Define "fan base". Folks who are there through thick and thin or fair weather fans? Folks who actually follow the progress of a team, or who are just generally aware of their existence? Folks who pay to watch a game if not locally televised or those who just take notice when the team is mentioned on social media? Folks who will drop $200 on a jersey or those who will drop $8 on a knockoff logo shirt on the discount table at Wal-Mart? An 8-year old kid who just bought a logo cap or a 80-year old fan with a box of logo caps? The guy who will watch a game at the bar if it is on, or the guy who asks the bartender to put the game on so that he can watch it?
I don't think it matters.. how do you even survey that?
some people on here are trying to complicate things. Fans=Following who gives a shit if a fan base is more spread around in the country? what a stupid argument.
Reddit:
Canucks: 99.2k (bigger than Montreal)
Oilers: 51.2k
Flames 46.3k
Twitter:
Canucks: 1.1m
Oilers: 920k (It had a surge since getting McDavid and Dry, but it was around 650-750k pre Mcdavid)
Flames: 683k (can't even crack 700k for the longest time)
CDC is one of the most active official NHL forum out there, I challenge anyone in here to show me a more active one.
Our fan base is so big we have hfboards posters and CDC posters, yes there's a difference and they hate each other.
The Canucks also have a lot more celebrity fans than the ones in Aberta and that matters because they expose the Canucks to their audience.
Micheal Buble, Ryan Reynolds, Carrie-Anne Moss, Colbie Smulders just to name a few.
when or if the Canucks go back to being an elite team, you will see the real size of Canuck nation.