Do fans ever switch teams when relocating?

[JD1]

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?

Another interesting perspective is growing up in Ottawa and getting a team (as opposed to moving to a new city with a different team)

Before the Sens, I'd guess the market was split
Habs 40%
Leafs 40%
With the other 20% sprinkled around leaning towards original 6 teams

Here we are 30 years later, I'd say most have switched allegiances and become Sens fans but there's absolutely a hard core that have remained faithful to their original team.

 

[Bourne Endeavor]

The last time I actually lived in Vancouver was 30 years ago ta 6 years old. I didn't even like hockey growing up but was introduced to it through my cousin who wanted to watch the Habs/Leafs game one night. He also LOVED the old NHL games which he got me into.

I've only been back to Vancouver a few times but outside loving the city what actually pushed me towards a second team was mostly trying to find one that was my own of sorts? At the time, Vancouver was just building towards their fast pace, aggressive style with all the swagger in the world and it just kind of clicked.

So I wound up just watching both the Habs and Canucks, though keep up with the latter more so.

 

[zenator]

I always like to cheer for the home team, so I became a Sens fan when I moved here in 1994, although they sure did suck then.

I'm from near the GTA, so I've always cheered for the Jays and Raptors, used to like the Expos too.

And for the NFL, I cheer for 1 of the 3 Canadian border teams, the Detroit Lions, always disliked the Bills, so it couldn't be them.

 

[Satans Hockey]

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.

Did you get into a fight at the arena or something? Lol I can't imagine building that much hatred for a team your team plays 2x a season and has never met in the finals or even a real meaningful game lol

 

[Nineteen67]

Didn’t switch but I added Nashville and watch almost every Preds game in addition to Leafs game. Carolina was in our TV region so watch a lot of their games too.

Nashville is a great story and if you wanted you could watch a hockey game at one of the downtown bars this afternoon, whereas 20 yrs ago that wasn’t the case.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Sure, especially if purchase season tickets, I could see it.

 

[Dotter]

Life long Wings fan here.

I moved to Denver Colorado in 1998/99 during the height of their rivalship. Wings were still #1 but I did support Avs as my #2. - it was a confusing time for me. LOL

Moved to Nashville in 2012. Detroit is still my #1 and Nashville is my #2. Tonight Wings vs. Nashville, gonna be an exciting game for me!

To me, moving cities makes NHL hockey as a whole even more fun!
I will never turn my back on DRWs!

 

[loosemoose]

The morally correct thing to do is to become an active hater towards the old team.

 

[Skeksis25]

Did you get into a fight at the arena or something? Lol I can't imagine building that much hatred for a team your team plays 2x a season and has never met in the finals or even a real meaningful game lol

I mean when all you hear around you is talk about a team you don't care about and people bragging about them, you develop an annoyance for them. And specially with the Devils, it was always whining about how the league hates them and how the refs are always against them and how nobody respects Marty despite him being so much better than Hasek and Roy. It all got very tiring. Specially coming from fans of a team that had seen quite a bit of success.

Heck, reading your comment has made me despise them even more.

 

[Satans Hockey]

I mean when all you hear around you is talk about a team you don't care about and people bragging about them, you develop an annoyance for them. And specially with the Devils, it was always whining about how the league hates them and how the refs are always against them and how nobody respects Marty despite him being so much better than Hasek and Roy. It all got very tiring. Specially coming from fans of a team that had seen quite a bit of success.

Heck, reading your comment has made me despise them even more.

I've never cared about any of that lol

I enjoy the passion though, let the hate flow through you lol

 

[DarrylshutzSydor]

They change favs when their team gets baby Eric!

 

[Pablo El Perro]

And as a side note to this, I have been debating coworkers about whether or not someone can easily switch team allegiance is a dating 'red flag', in that someone like that is more likely to be a cheater. It's fascinating the wide range of opinion on this.

I'd say it's a category error. Spouses and teams you're a fan of don't or maybe just shouldn't have the same level of commitment. But, maybe that's just me.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

Someone apparently doesn't remember the HF Boards Atlanta fan dispersal draft.

