One of the defining characteristics of Minor Sports Leagues is that they play to smaller crowds of fans. Minor-Leagues.com has compiled a series of posts that provides details of attendance figures.
The International Hockey League (IHL) was an independent professional hockey league founded in 1991 (known as the Colonial Hockey League, later United Hockey League) until it amalgamated with the Central Hockey League in 2010. It operated in the Midwest of the United States. The cities the IHL played in was not served by a NHL or their minor league affiliates.
Below is the fan attendance for the entire league from 2006 to 2010.
League | Sport | Season | # of Teams | Team Change | Games | Games Change | Total Attendance | TA Change | Average Attendance | AA Change | Source |
UHL (United Hockey League) (Ind) | Ice Hockey | 2005-06 | 14 USA | untracked | 532 | untracked | 1,635,040 | untracked | 3,073 | untracked | Lennier |
UHL (United Hockey League to IHL) (Ind) | Ice Hockey | 2006-07 | 10 USA | -28.57% | 380 | -28.57% | 1,307,858 | -20.01% | 3,442 | 12.00% | Lennier |
IHL (International Hockey League from UHL) (Ind) | Ice Hockey | 2007-08 | 6 USA | -40.00% | 228 | -40.00% | 774,387 | -40.79% | 3,396 | -1.33% | Lennier |
IHL (International Hockey League) (Ind) | Ice Hockey | 2008-09 | 6 USA | 0.00% | 228 | 0.00% | 757,992 | -2.12% | 3,324 | -2.12% | Lennier |
IHL (International Hockey League) (Ind) | Ice Hockey | 2009-10 | 7 USA | 16.67% | 265 | 16.23% | 846,520 | 11.68% | 3,185 | -4.17% | Lennier |
The International Hockey League was populated by Free Agents recruited from colleges, junior leagues, and other minor leagues. Since none of the IHL Teams was not affiliated with to the NHL, the primary focus was on team success instead of player development. This IHL was the fourth league in North America that use the International Hockey League name.
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- Women’s National Basketball Association Attendance 2006 to 2013 - October 27, 2017
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