I am glad I don't remember that
. In any case, I remember the 1995 Pens having some "issues" and NJ's system being effectively a brick wall that stopped them in the playoffs that year.
While it might not bebl as "fun" or "vibrant" as usual, I don't believe that spectators are a requirement for hockey to be played.
Just look at the mid-90s Devils and Capitals or the pre-Crosby Penguins.
While the pre-Crosby Pens did not regularly sell out their attendance problems were more relative. During the "Jagr years" (late 90's) they had lots of high end offensive talent. Because they didn't sell out often and there was no cap this became increasingly unsustainable. However, their attendance problems were never like that of modern day Florida, Arizona, and Carolina (before they got good again in the past couple years). They had decent attendance - it just wasn't enough to sustain a good team in a capless league. Eventually even constant sellouts would not have been.
Of course the worst was the post-Jagr/pre-Crosby period. However, when your best return in the Jagr trade was Kris Beach, your best players are Richard Tarnstrom and Rico Fata, players like an older Lyle Odelein and Shane Endicott were regulars on the roster, and Sebastian Caron was doing his matador impersonation in net it is pretty tough for even the most hardcore Pens fans to watch it. Nevertheless I actually went to more games in the pre-Crosby period, or at least before the new arena was built. The tickets were a lot more affordable.
