Best Cities for Hockey Fans (2024)

While hockey may not have quite the draw of football, basketball or baseball, it’s still a big money maker. In fact, NHL revenue is expected to hit a record high $5.7 billion this season. It’s also an exciting time of year for hockey fans in the lead up to the Stanley Cup finals. The teams that have qualified are the Florida Panthers (0 Stanley Cup wins) and Vegas Golden Knights (0 Stanley Cup wins).

So for all the diehard and rookie fans, WalletHub crunched the numbers to determine the best places for hockey enthusiasts. We ranked 75 U.S. cities based on 21 key indicators of a good hockey city. Our data set ranges from ticket prices to stadium capacity to the performance level of each city’s teams.

Table of Contents

Main FindingsAsk the ExpertsMethodology

Main Findings

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Best Hockey Cities

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	NHL	NCAA
1	Boston, MA	61.02	2	1
2	Pittsburgh, PA	56.09	1	58
3	Detroit, MI	52.93	3	58
4	New York, NY	49.98	4	55
5	St. Louis, MO	49.08	5	58
6	Denver, CO	48.49	7	12
7	Tampa, FL	46.38	6	58
8	Newark, NJ	44.08	8	58
9	Sunrise, FL	43.51	10	58
10	Raleigh, NC	43.28	9	58
11	Buffalo, NY	42.36	12	42
12	St. Paul, MN	41.90	11	50
13	Washington, DC	39.07	13	58
14	Chicago, IL	38.54	14	58
15	Anaheim, CA	37.29	15	58
16	Philadelphia, PA	37.20	16	58
17	Dallas, TX	34.20	17	58
18	Glendale, AZ	34.02	18	58
19	Columbus, OH	32.76	22	34
20	Las Vegas, NV	31.47	19	58
21	Nashville, TN	30.95	20	58
22	San Jose, CA	30.56	21	58
23	Los Angeles, CA	28.82	23	58
24	Seattle, WA	26.34	24	58
25	Grand Forks, ND	20.87	25	2
26	Lewiston, NY	19.32	25	3
27	Houghton, MI	19.30	25	4
28	Ann Arbor, MI	19.24	25	5
29	West Point, NY	19.16	25	6
30	Hamilton, NY	19.01	25	7
31	Orono, ME	18.06	25	8
32	Big Rapids, MI	17.68	25	9
33	Potsdam, NY	17.64	25	10
34	Storrs, CT	17.55	25	11
35	Hanover, NH	17.12	25	13
36	Sault Ste. Marie, MI	16.64	25	14
37	State College, PA	15.97	25	15
38	Ithaca, NY	15.94	25	16
39	Durham, NH	15.55	25	17
40	Bowling Green, OH	15.52	25	18
41	Madison, WI	15.44	25	19
42	Bemidji, MN	15.32	25	20
43	New Haven, CT	14.54	25	21
44	Minneapolis, MN	14.34	25	22
45	Canton, NY	14.33	25	23
46	Colorado Springs, CO	14.31	25	24
47	Providence, RI	14.02	25	25
48	East Lansing, MI	13.93	25	26
49	Amherst, MA	13.37	25	27
50	Marquette, MI	13.05	25	28
51	Mankato, MN	12.92	25	29
52	Bridgeport, CT	12.87	25	30
53	St. Charles, MO	12.74	25	31
54	Cambridge, MA	12.64	25	32
55	Rochester, NY	12.50	25	33
56	Erie, PA	12.10	25	35
57	Duluth, MN	11.99	25	36
58	Waltham, MA	11.94	25	37
59	Springfield, MA	11.82	25	38
60	St. Cloud, MN	11.60	25	39
61	Lowell, MA	11.33	25	40
62	Schenectady, NY	11.30	25	41
63	Omaha, NE	11.18	25	43
64	South Bend, IN	10.68	25	44
65	Oxford, OH	10.66	25	45
66	North Andover, MA	10.60	25	46
67	Kalamazoo, MI	10.55	25	47
68	Troy, NY	10.48	25	48
69	Princeton, NJ	10.33	25	49
70	Fairbanks, AK	9.68	25	51
71	Anchorage, AK	9.61	25	52
72	Worcester, MA	9.25	25	53
73	Easton, MA	8.08	25	54
74	Tempe, AZ	8.05	25	56
75	Burlington, VT	6.37	25	57

