Ranking of NHL teams popularity (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular team in the NHL? ›

1 Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League as a member club of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division.

Pittsburgh Penguins fans have been named the most passionate fans in the NHL - and no. 9 overall in pro sports - according to ratings published at forbes.com.

The Maple Leafs lead all NHL franchises in losses (2,850).

1. Montreal Canadiens. The Montreal Canadiens have the most passionate and loyal fan base in hockey.

For the record, confirmed with the Bruins, Boston has sold out 540 consecutive games. Tampa Bay does not have the longest sellout streak in the NHL. Jack we love you to cover our back.

Pittsburgh Penguins: Longest NHL Sellout Streak of All Time

In 2005, Michael Therrien was hired as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby was the NHL's No. 1 draft pick, ushering the beginning of a new era for the struggling franchise. The Penguins wouldn't struggle for long, though.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have always been one of the great American teams in the NHL and have always produced some of the best and most knowledgeable fans in the game.

Which NHL arena has the best ice? ›

Montreal's Bell Centre has topped the list of NHL arenas with the best ice according to the annual National Hockey League Players Association's (NHLPA) Player Poll for 2023. A total of 176 NHL players were polled in this category and agreed that the home of the Montreal Canadiens had the best ice quality.

Ice hockey is traditionally popular in Massachusetts (and New England in general), Michigan, New York (especially Upstate New York) and Minnesota within the United States. Minnesota is known as the hockey capital of the US.

The Arizona Coyotes are the least valuable team in the National Hockey League, according to a new report by Forbes. The financial publication publishes a list every year ranking the NHL franchises by their valuation, and in the 2021 list, which was published last week, the Coyotes came in dead last.

The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen a decline in viewership in recent years. One reason for the decline in viewership may be the lack of a national broadcast deal in the United States.

1. Bob Probert. Bob Probert racked up 3,300 penalty minutes in his career and it took him just 935 games. For comparison, the players ahead of him totaled 3,381 PIM in 961 games, 3,515 PIM in 1020 games, 3,565 PIM in 1,407 games and then “Tiger” Williams who blew everyone else away with 3,971 PIM in just 962 games.

PNC Arena is known as "the loudest house in the NHL" thanks to 19,000 very vocal fans.

What NHL team does Montana root for? ›

What NHL Team Does Montana Root For? Montana is a smaller state (fourth smallest population), so it's a long way off from having its own NHL team. However, The Treasure State still has an active NHL fanbase. The most popular NHL team for Montanans is the Colorado Avalanche.

Auston Matthews is a 25-year-old forward from San Roman, California, who plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL).

The "Miracle on Manchester" remains the biggest single-game comeback in Stanley Cup playoffs history. The Kings clawed their way back from a 5-0 deficit to start the third period to win the game in overtime. Despite the upset against the Oilers, the Kings were eliminated in the next round by the Vancouver Canucks, 4-1.

To discover the biggest comeback in the history of NHL playoffs we need to go back to 1982, to the game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. Known as the Miracle on Manchester, this was the third game in the series, with the score before it standing at 1-1.

The Oilers traded Gretzky to the LA Kings. The trade was Gretzky, Marty McSorely (D) and Mike Krushelnyski (C/LW), for Jimmy Carson (C), Martin Gelinas (LW), the Kings first-round draft picks in 1989, 1991 and 1993, along with $15 million in cash.

The Devils expected 11,247 fans -- the number of tickets sold -- for the game. But with horrible weather causing severe traffic congestion, only 334 fans made it to the arena, which is believed to be the lowest-attended game in modern NHL history.

The distinction is shared by both Toronto, Ontario and Edmonton, Alberta! That's right. Fifty-four players that are currently active on NHL teams come from either Toronto or Edmonton.

Hockey peaked in 1994 when the Rangers won the Stanley Cup. It was a great Cup Final. It had a big market team ending a curse.

2023 Stanley Cup Finals

Last season, Carolina Hurricanes fans reminded the hockey world that PNC Arena is the Loudest House in the NHL. The playoffs are a little different this year, but the passion and energy of Caniacs remains the same. Share videos and photos of you and your family cheering on the Canes from home.

Wayne Gretzky: Gordie Howe was the 'best player ever'

Who is Wayne Gretzky favorite player? ›

Wayne Gretzky remembers his idol, the late Gordie Howe.

