hoping one day the rangers farm team could move in.