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.