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Hockey Going Strong In Gwinnett

May 12, 2006

By Christine Troyke
Staff Writer
Gwinnett Daily Post

DULUTH, Ga. - This is the Gwinnett Gladiators' second trip to the ECHL conference finals since the team moved here from Mobile, Ala., three years ago.

The team, which plays Game 3 of its best-of-seven American Conference championship series on Friday in Toledo, has yet to miss the playoffs.

Its attendance has been among the league's top 10 each season, including second overall last year.

The promotion of players to the American Hockey League and even the NHL has gone from good to excellent, punctuated by 18 Gladiators seeing action at a higher level this season. Goalie Adam Berkhoel played in nine games for Gwinnett's parent club, the Atlanta Thrashers, in his second season with the organization.

It's safe to say the ECHL is happy with the state of hockey here, but league commissioner Brian McKenna confirmed it when he visited the Arena at Gwinnett Center for Monday's Game 2 of the American Conference finals.

"I think the ownership and management here has done a good job introducing ECHL hockey to the Gwinnett marketplace and the surrounding areas" McKenna said. "And obviously it's gotten a warm reception.

"I think that's also supplemented by the fact that (head coach) Jeff Pyle, for all three years that the team has been here, has done a very good job of putting a competitive product on the ice.

"So, a beautiful facility combined with a great job by the front office and certainly a competitive on-ice product have contributed to the success that this team has had."

McKenna spoke as the arena began to fill up for the Gladiators' second game with Toledo. Three days earlier, nearly 4,000 showed up for Friday's series opener. Weekdays are a tougher draw, especially in the playoffs when there's little time to promote dates from one series to the next.

But Monday's turnout of 3,274 was nearly up to the league postseason average of 3,656 - which includes big numbers from markets such as Florida and Alaska. Certainly everyone would like to see the sellout crowds that Alaska is getting in its conference finals match-up against Fresno, but McKenna wasn't worried about the numbers in Gwinnett.

"I guess you could almost say it's traditional" said McKenna, who has been overseeing the ECHL for the past four years. "It's expected. Minor-league hockey and minor-league baseball are very similar where your bigger crowds are during the regular season.

"At this level we depend a lot, not only on season-ticket holders, but the walkup crowd, which is largely mom and dad and the kids looking for an entertainment option. Mom and dad and the kids aren't going to come to very many Monday, Tuesday night hockey games."

The other issue affecting attendance in the postseason is group sales, which can take between 30 and 90 days to organize.

"Traditionally that's a weekend fan base as well" McKenna said. "In the playoffs we miss those, so it makes it tougher to draw great numbers.

"Having said that, usually as you progress and get through to the conference finals with good dates or certainly the Kelly Cup finals, I think you'll see in all of our markets very good numbers."

If the Gladiators want to test that theory at home, they'll need to win at least one of the three games set to be played at the Toledo Sports Arena.

After dropping Game 2 in overtime, Gwinnett's series with the Storm is tied 1-1.

The Gladiators play Game 3 on Friday. Game 4 is Sunday and Game 5 is Tuesday. Game 6, if necessary, is scheduled for May 20 at the Arena at Gwinnett Center.

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