Brad Marchand Roasts Arizona Coyotes For Inability To Draw Fans
BOSTON (CBS) -- Brad Marchand still has plenty of hockey left in him. But he's setting himself up for a nice career as the NHL's Roastmaster General once he's done playing.
The Bruins' winger has shifted his agitating ways from the ice to Twitter lately, with the Arizona Coyotes serving as the latest victim.
With news breaking Thursday that the Coyotes may end up using the 5,000-seat arena at Arizona State University for a few years as a temporary home, Marchand was asked on Twitter to share his opinion.
"Well ... the only way they get 5,000 fans at their games now is if they give 4,500 away for free so wouldn't change much," Marchand quipped.
A Coyotes blog politely asked him to not take shots at the fans. Marchand replied succinctly: "Wahhhhhh"
Marchand's become a bit of an NHL economist of late. He weighed in on the Carolina Hurricanes being responsible for players paying 20 percent of their salary into escrow last week, a dig at Carolina's revenue generation compared to more popular NHL teams. And now he's let his feelings be known about the financial viability of the hockey team in the desert.
According to ESPN, the Coyotes have the third-lowest attendance in the NHL this year, averaging 11,575 fans per game. Ottawa and Buffalo rank lower. In the last pre-pandemic season, they had the fourth-lowest attendance, consistently ranking at or near the bottom of the league in attendance for the past 15 years.
Also of note: Marchand and the Bruins play in Arizona against the Coyotes on Friday night. The fans in attendance who aren't wearing Bruins sweaters are sure to announce their presence to Marchand the best they can.
