‘Cape Bretoners will support a winner’
Eagles majority owner Simon impressnedd by fan support throughout playoffs
SYDNEY – When Irwin Simon first became the majority owner of the Cape Breton Eagles in November 2018, the team was averaging around 2,300 fans per game at Centre 200 in Sydney.
That was followed by peaks and valleys in attendance but there's been a drastic turnaround this season, especially in the 2024 playoffs. Simon was in Cape Breton for the games last weekend and was impressed with the support the team has received.
“It’s interesting because the same team was playing in January and getting 2,500 people,” said Simon. “It shows you that Cape Bretoners will support a winner and I think that’s what the important thing is.”
COVID-19 AFFECTED ATTENDANCE
At the end of the 2018-19 campaign, the Eagles had averaged 2,396 fans per home game and would be eliminated from the league playoffs in the second round by the Rimouski Océanic.
After an off-season of change and a team poised to be among the league leaders, the Sydney-based Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League franchise saw its fan support rise to an average of 2,807 fans per game by March 2020.
Unfortunately, the COVID19 pandemic would hit, marking the end of the 201920 season with no playoffs or Memorial Cup played.
The next three years during the pandemic would see attendance decrease in large part due to the provincial gathering restrictions caused by the virus.
As things began to return to normal and the team tried to turn the page on a rebuild, the Eagles continued to struggle to get fans in the building, averaging a crowd of 1,964 per game during the 2022-23 season.
The trend of averaging below 2,000 fans per game continued early in the 202324 season, but things would slowly change in late November with a promotion known as Ticket To Win It, where a fan could win $3,000 if there were 3,000 or more fans in the stands.
With that promotion and the on-ice product getting better and better by the day, the fans started to come back to the rink as they began to notice change as well as strong marketing by the club’s business staff.
Cape Breton finished the 2023-24 season averaging 2,340 fans per game.
The Eagles would finish the regular season on a ninegame winning streak and open the 2024 playoffs with home-ice advantage against the Océanic – the fans would acknowledge the team’s strong play.
Over the first two home playoff games against Rimouski, the Eagles received an overall attendance of 8,345 fans, both games seeing a crowd of more than 4,000 in the stands.
Cape Breton would eventually eliminate Rimouski in five games and with Halifax and Moncton losses in the opening round, the Eagles would have home-ice advantage in the second round of the playoffs against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
The excitement around the team continued into the first two games of the second round with the Eagles posting back-to-back sellout crowds of 4,922 fans at Centre 200 last Friday and Saturday – a franchise record for attendance in single games.
The overall playoff attendance number currently sits at 18,189 over four games.
‘FANS DESERVE A TEAM THAT'S WINNING’
Simon said having a sold-out crowd watching the team brings a different feeling to the building as opposed to when there are only 2,300 fans in the stands.
“You have to win and the fans deserve a team that’s winning,” he said. “We had to go back and prove to Cape Bretoners that there really is a difference here with our team.
“I think the fans came back because they said to themselves, if they buy a ticket, they want to make sure they're seeing a good team play and want value for their money and I think they’re getting that now.”
Since landing in Sydney in 1997, the Eagles have never won a league championship. In fact, the team only advanced to the league semifinal twice in 2002 and 2007.
The Eagles had an opportunity to reach the semifinal for the first time in 17 years on Wednesday night, leading the best-of-seven series with Chicoutimi 3-0 going into Game 4, but the score result was not available at publication time. A recap of Game 4 is available online at saltwire. com/cape-breton/ and will be in the Cape Breton Post print edition on Friday.
The big home crowds mean a lot to the players, too.
“The fans have always been great but it’s just been packed recently. The fans get behind the boys and it’s just a great atmosphere. Everyone gets into it,” Eagles defenceman Conor Shortall said in the April 12 edition of the Cape Breton Post.
Simon is hopeful the momentum of support continues well beyond the Eagles current playoff run and into the 2024-25 regular season.
“It’s not only season ticket holders, it’s sponsors, too, and I think that’s important,” said Simon.
“When you’re winning, the fans are going to come out. Hats off to our staff. They’ve done a great job getting the fans to interact and bringing out the referees in the stands and making the fans make lots of noise.”
The Eagles are guaranteed at least one more home playoff game whether it be in the second round against Chicoutimi or at least a pair of home games in the semifinal series.