Is hockey interest comparable in Minnesota to the canadian NHL cities?

Is hockey interest comparable in Minnesota to the canadian cities?

  • Yes it is comparable

    Votes: 11 17.2%
  • Yes and even bigger interest than some canadian NHL teams

    Votes: 21 32.8%
  • No it is not comparable to the canadian market

    Votes: 21 32.8%
  • Biggest USA market for hockey AND comparable to canadian teams/market

    Votes: 5 7.8%
  • Biggest USA market for hockey but NOT comparable to the canadian teams/market

    Votes: 13 20.3%
  • it is close but not enough to compare to the canadian teams/market

    Votes: 4 6.3%

  • Total voters
    64

Three On Zero

HF Designated Parking Instructor
Sponsor
Oct 9, 2012
32,541
31,478
Having lived in both Ottawa and Calgary somewhat recently (last decade), it's absolutely night and day between the two cities that I see compared often. Ottawa is far more of a hockey city.
Ottawas being a three way market end up downplaying it, to properly gauge it you need to include the fanbases for all 3
 

CanadienShark

Registered User
Dec 18, 2012
40,046
14,733
Cumulatively it likely rivals for biggest “market”, just a mixture of three fanbases
Ottawa is definitely a unique city. Obviously it has its "own" team, but given the nature of how it attracts people from all over the country and obviously proximity to Montreal (and Toronto to a lesser extent), it's a city that has fans from all over. All that to say, I think Ottawa is a very hockey-centric city.
 

McFlash97

Registered User
Oct 10, 2017
7,689
6,840
Minnesota is a passionate and large hockey market, definitely larger than Ottawa and Winnipeg and about as passionate. However the big 4 in Canada isn't being touched.
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,789
3,650
Ottawa & Winnipeg aren't really even debatable. Obviously Minnesota is far more populous than Manitoba, but either way Team Minnesota would wipe the floor with Team Manitoba these days and the Jets are closer to the University of Minnesota than the Wild in attendance.

What lol Ottawa is probably near the top of the list. There isn't much competition for hockey here.

The redblacks would be #2.
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,789
3,650
Pretty clearly behind Toronto/Edmonton/Montreal by a decent margin, and Vancouver to a lesser degree. Comparable to Calgary/Winnipeg/Ottawa. So not sure how to vote. It’s comparable to some markets, but not really to the Canadian market as a whole

Huh? I would have Ottawa ahead of Toronto big time.

We're talking percentage of the population that is into hockey.

In Toronto, they have way more immigrants than Ottawa percentage wise, and immigrants are less into hockey statistically speaking.

Toronto also has many other big options in town. Plenty of divided attention for sports with baseball with the Blue Jays, and basketball with the redblacks , and even MLS.

This isn't asking which city has more hockey fans, but rather ,which city has a bigger percentage of hockey fans. Atleast that's the way I'm understanding it.

A city with 500k people and 200k hockey fans is more of a hockey city than a city with 8 million people and 500k hockey fans even if the bigger city has twice as many hockey fans. Percentage wise, they're much lower. This means, when you meet someone in the streets they're less likely to be a hockey fan.

Is hockey number one in Minnesota? Are the sports radio talk shows focussed on hockey. If not, then it’s not the same as Canada. It’s a great state for hockey, that’s for sure, but unless hockey is by far the number one sport of interest it’s not comparable to Canada.

This is the best answer/question.

Like, I'm told Boston and Philly love hockey...yet when I go and tune into local sports radio or TV, I never see hockey... It's like a 2 minute segment at the end of their 30 min show...whereas in Canada, it's the opposite. It's all hockey for 28 minutes and then it's like "oh, heres the NBA scores"

So unless Minnesota sports radio and TV literally only cares about hockey and ignores the NFL, NBA, MLB, NASCAR, etc, then no, it's not as big as in Canada.
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,789
3,650
Behind Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton. If they didn’t have a NFL franchise they’d likely be ahead of both Vancouver and Edmonton.

Even with a NHL franchise they aren’t that far behind Edmonton.

View attachment 928339

This has nothing to do with the topic. This is about NHL teams popularity and nothing to do with where the fans are situated.

For example, a huge percentage of hockey fans in Ottawa cheer for the Leafs and Montreal. Even teams like Pittsburgh or Washington or Boston or Chicago or Detroit...