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

NHL Teams Performance

Best

1. Boston, MA
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Denver, CO
4. Tampa, FL
5. Sunrise, FL

Worst

20. Chicago, IL
21. Columbus, OH
22. Glendale, AZ
23. San Jose, CA
24. Anaheim, CA

Best City vs. Worst City: 2x Difference

Boston, MA vs. Anaheim, CA

NCAA (Div. I Men's) Teams Performance

Best

1. Mankato, MN
2. Minneapolis, MN
3. Sault Ste. Marie, MI
4. Houghton, MI
5. Ithaca, NY

Worst

53. Hanover, NH
54. St. Charles, MO
55. Anchorage, AK
56. Oxford, OH
57. Burlington, VT

Best City vs. Worst City: 4x Difference

Mankato, MN vs. Burlington, VT

Avg. Ticket Price for NHL Game

Lowest

1. Sunrise, FL
2. Glendale, AZ
3. Buffalo, NY
4. Columbus, OH
5. Raleigh, NC

Highest

20. Nashville, TN
21. Boston, MA
22. Chicago, IL
23. Las Vegas, NV
24. Seattle, WA

Best City vs. Worst City: 3x Difference

Sunrise, FL vs. Seattle, WA

Ask the Experts

For additional insight about the business side of the sport, hockey fandom and more, we asked a panel of sports experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What are the biggest challenges facing the business of professional hockey today?
Do you have any tips for how hockey fans can enjoy the sport without breaking the bank?
In evaluating the best cities for hockey fans, what are the top five indicators?
With sports betting now federally legal, how will the Stanley Cup finals be affected?
What are the main issues for the NHL in 2023?

Ask the Experts

Vince Gennaro
Associate Dean and Clinical Associate Professor – NYU Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport
Read More

Nels Popp
Associate Professor - Sport Administration – University of North Carolina
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Rodney Paul
Professor of Sport Management, Director of Sport Analytics Program, Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics – Syracuse University
Read More

Brian L. Bourdeau
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Marketing, Raymond J. Harbert College of Business – Auburn University
Read More

Maureen Weston
Professor of Law, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law – Pepperdine University in collaboration with Nicholas Tsiouvaras – Former Student, Caruso School of Law
Read More

Wayne G. McDonnell
M.B.A. – Teaching Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise and Sport Science – University of North Carolina
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for hockey fans, WalletHub compared 75 U.S. cities across two divisional categories, NHL (Division I Men’s) and NCAA (Division I Men’s). For our sample, we chose cities with at least one college or professional hockey team.

We evaluated each divisional category using 21 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for hockey fans. The weight for each divisional category is based on its popularity, which we determined by summing the number of “Likes” for all the teams in each category and calculating the proportion that each league represents in total.

We then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to construct our final ranking.

NHL – Total Points: 80

Number of NHL Team(s): Full Weight (~9.41 Points)
Performance Level of NHL Team(s): Full Weight (~9.41 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total games played. We used the past three seasons’ average for this calculation.
Number of Stanley Cup Wins: Full Weight (~9.41 Points)
Number of NHL Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
Franchise Value: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
Note: This metric measures the team’s estimated value in millions of dollars.
Average Ticket Price for NHL Game: Full Weight (~9.41 Points)
NHL Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~9.41 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by adding the number of Twitter followers to the number of Facebook “Likes” per capita.
Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons (Seasons 2013-14 to 2022-23): Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
NHL Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.
Attendance: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing average home-fan attendance by stadium capacity.
NHL Regular Season and Local Ratings: Half Weight (~4.71 Points)

NCAA (Division I Men’s) – Total Points: 20

Number of NCAA (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Performance Level of NCAA (Division 1) Team(s): Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
Number of NCAA (Division 1) Championship Wins: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Number of NCAA (Division 1) Conference Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
Number of Hall of Fame Head Coaches: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
Minimum Season-Ticket Price for NCAA (Division 1) Game: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
College-Hockey Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~2.86 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by adding the number of Twitter followers to the number of Facebook “Likes” per capita.
Number of Coaches in Past 10 Seasons (Seasons 2013-14 to 2022-23): Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
College-Hockey Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~1.43 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, ESPN, NCAA.org, NHL.com, U.S. College Hockey Online, Forbes, Sports Business Journal, Facebook, Twitter, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Team Marketing Report and each team’s website.

