Do fans ever switch teams when relocating?

[M88K]

As I watched the Wings suck from the comfort of Georgia, I wondered if, and how often a hockey fan might change allegiance when they relocate to another NHL city? Have you ever seen it?

I followed the North Stars when they moved to Dallas, does that count.

Moved to Wisconsin from Michigan ages ago, still follow MSU for collegiate sports.

We relocated from Minnesota to Wisconsin a few years ago....but I have almost 50 years of emotional investment in the Vikings, Twins, Wild and Gophers to switch allegiances to the Packers, Brewers, Badgers and Blackhawks.

hmmm

 

[Skeksis25]

I moved to New Jersey from San Jose in the early 2000s and back then, it wasn't as easy as it is now to follow non local teams. Not having the local sports page to read or listen to the local radio stations or having to pay for stuff like Center Ice or Sunday Ticket just to watch your team was a hassle. I tried to watch the Devils and the Mets and the Nets and the Giants and all I could feel for them was contempt. Soon realized the only teams I wanted to follow were the Sharks, 49ers, Warriors and Giants and I actively developed a hatred for all local teams here.

My favourite teams are always the ones I got into when I started following sports and my second favourite teams are anyone who beats the NY/NJ area teams. Heck I hate the Mets more than I do the Dodgers and I hate the Devils more than any other sports team.

 

[Gliff]

I moved to middle TN in 2020. I hated the Preds before the move because of some playoff series. I hate them but in a fun way. Like I don't care if they win, but I get to make fun of my friends that are Preds fans when they lose.

I would probably root for them in the playoffs because their success will be good for hockey in the area.

 

[jetsmooseice]

I lived in Edmonton for a while and although I did go to see the Oilers and Eskimos on an occasional basis, I never grew any affinity or attachment to them. At this point in my life it's impossible to imagine cheering for anyone other than the Jets and the other Winnipeg teams.

 

[Moose Head]

Grew up in NYC, but while still living in New York I switched allegiance from the Rangers to the Habs after watching Beliveau in the early 60’s and to piss off my dad. I Moved to Montreal in the 70’s. Later moved to Toronto and have remained a Hab fan. 60+ years.

As for a team moving, the Expos were my NL team, but that allegiance didn’t transfer to the Nationals. The Cubs are my current NL team. If the Habs ever left I’d stop cheering for them unless the relocation was within Quebec.

 

[UFO]

My uncle used to say: you can have as many women as you want, but you can only have one team.

 

[bobholly39]

I think depends how invested you are in your team. I will be a Leafs fan for life even if I ever relocate away from Toronto. It will be impossible to develop the same connection with a new team.

I'm the same (not Toronto, but a Montreal fan)....but what if you move to Utah next week. And they win the cup this year. And they even trade Auston Matthews there - who let's suppose is your favorite player, and he does great/wins a smythe.

And then - they win 2 more cups in next 4 years.

And Maple Leafs in meantime bottom out in standings, fire/trade a bunch of people, etc.

I'm just saying - it's not like you plan for it, sometimes it just happens over time because of circumstances.

 

[Figgy44]

I lived in Edmonton for a while and although I did go to see the Oilers and Eskimos on an occasional basis, I never grew any affinity or attachment to them. At this point in my life it's impossible to imagine cheering for anyone other than the Jets and the other Winnipeg teams.

Left Winnipeg when I was 3, still attempted Winnipeg as my team when I was old enough to understand more. Went full Flames after Jets became Yotes. Created a soft spot for Jets 2.0 when the Thrashers relocated.

 

[MuckOG]

I followed the North Stars when they moved to Dallas, does that count.

Moved to Wisconsin from Michigan ages ago, still follow MSU for collegiate sports.



hmmm

Yes, I was a huge North Stars fan. But they moved and I hated them for it.

 

[ratmanfu]

I moved to WNC in 2006, but remained a Florida Panthers fan even though there were some horrid seasons for the first 14 years. It was tough to not switch alliances to the Preds or Canes, but loyalty ultimately paid off last season.

 

[Suntouchable13]

I'm the same (not Toronto, but a Montreal fan)....but what if you move to Utah next week. And they win the cup this year. And they even trade Auston Matthews there - who let's suppose is your favorite player, and he does great/wins a smythe.

And then - they win 2 more cups in next 4 years.

And Maple Leafs in meantime bottom out in standings, fire/trade a bunch of people, etc.

I'm just saying - it's not like you plan for it, sometimes it just happens over time because of circumstances.

