This week’s episode of AEW Dynamite aired against an NHL playoff game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. Because the event was held in Edmonton, AEW had to contend with the competition in terms of game ratings and citywide popularity.
WrestleTix, which does an excellent job of tracking ticket sales for all pro wrestling events, reported that the show had sold 4,096 tickets, with just over 100 remaining as of Wednesday morning.
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer Meltzer expressed concern that fans had left Dynamite early to watch the hockey game before the show. While the game is not in Edmonton, Meltzer reported on Monday’s WOR that there was a large event with 20,000 people expected to attend to support the Oilers on Wednesday night.
“They did okay, the crowd…..because there was a lot of concern about the crowd leaving because of the hockey game. And a lot of people left right at whatever time it was. I think they’re Mountain Time, so it would have been eight o’clock. A lot of people left at eight o’clock. You know, they didn’t stay for the Ring of Honor stuff. But they did stay like I was told, like, people did not leave. They wanted to see who…..because the last thing on the show was the announcement of who the Team AEW was and people did stay for that. The only reshot people all over that building in Edmonton Oilers jerseys. They were everywhere. The other, you know, because they were playing Vancouver. And when they brought up the show in Vancouver, and that, like Kyle O’Reilly talked about wrestling in Vancouver. That was probably the most boos it was you couldn’t yet tell other than Don Callis. That’s probably the most boos because of the fact that they’re playing Vancouver in the playoffs right now in Edmonton is a major hockey city,” Meltzer stated.
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)
