Announced average attendance — the number of tickets sold and distributed, not necessarily people in the St. Pete Times Forum — is 17,216, up from last season's 15,497.

More meaningful, though, is the increase in actual average attendance at the 19,758-seat arena; that is, the turnstile count, which Hillsborough County reports was an average 13,443 in 31 games through February, the latest data available. At the same time last season, the average was 11,081.

That is an increase of 2,362 (21.3 percent) and does not count announced March sellouts of 20,274 with the Canadiens and 19,912 with the Blackhawks.

...

The Lightning sold only about 8,000 season tickets this season, so Leiweke's glee at 900 new subscribers is understandable.

Still, he can only dream about the years after the 2003-04 Stanley Cup season, when Tampa Bay was second and third, respectively, in the league in average announced attendance — 20,509 in 2005-06, 19,876 in 2006-07 — and the joint always was rockin'.

...

Avg. Rank

2010-11 17,216 18
2009-10 15,497 26
2008-09 16,497 21
2007-08 18,692 8
2006-07 19,876 3
2005-06 20,509 2
2003-04 17,820 12