Bridgestone Arena strikes the most fear into opposing players of any building in the NHL.

Montreal's Bell Centre is the largest arena in the NHL with a seating capacity of 21,302. Uniondale's Nassau Coliseum is the smallest arena with a seating capacity of 13,900.

Producing the largest amount of American-born National Hockey League talent has long been part of the lore of Minnesota hockey. Minnesota has produced nearly 60 more NHL players than the next closest state, Massachusetts, and nearly 100 more than the third place state of Michigan.

Football - America's Favorite Sport to Watch and Follow

According to Gallup.com, 37% of U.S. adults picked football as their favorite sport to watch. Football has been the favorite since 1972.

Ice Hockey- 22.1%

He retired following the 1987–88 IHL season. Bill McCreary is most remembered for his open ice hit on Wayne Gretzky on January 3, 1981. The myth that McCreary never played another shift in the NHL is false – the January 3 game was McCreary's second game in his 12-game NHL career.

1974-75 Washington Capitals (8-67-5)

Another "sequel" for a franchise on this list. The Capitals' inaugural 1974-75 season still stands as the single worst NHL record in league history.

What NHL team has the smallest city? ›

Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL; it was also the second-smallest major-league city in North America, behind only Green Bay, Wisconsin; home of the National Football League's Green Bay Packers.

Part of the challenge for both the Bulldogs and Nordiques was that Quebec City was by far the smallest market in the NHL. According to the Television Bureau of Canada, a prospective Quebec City team would now be in the league's second-smallest market, ahead of only Winnipeg.

Post retirement, Gretzky became part owner of the NHL team, the Phoenix Coyotes. He bought 10% stake back in May 2000 and became the team?s coach from October 2005 to September 2009. In 2016, he also became the vice-chairman and partner of the Oilers Entertainment Group.

According to an extensive study done by ESPN called Sports Skills Difficulty, ice hockey ranks second behind only boxing among the 60 sports measured. Football is ranked third, basketball fourth, baseball ninth and soccer tenth.

NFL vs NHL: Summary

There's no real comparison between the NFL and the NHL when it comes to which league draws more fans and which creates more revenue – the NFL is the hands-down winner of that competition since the NHL's numbers are just a fraction of its football counterpart.

Football players aren't allowed to resort to fisticuffs at any point during a match, receiving huge punishments for doing so. On the other hand, NHL players involved in fighting only receive penalties, leading many sports fans to argue that hockey is the toughest sport out of the two.

The Dallas Cowboys had the highest total home attendance during the NFL regular season in 2022 – 841,192 spectators attended their eight regular season home games.

The team that has the highest attendance for their road games is the New York Yankees. They have an average attendance of forty-nine thousand fans per game. The Yankees also have the most sold out road games, with a total of sixty-seven.

The Ottawa Senators, for instance, have had declining attendance for several years now while enduring a rebuild, a fan disconnect with ownership, a failed proposal to build a new downtown arena and the departure of countless top players, Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau among them.

Which sport has the most fans in attendance? ›

Average attendance of major US sports leagues 2023

The average attendance in the NFL in the 2022 season stood at almost 70 thousand fans. This made it the highest attended professional sports league in North America.

According to several reports, the Jacksonville Jaguars have the least fans, among all 32 NFL teams.

There is only one team in NFL history to go undefeated, and every NFL fan will know their name. They were the Dolphins.

Hockey is a popular sport in many countries, including Canada, the United States, and Europe. The sport is growing in popularity, especially among young people.

Average NHL Attendance by Season

The drop from 17,157 in 2019-20 to 15,780 in 2021-22 should not be surprising, as the pandemic is still surely impacting the willingness of fans to attend sporting events.

Ice hockey is a worldwide sport that is particularly popular in the United States and Canada thanks to the prominence of the National Hockey League (NHL). According to a survey conducted in December 2021, around 12 percent of all respondents were avid fans of the NHL in the United States.

Why isn't hockey as popular as other sports? ›

Many families simply cannot afford to have a child to play hockey. Some people don't have easy access to a hockey rink. Ice time can be pricey, and there may be select hours to practice. Markoulis also said the marketability of the NHL's top prospects is lagging when compared with basketball, baseball and football.