For every hockey fan who's a sens fan, you have 2 or 3 that are fans of other teams.

This isn't asking about senators fans, but rather Ottawa hockey fans. Well, in comparison to Minneapolis/st Paul.
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,789
3,650
Minnesota is a passionate and large hockey market, definitely larger than Ottawa and Winnipeg and about as passionate. However the big 4 in Canada isn't being touched.

I don't understand how you have Ottawa here..because of the senators? Lol

They're not asking if the sens have fans...they're asking what cities have hockey as #1 and by how much.


If not for hockey, what do you think Ottawa sports fans cheer for?

Are you downplaying the amount of Montreal and Toronto fans living in Ottawa? Everyone's a hockey fan in Ottawa...the problem is everyone cheers for different teams.

That's why using senators to judge is not a good idea at all. It's wildly inaccurate.
 

Golden_Jet

Registered User
Sep 21, 2005
26,072
13,472
Ottawa & Winnipeg aren't really even debatable. Obviously Minnesota is far more populous than Manitoba, but either way Team Minnesota would wipe the floor with Team Manitoba these days and the Jets are closer to the University of Minnesota than the Wild in attendance.
Oof what a bad take.
 

strattonius

Registered User
Jul 4, 2011
4,654
5,377
Surrey, BC
I don't think they are bigger than any Canadian fanbase.

All the Canadian teams are hockey 1st. On the radio, on the TV, the highlights ordering, social media, etc.

In Minnesota I'm sure it's mostly centered around the Vikings. I know hockey is great in Minnesota and I still don't think it's close.

Might upset some people but it's taken out of context. Like everyone from every fanbase on HF is a diehard fan and there's little to no difference between a Ducks or Leafs fan on here. But on a broader scale Canadian teams have a larger impact on their local communities. And if you disagree with that it's because you've never lived in both a Canadian major city and an American one for perspective and comparison.
 

Xirik

Registered User
Sep 24, 2014
9,904
14,688
Alberta
its option 2 and I for one enjoy that they are such a big Hockey of every kind State.

I find that I have more in common with Minnesotan's then some people from provinces to the east and west.
 

Gaylord Q Tinkledink

Registered User
Apr 29, 2018
33,376
36,601
If you are referring to active NHLers, you missed Brandt Clarke from "Nepean" and Calvin de Haan from "Carp", both of which are in Ottawa.

Historically, there are around 200 NHLers from the Ottawa valley alone.
Mason McTavish is also from Carp.

Team 1200 let me know that pretty much everyday during the world juniors.
Ya ok lol

Yep, also has a CHL either side of the river, has a junior A league, junior B league, CIS teams, PWHL

Also when WJC come to Ottawa they don’t need to split it between 2 cities.
CCHL which has a lot of NHLers that have played in it, even if just a handful of games has every team in around a 3 hour drive from Ottawa.




Minnesota would honestly be welcomed in Canada.



Everything I've heard about Minnesota is that it's Canada in the states.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Xirik

Three On Zero

HF Designated Parking Instructor
Sponsor
Oct 9, 2012
32,541
31,478
This has nothing to do with the topic. This is about NHL teams popularity and nothing to do with where the fans are situated.

For example, a huge percentage of hockey fans in Ottawa cheer for the Leafs and Montreal. Even teams like Pittsburgh or Washington or Boston or Chicago or Detroit...

For every hockey fan who's a sens fan, you have 2 or 3 that are fans of other teams.

This isn't asking about senators fans, but rather Ottawa hockey fans. Well, in comparison to Minneapolis/st Paul.
This makes no sense for wha the actual topic is about. Perhaps you’re confused
 

jbeck5

Registered User
Jan 26, 2009
16,789
3,650
This makes no sense for wha the actual topic is about. Perhaps you’re confused

It's hockey interest in the market...not hockey interest in the market for the home team.

That's why what YOU'RE saying makes no sense. Definitely isn't me who is confused.
 

biturbo19

Registered User
Jul 13, 2010
27,233
12,382
Cake eaters like Adam Banks will always try to avoid playing with kids living across the railroad tracks.

I think that's a big part of it.

Unlike Canada and the rest of the world where hockey is getting more and more expensive and unreachable for a lot of people, Minnesota is out there finding kids shooting pucks in back alleys and wherever. Like Canada used to.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad