Which top ten NHL cities are the most hockey crazy right now?
- Thread starter yzerman
- Start date
Detroit is still Detroit, and they still love their team. Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto, Pittsburgh and Chicago are all in the top, Bruins too.
tony d
New poll series coming from me in June
1. Toronto
2. Montreal
3. Edmonton
4. Pittsburgh
5. New York
6. Detroit
7. Boston
8. Philadelphia
9. Vancouver
10. Winnipeg
2. Montreal
3. Edmonton
4. Pittsburgh
5. New York
6. Detroit
7. Boston
8. Philadelphia
9. Vancouver
10. Winnipeg
I don't know how you define Hockey Crazy. Is it just support for the local NHL team? Is it actively supporting AHL/CHL/USHL franchises near by? Is it having a vibrant youth Hockey program that is producing NHLers?
For example, Nashville absolutely meets criteria 1, but not really 2 and 3. Toronto meet criteria 1, not really 2 (we have been knocked for not supporting minor/junior league teams), but produces the most young NHLers of any city in the world. Places like Boston probably meet all 3 but the Patriots are probably still the biggest ticket in town, but they produce players and have a vibrant college hockey scene. Montreal was a disaster for the WJC, but the Habs are still rabidly supported, although they haven't produced many NHL stars recently.
So depending on how you want to define it, you can get a bunch of different answers. I mean, The Red Wings are bad, but there are a bunch of young Detroit area players breaking through like Werenski, Larkin, Trouba and Kyle Connor at the moment, and MSU and Michigan are still sizable programs with good support.
For example, Nashville absolutely meets criteria 1, but not really 2 and 3. Toronto meet criteria 1, not really 2 (we have been knocked for not supporting minor/junior league teams), but produces the most young NHLers of any city in the world. Places like Boston probably meet all 3 but the Patriots are probably still the biggest ticket in town, but they produce players and have a vibrant college hockey scene. Montreal was a disaster for the WJC, but the Habs are still rabidly supported, although they haven't produced many NHL stars recently.
So depending on how you want to define it, you can get a bunch of different answers. I mean, The Red Wings are bad, but there are a bunch of young Detroit area players breaking through like Werenski, Larkin, Trouba and Kyle Connor at the moment, and MSU and Michigan are still sizable programs with good support.
We could say the cities which have the overall biggest hockey interest right now including everything like how "crazy the interest is right now for your team and results that could impact the interest as well.But also history as well of course makes a difference also.
BayStreetBully
Registered User
The city of Toronto always pays attention to the Leafs, regardless of how they're doing, but there is no fervor when the team is hopeless. The fervor is coming back, but it's not yet at the level it was in the 90's or early 00's, when the Leafs had semi contenders during the Sundin years. When the team is playing at the level of at least a conference finalist, the city is a fun place to be for a Leafs fan and also the Leafs players.
The city might be at that level again as soon as next playoffs, but if not next year, it'll be there soon. That's also around the time that local teens who chose to cheer for another team like Pittsburgh become Leafs fans, and act like they've been Leafs fans all along. Which is a good thing, considering that on some unconscious level, they always were.
Baemon Severson*
N1CO!!!
Philadelphia and NY shouldn't be on this list. They get no air time on their radio stations.
Buffalo, Boston, Minnesota, Detroit and Pittsburgh are all significantly ahead
Buffalo, Boston, Minnesota, Detroit and Pittsburgh are all significantly ahead
PlamsUnlimited
Big Church Bells
Maybe not airtime but when I walk through neighborhoods/get on the train there's a lot of Rangers stuff in Windows/people with clothes and accessories. The problem with airtime is that cities like Philly and NY have 4+ teams and football/baseball are just more popular but that doesn't mean the people like hockey any less there. That and a lot of places who do hockey on air are hacks and just say any BS that comes to mind AKA 85% of Buffalo's hockey coverage presence.
Unless you really live in all the cities or visit them in on a regular basis then it is hard to judge.
Certain criteria I would use is -comparison to other local teams.
Toronto-even in the off season more people care about the Leafs than Blue Jays. The raps and Blue Jays are nowhere near close tot the popularity the Leafs and other hoecky teams have. Lets also consider Toronto has not had a winiing team in 50 years and their fans are still supporting like crazy.
Montreal-Hockey mad. No other local competition.
American cities are different. How many cities have the hockey team #1? Maybe Detroit. Now will that change the next couple of years with the rebuild.
Certain criteria I would use is -comparison to other local teams.
Toronto-even in the off season more people care about the Leafs than Blue Jays. The raps and Blue Jays are nowhere near close tot the popularity the Leafs and other hoecky teams have. Lets also consider Toronto has not had a winiing team in 50 years and their fans are still supporting like crazy.
Montreal-Hockey mad. No other local competition.
American cities are different. How many cities have the hockey team #1? Maybe Detroit. Now will that change the next couple of years with the rebuild.
Why are people putting Vancouver in this list? Everytime I go there it seems like the Canucks are an afterthought.
Jacques The Mayor
Registered User
I don't know how anybody doesn't have Minnesota in their top 5. Hockey is played at every level in Minnesota. Every park has a hockey rink in the winter with countless people playing games everyday. Neighbors set up rinks that overlap plot lines just so they can have a bigger sheet of ice. It's literally everywhere you look in the winter.
Buffalo is without a doubt top 10. Last year I think I remember seeing something saying that the most viewers for the 2016 Stanley Cup other than the Sharks fans and the Pens fans were Sabres fans. We aren't the biggest city but literally everybody here loves hockey. We also had the draft here in 2016 and the combine is always in Buffalo. Not to mention that the Winter Classic this year is a home game for us and some big hockey tournament was/is being hosted here.
Royal Thunder
Frolunda Mode
- Feb 21, 2012
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Buffalo continued to have the best tv ratings in America even when tanking and in 30th place. It's gonna be crazy there now that the team appears ready to turn the corner finally.
Buffalo deserves more love, they get very good TV ratings.
BagHead
Registered User
Minnesota, the largest city on Earth. 
I think most of the Canadian teams should be represented here, if not all. After that, it begins to depend on how you define "hockey crazy". I'm sure Pittsburgh is pretty excited these days for hockey. Chicago I know is similar at the moment, but hasn't always been in the past. Nashville's got to be feeling it a bit too these days. Turns out winning creates fans.
I think most of the Canadian teams should be represented here, if not all. After that, it begins to depend on how you define "hockey crazy". I'm sure Pittsburgh is pretty excited these days for hockey. Chicago I know is similar at the moment, but hasn't always been in the past. Nashville's got to be feeling it a bit too these days. Turns out winning creates fans.
PK Cronin
Bailey Fan Club Prez
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New York isn't hockey crazed at all. The Rangers and Islanders are both ignored when compared to every other team. Even the Brooklyn Nets get more coverage than they do.
Philadelphia gives some time to the Flyers, but not much. They still emphasize on the Eagles and the Sixers whenever I'm listening.
New York radio has less than 1% of their time dedicated to hockey.
- Sep 28, 2014
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The problem is that he is a notorious Flyers hater and seeing neutral fans list the city as a hockey city triggered him so hard he probably had an aneurysm.
I'm sure he is just thrilled that..
Philadelphia was 6th in attendance in 2016-2017 despite being a non-playoff team.
http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=2017
..and that Philadelphia had the 3rd highest ratings for the Finals for non-participating markets, behind only Buffalo and Minnesota.
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...final-on-record-without-an-original-six-team/
...and I am sure it gives him great pleasure in knowing that the Flyers are one of two teams that have two top 10 best selling jerseys.
http://shop.nhl.com/pages/Top_Selling_Jerseys
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Thordic
StraightOuttaConklin
- Jul 12, 2006
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It's actually getting better, to be honest. I still wouldn't list NYC as hockey crazed by any means, but I've noticed a sizeable uptick in the amount of radio coverage I've heard on ESPN Radio during the season.
PK Cronin
Bailey Fan Club Prez
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New York is also one of the most densely populated areas in the world. It'd be weird to not see a lot of that stuff. That doesn't mean the city is crazed for hockey though, at least to me. It's a great market, simply because there are a lot of people and the mystique surrounding MSG.
When I think of crazy hockey areas right now, it's in places like Winnipeg, Nashville, etc. New York simply doesn't compare. There are too many other teams to focus on that unless one of the teams is in the midst of a run, nobody really pays attention.
PK Cronin
Bailey Fan Club Prez
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Outside of Hahn and Humpty I don't ever hear it mentioned. Granted, I moved out of the area (to the Philly market) so I don't get to listen as often as I used to. Boomer and Carton will chit chat about it here and then, but it's mostly Boomer mentioning the Rangers or particular players they know and then Carton pushes toward something else because he says hockey is boring and nobody cares.
Sadly, he's not wrong, even though I'm part of the small percentage of people who do.
- Sep 28, 2014
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The personal preferences of the radio hosts in Philadelphia, who at the moment happen to not be Hockey guys, is why you don't hear a lot about them on the radio. Twitter is where Flyers hockey is discussed amongst the real fans and there is a massive following with numerous excellent blogs (Sons of Penn, Broad Street Hockey, Philly is Flyer, etc) that have press credentials that provide great coverage. Personally the lackluster radio coverage doesn't bother me, because I don't listen to the radio anyway. I much prefer music when driving
Baemon Severson*
N1CO!!!
The problem is that he is a notorious Flyers hater and seeing neutral fans list the city as a hockey city triggered him so hard he probably had an aneurysm.
I'm sure he is just thrilled that..
Philadelphia was 6th in attendance in 2016-2017 despite being a non-playoff team.
http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=NHL1927&sid=2017
..and that Philadelphia had the 3rd highest ratings for the Finals for non-participating markets, behind only Buffalo and Minnesota.
http://nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com/2...final-on-record-without-an-original-six-team/
...and I am sure it gives him great pleasure in knowing that the Flyers are one of two teams that have two top 10 best selling jerseys.
http://shop.nhl.com/pages/Top_Selling_Jerseys
All thing being equal, the Flyers are probably the #4. You'll see it when the Sixers finally put it together. There's certainly a buzz about them. The Flyers have a small (comparatively speaking in the area) but dedicated base. Tell