 

[Indrid Cold]

I mean when all you hear around you is talk about a team you don't care about and people bragging about them, you develop an annoyance for them. And specially with the Devils, it was always whining about how the league hates them and how the refs are always against them and how nobody respects Marty despite him being so much better than Hasek and Roy. It all got very tiring. Specially coming from fans of a team that had seen quite a bit of success.

Heck, reading your comment has made me despise them even more.

Duuuuuuuude, I am SO sick of all the endless 'is my player/team good?' threads. Like the 'Is Conner Bedard underrated?' thread. I cringe when I see another post about McDavid or Mathews. Now we will be inundated by posts about Lane Hutson being the greatest.

 

[NYRfan85]

There's an easy response to that, the Rags have 1 cup since WW II, the Devils have three.

That's pretty much the response he throws back at them (and me)!

 

[PavelBrendl]

I was born in Montreal and will always be a Habs fan. I briefly lived in Winnipeg, went to see a few games and cheered for the Jets, and still have a bit of a soft spot for them. I've even got a vintage Patrik Laine jersey to prove it. I also lived in Toronto for a while and that definitely did not happen. If anything, living in Toronto made me hate the Leafs more.

I've now got a transfer to Vancouver in the works, and do plan on cheering on the local team. I think a lot of it has to do with how much you enjoy the city and your experience as a fan there. I've been to a Canucks game before (amazing seats, but the team blew chunks in a 5-1 loss to the Kings) and I had a great time. I'm totally cool with having an Eastern team and a Western team. But I think whenever the Habs are in town, I'll still be cheering for them.

 

[triggrman]

The early Preds fans base was practically built on old Red Wings fans. Its the reason in those early years when they would come into town the Wings kind of took over. It's also why you will often see several Preds guys floating around that have a combo of Detroit and Nashvile in their name of avatar. Its less now than it used to be simply because it has become more of a home grown fan base over the years.

Honestly, I was a DRW fan until the puck dropped in 1998.

 

[Marlowe Syn]

Depends on who's the one relocating.

When my North Stars packed bags for Dallas in 1993 they were all but dead to me. So I adopted Hartford. Well guess what happened? As I wasn't as emotionally invested in Hartford I maintained my still young loyalty to the franchise. Still a Canes fan today. Along with the Wild.

If I am relocating then my loyalties likely stand. I've lived in other markets, but didn't adopt them as my team. I might have a little more interest/knowledge in/of the team, but usually won't jump the fence.

I got my teams I am loyal to, along with the teams I will never like. The rest are subject to geographic bias, rosters, prospect & even coaching staff to a degree.

Sometimes a team has their own unique story line and I give them a little extra love over the course of the season. Like Columbus this year.

 

[Ratsreign]

A lot would depend on where you move.. you’re not going to start rooting for a lifelong hated rival because of relocating to the rival’s territory.
For many, the new local team becomes team #2, any rivalry with team #1 permitting, of course.

 

[AtlantaWhaler]

Growing up in Connecticut, I was a big Sox and Pats fan (hockey got complicated).

Moved to Atlanta in 2001 and didn't give a shit about local sports until about 2007ish. The more broadcasts I watched and live games I went to, I slowly became a fan.

Once I started raising kids who also became local sports fans, Atlanta teams overtook the New England teams as favorites.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I tried rooting for SJ equally with Buffalo when I moved there- no rivalry/conflict and both teams sucked (and still do!). I think it’s perfectly fine, but when I went to a Sabres/sharks game I found myself rooting for the Sabres. It’s, like, hard-boiled, ingrained, whereas I just somewhat like the Sharks.

 

[StammerHammer]

I was raised in the Detroit area and went to my first Red Wings game when I was 8 years old. I was a Red Wings fan from that point. Fast forward about 3 decades and we moved to the Tampa area in 1981. I remained a Wings fan but it was hard to follow them without the local media. When the Lightning showed up in the early 90s I didn't care much about hockey anymore but still counted the Wings as my team. Then 2004 happened. Went to several of the playoff games and got hooked on the Lightning when they won the cup that year.
I still had the Wings as my second team because they were in the Western conference and there wasn't any rivalry with the Lightning at that point. When the Wings got moved to the Atlantic division it was game over for them with my allegiance.

True blue Lightning fan since 2004 with obviously no regrets.

 

[Edgelord]

I can't envision a time when I'm not a Leafs fan, but when it comes to Jr hockey, I switch all the time.