NHL sets another attendance record, topping 23 million fans for the 1st time

Associated Press
Friday, April 18, 2025 10:54 a.m. | Friday, April 18, 2025 10:54 a.m.

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Colorado Avalanche fans cheer after a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 8, 2025, in Denver.

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Montreal Canadiens fans react after a goal over the Carolina Hurricanes during first period NHL hockey action in Montreal on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

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New York Rangers fans during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Monday, April 14, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla.

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Fans attend the GR8 city celebration to honor Washington Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin for scoring 895 NHL career goals, Friday, April 11, 2025, in Washington.

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A Minnesota Wild fan reacts during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils, Monday, March 31, 2025, in Newark, N.J.

NEW YORK — The NHL has set another attendance record and surpassed 23 million fans for the first time.

The league on Friday reported an attendance figure of 23,014,458 over the 1,312-game regular season. That represents 96.9% capacity over 32 teams with the Montreal Canadiens making up the biggest share thanks to 41 home sellouts with crowds of more than 21,000.

It’s the third consecutive time the 108-year-old NHL has broken attendance records after 22.4 million fans in 2022-23 and 22.9 million last season. That does not include the successful return of international competition: the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston, which drew an average of more than 19,000 fans a game.

Thirty-six venues hosted regular-season games, most notably Wrigley Field for the Winter Classic and Ohio Stadium in Columbus for the league’s other outdoor game. The Stadium Series game in Columbus had the biggest crowd of the season, 94,571, the second-largest in NHL history.