from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,
The Sabres sold 17,115 tickets Friday night. For a development camp scrimmage. In July. Lots of people around the NHL will think that’s a typo when they see the number.
There were 11 NHL teams that averaged fewer than 17,000 fans per game last season. In the regular season. Arizona, Carolina and Florida all averaged under 14,000, with the pathetic Panthers even under 12,000.
Who did they all come downtown to see? Mostly No. 41, who is about to become No. 15 for maybe, oh, the next 10 years or more around here.
Jack Eichel let his numerology out of the bag in the morning, announcing he would be wearing the number most known in franchise annals by Gerry Meehan and Dixon Ward. Of course, Eichel said he would only wear 15 if he makes the team. Heh. Jokester.
The talk of a huge crowd grew all week. First you heard 7,000, then 8,000. Then the number hit 10,000 and it just never stopped.
“This place was jammed around the rink,” said new coach Dan Bylsma, who was equally floored at how jammed his news conference was for early July too. “And even coming to the game with the weather, it had the feel and excitement of a playoff game almost with the people that were here. Seventeen thousand for July 10. Pretty awesome.”
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