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As an avid hockey enthusiast with a deep understanding of the sport and its dynamics, I can confidently break down the key concepts and indicators used in the provided article about the best cities for hockey enthusiasts. My expertise in hockey extends to both the professional and collegiate levels, allowing me to dissect the various metrics used to rank cities.

NHL Revenue and Record High: The article mentions that NHL revenue is expected to reach a record high of $5.7 billion. This reflects the financial success of the league, indicating its popularity and economic significance.
Stanley Cup Finals and Qualified Teams: The excitement leading up to the Stanley Cup finals is highlighted, with the qualified teams being the Florida Panthers and Vegas Golden Knights. The mention of their zero Stanley Cup wins emphasizes their pursuit of hockey's ultimate prize.
WalletHub Ranking Methodology: WalletHub used a comprehensive methodology to determine the best cities for hockey fans. The ranking considered 21 key indicators, including ticket prices, stadium capacity, and team performance.
Overall Rankings and Top Cities: The article presents the overall rankings of 75 U.S. cities for hockey enthusiasts. Boston, MA, secured the top spot with a total score of 61.02, followed by Pittsburgh, PA, and Detroit, MI.
NHL Teams Performance Ranking: The performance of NHL teams is assessed, with Boston, MA, Raleigh, NC, Denver, CO, Tampa, FL, and Sunrise, FL, being the top five cities. Chicago, IL, Columbus, OH, Glendale, AZ, San Jose, CA, and Anaheim, CA, are listed as the worst-performing cities.
NCAA Teams Performance Ranking: The article also ranks cities based on the performance of NCAA Division I Men's teams. Mankato, MN, Minneapolis, MN, Sault Ste. Marie, MI, Houghton, MI, and Ithaca, NY, are the top five cities, while Hanover, NH, St. Charles, MO, Anchorage, AK, Oxford, OH, and Burlington, VT, are the lowest-ranking cities.
Ticket Prices and Season Ticket Prices: The average ticket prices for NHL games and minimum season ticket prices for NCAA games are compared. Sunrise, FL, has the lowest average NHL ticket price, while St. Charles, MO, has the lowest minimum season ticket price for NCAA games.
Stadium Capacity: The article highlights the stadium capacities for both NHL and college hockey. Sunrise, FL, has the highest NHL stadium capacity, while Lewiston, NY, has the highest college hockey stadium capacity. On the other hand, New York, NY, has the lowest NHL stadium capacity.
Fan Engagement: WalletHub measures fan engagement using social media metrics. Pittsburgh, PA, and Sunrise, FL, tie for the highest NHL fan engagement, while Worcester, MA, has the lowest. In college hockey, Lewiston, NY, Hamilton, NY, Houghton, MI, Orono, ME, and Big Rapids, MI, share the top spot, with Worcester, MA, having the lowest engagement.
Expert Insights: The article includes insights from a panel of sports experts who address challenges in professional hockey, tips for enjoying the sport economically, top indicators for evaluating the best cities for hockey fans, the impact of sports betting on the Stanley Cup finals, and main issues for the NHL in 2023.
Methodology Details: The methodology used by WalletHub is explained in detail. It involves evaluating cities across two divisions (NHL and NCAA) using 21 metrics, each weighted based on its popularity. The metrics cover various aspects, including team performance, ticket prices, fan engagement, and stadium capacity.

In conclusion, this article provides a comprehensive overview of the best cities for hockey fans, incorporating a wide range of factors to assess the overall hockey experience in different locations.