A game-by-game attendance model for the three leagues in the CHL, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), and Western Hockey League (WHL), is specified to ascertain the main drivers of fan interest for major junior hockey in Canada and the U.S. CHL cities run the gamut from small-town Canada to major cities, where some teams share a facility with an NHL franchise (i.e. Calgary and Edmonton). This research aims to explain variations over time and across teams and leagues through regression analysis. Key factors studied to estimate their influence on game attendance are uncertainty of outcome (proxied by betting market odds on these games), team success, fighting, scoring, day-of-game weather, and demographic variables. In addition, the role of the presence of players already drafted by NHL teams and top players available for the upcoming draft are also evaluated as to their impact on fan demand across the leagues.
Professor of Sport Management, Syracuse University
Rodney Paul is currently Professor of Sport Management at the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University. He designed the new Sport Analytics major at Syracuse and serves as the program’s director. Rodney was awarded his PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson... Read More →
Friday February 2, 2018 10:00am - 10:30am CST
Room 7
