The MHL has had a banner year with the World Jr. A Challenge hosted in Yarmouth, the Fred Page Cup in Truro, and the RBC Cup in Summerside. That alone is an impressive accomplishment, but given the large attendance numbers in playoffs along with the display of impressive parity amongst the teams, the playoffs could be a rubber stamp on a season to remember.
The league has drawn an
impressive 1400 PLUS people per game thus far in the playoffs leading up
to the Kent Cup with 5 teams averaging well over 1,000 people per game
and 4 of those teams averaging over 1,500. Those are formidable numbers
in Jr. A hockey. In fact, the
MHL’s playoff attendance is on par or above any other league in Canada.
This is extremely promising moving forward and as the Bearcats and
Capitals prepare for the Kent Cup final - these two teams have combined
for nearly 19,000 total in their home games and this series is going to
push MHL attendance totals to all new highs. At the end of the 2012
playoffs, the MHL enjoyed a total of 40,974 with a a per game average of
1024. As of April 15th, prior to the start of the final series, the
total is 44,910 with an average of 1,403. Along with strong attendance,
MHL action has made its way to television sets as Division sponsor
EastLink recently broadcasted Summerside and Mirimachi’s series opener.
Couple that coverage with the MHL's relationship with FASTHockey and the
the league’s exposure in the region has enjoyed great expansion.
Although the attendance has been
a major story, also has been the continued parity amongst teams, as
evidenced by the outcomes of the playoffs thus far. Pictou County who
finished with a respectable (28-19-5) record gave the division leading
Truro Bearcats (38-9 -5) a run for their money, taking the first 2 games
of the their semi-final opening series and pushing the series to a
seventh game. Truro, who is hosting the Fred Page Cup were considered a
favourite before the series started. Mirimachi (26-24-2) pushed
Summerside who finished 1st overall in the MHL’s regular season with an
impressive (43-7-2) record to the brink losing by scores of 4-2, and 2-1
despite finishing 34 points behind their opponent. Yarmouth (37-10-5)
and Amherst (32-14-6) had two extremely close games with scores of 5-4
OT and 3-2 favoring the Ramblers, although the series was expected to be
tight it underscores the very competitive hockey being played in rinks
all across the MHL. In fact, it would be hard to find the same kind of parity being displayed in the MHL in most other Jr. A leagues across Canada.
"The continued growth and parity we have enjoyed over the past few seasons has been very positive for the MHL as we continue on this path as a development league", said John Lynn, Chair of the MHL Board of Governors. "This is certainly a season to remember as we enjoy the hosting of these major Hockey Canada tournaments and treat our fans to very exciting hockey. The increased attendance at games is proof that the league is headed in the right direction and we're looking forward to the Kent Cup final, the Fred Page Cup and the Royal Bank Cup".
"The continued growth and parity we have enjoyed over the past few seasons has been very positive for the MHL as we continue on this path as a development league", said John Lynn, Chair of the MHL Board of Governors. "This is certainly a season to remember as we enjoy the hosting of these major Hockey Canada tournaments and treat our fans to very exciting hockey. The increased attendance at games is proof that the league is headed in the right direction and we're looking forward to the Kent Cup final, the Fred Page Cup and the Royal Bank Cup".
At the end of the day, hockey
fans can really only ask for three things; that the game is
entertaining, the outcome is uncertain, and that the rink provides a
positive, fan-packed experience. For those in attendance at an MHL
playoff game this season those three aspects have certainly been met.
(Nathan can be reached at nathanfournier@mainehockeyjournal.com)
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