Philadelphia is one of the best sports cities in the country, if not the world. South Philly gets packed with a passionate fanbase night in and night out, supporting their team.

Citizens Bank Park and the Linc have some of the best atmospheres in the country. For the Flyers, the Wells Fargo Center, scratch that, Xfinity Mobile Arena, has not been the same.

Now, every once in a while, you’ll see a packed house. I’ll never forget one of my first games on the beat was Cutter Gauthier’s return to Philly, and that was one of the loudest arenas I had seen. But that was far from the norm.

The Wells Fargo Center was rarely sold out, never too loud, and lacked any sort of imposed fear for opponents.

New Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet wants to change all of that.

In an interview with NHL Network, published by NHL.com, Tocchet recognizes how significant fan impact can be.

“I believe the fans in Philadelphia really help players,” Tocchet said. “Can we use the fans this year as juice? That’s something we want—to get them on our side.”

Tocchet is calling for fans to come back in full force and make the building feel like it used to. What will it take for fans to pick up the call?

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What Would it Take to Get Crowds Back for Flyers Games?

The Flyers haven’t given fans much reason to pack the house in recent history.

As a team, the product on the ice has not been great. They have not made the playoffs since 2020, have not made any significant acquisitions, and aside from Matvei Michkov, they have not promoted any big-time prospects. There isn’t much to be excited about.

However, that feels like it’s starting to change. Tocchet is bringing a new energy behind the bench. The Flyers’ prospect pipeline all of a sudden looks promising. The team brought in Trevor Zegras, who may not be an 80+ point scorer, but is exciting, flashy, and has tons of untapped potential.

Is that enough to pack the arena?

Fans play such a critical role, not just in hockey, but in every sporting environment. Flyers fans have shown time and time again that they can be as passionate and loud as any. Things are slowly getting better, but not all the way there.

What will it take to get the crowds back for Flyers games?

Read More: PhHN Flyers Fan Summer Survey
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