BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A new report from ESPN's Greg Wyshynski ranks Buffalo as the top 'hockey hotbed cooling down'.
According to the list, Wyshynski cites Buffalo's decline due to total participation numbers in youth hockey over the last five years.
"From 2014 to '19, Buffalo saw its total participation numbers drop to 15,064, a decline of 3.3%," Wyshynski said. "Boys' youth hockey totals declined four out of five years in that span, although girls' youth hockey was up 4.5% in 2018-19. The 9-14 age range saw a decline of 6.7% in 2018-19. Adult players saw a decline in four of five years, dropping 2.9% in 2018-19 alone."
In addition, the article mentions the decline in attendance for the Sabres, as the attendance has dropped by 5 percent since the 2017-18 season.
Buffalo topped Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston on the list of hockey hotbeds on the decline.
You can read the full article here.
