"We're a little disappointed by the fact that our finishing first (in the division with 102 points, almost winning their conference) didn't have more of an impact at the end of the season, but we understand there's certain challenges that come with this market, being that the Stanley Cup playoffs are on TV," [Scott Brown] said.

"It's a weeknight; we always draw better on weekends," Brown said. "But that's an excuse. I'm not really into excuses. To say the crowd's a little disappointing would be fair to say, but at the same time, it's the beginning and there's a lot of factors that go into that.

"We were hoping that maybe, given the standings and the team walking in and the situation, that this year might be a little bit different. It doesn't appear that it was. The crowd that's here tonight is not indicative of the Winnipeg public's acceptance of the AHL."