I am not as attached to the players as I am to the crest and the city itself, so to speak. Utah, in this instance, could become my 2nd favouirte team but it won’t be the same connection as to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I originally thought you meant when the team relocates. But you mean the fans? They do but they shouldn't. You can't be a serious fan and do that in my view. Unless you're a kid.

I'm a big Giants fan but lived in Philly in 2018 when they won the Super Bowl and went to a Super Bowl party. I was rooting against the Eagles. There was some girl decked out in Eagles stuff. And someone asked her "you're originally from New York, why aren't you a Giants fan like Snowblind?" and she said "I was a Giants fan, now I'm an Eagles fan." That to me is taboo.

 

[HugeInTheShire]

I'm a Devils fan in Alberta, I've never been to New Jersey so if the Devils left, I'd just cheer for them wherever they are.

 

[Race Dawg]

Lived in Toronto for 17-years. NEVER once did I ever consider cheering for the Maple Leafs. Nope. Also lived in Nor Cal and while I attended the odd Sharks' game I watched primarily as a spectacular and quietly urged on the Sharks except when my Sens came to town.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I can't imagine ever being a fan of another team, even if I moved to that city. I literally have the Penguins tattooed on my body, so that would be a bit awkward lol.

 

[NYRfan85]

My Dad grew up in New Jersey and was a big Rangers fan before the Devils existed. Then in 1982, he did the unthinkable and switched from being a Rangers fan to a Devils fan, and has been a Devils fan ever since. He's taken a lot of crap from his friends over the years about it lol.

As for me, I was born/raised in Jersey, but have always been a Rangers fan (the first two games I ever attended were at MSG for the Rangers, and it stuck with me). Moved down to the Charlotte, NC metro area 16 years ago, but I couldn't imagine changing from being a Rangers, Jets, and Yankees fan. I'll pull for the Canes when it doesn't involve the Rangers, which was a lot easier prior to the 2013 realignment. And I'll pull for the Carolina Panthers as long as they're not playing the Jets or Giants because they're the local team. The locals here are all Braves fans, and I could never root for them.

 

[DaveG]

I moved to WNC in 2006, but remained a Florida Panthers fan even though there were some horrid seasons for the first 14 years. It was tough to not switch alliances to the Preds or Canes, but loyalty ultimately paid off last season.

Canes mostly being shit outside of 2006 until the past few years (when the Panthers got good as well) probably couldn't have helped.

 

[AvroArrow]

Not sure about switching but I have family the moved from Toronto to Edmonton/Vancouver, they're all Oilers + Canucks fans, Leafs secondary except one who went from die hard leafs to hating the Leafs and super die hard Canucks.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

Of course, but I think the usual mold is that a fan retains their fandom but picks up the new local team as a secondary team, and then their kids are raised to like both but grow to become fans of their local team for obvious reasons.

 

[Bottomshelf]

Based on my Region even younger Toronto games were blacked out or only on Saturday. Montreal was never blacked out, availability is a huge factor to me, if you can watch your favourite team (because you don’t like close to any) it makes it much easier to like them and cheer for them.

 

[Jugitsu]

Such an american thing to even consider. Never even crossed my mind.

 

[Hockeyville USA]

Because you're not in your old city/metro/state, you might feel less culturally tied to the team if you don't make the effort to follow the team even harder than before. When you're not in your hometown/region, you're less inundated with the media coverage/conversation about that team.

Over time, you're less connected and if the team in your new area is good, you might start to like them more. You might develop a 1A/1B team fandom, but I know that's controversial with some who believe "you're only allowed to root for 1 team per sport".

 

[dire wolf]

I moved to LA in 1996 and started going to Kings games and tried to become a fan. I had a 1/4 season ticket pack for a few years. It didn't really take. I still like the Kings and go to games, but I wasn't able to switch my allegiance. Partly that was because the Sabres were really and fun to root for in the Hasek and then Ryan Miller era. And part of it was that, before the Kings went on their Cup run, I had a hard time finding people who actually wanted to go to the games with me. On the other hand, I completely relinquished my allegiance to the Mets and root only for the Dodgers -- although I'm not really that big of a baseball fan. So, as someone pointed out earlier, it totally depends how invested you are in your team.

 

[Saga of the Elk]

This is the NHL where even if you don't relocate, some rich son of a bitch might just move your team for you.

It's a money league that feeds off undeserved loyalty.

Personally I was a North Stars fan until they moved, then I was an Oilers fan from living in Edmonton then they traded 1st and 2nd round picks for Griffin Reinhart and it's just been hard ever since.