The NHL’s Best and Worst … Fans

As hockey fans, we all have an obligation to our favorite team. Certain fans take more pride in being fans than others. Here is a list of which teams have the best and worst fans in the NHL. The list is based on attendance numbers, as well as loyalty and dedication, not only to each individual team, but to the NHL.

Five Best:

1. Montreal Canadiens — The Canadiens have a strong hockey history that includes a record 24 Stanley Cup Championships. They also have the largest arena in the NHL and they have sold out every game this season — all 21,273 seats. However, numbers alone do not get a team into the top spot on this countdown. Montreal has the most devoted fans in the league; these are fans that know and love the game of hockey. Earlier in the season, NHL fan Steve Williamson lived out his dream by visiting all 30 arenas in 30 consecutive nights, giving him a great perspective on the fans in each city. “As far as atmosphere, Montreal was the best, without a doubt. It was unbelievable,” Williamson told ESPN’s David Amber. “During the game itself, the fans followed every nuance of every shift. It was like watching a tennis match where every fan was keyed in to every play. I loved it there.”

2. Buffalo Sabres — HSBC Arena in Buffalo holds 18,595 fans. So then how do the Sabres average 20,603 fans per game? The beauty of HSBC Arena is that standing room has been made available. Throughout the season the Sabres have averaged over 1,000 fans that are willing to stand for an entire game, not an easy task; but that is nothing compared to the 5,000-plus Buffalo fans that stood outside of the HSBC Arena last season during the playoffs to watch the game on a 10-foot TV screen set up in the parking lot. After several of the Sabres’ playoff games sold out, the front office decided to reward the fans who had gotten shut out of tickets by letting them watch the game on a jumbotron for free.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs — The hockey history in Toronto is rivaled by very few other clubs. It is one of the NHL’s original six, and it has been said that to get a seat in certain parts of the Air Canada Centre, the tickets must be inherited. Regardless of the fact that Toronto has not made the playoffs in two seasons and has not won a Stanley Cup since the 1966-1967 season, the Maple Leafs have still sold out every game this season. The Leafs also have the fifth-highest attendance average in the NHL. Loyalty is a statistic that is hard to measure, but you can see it in the hundreds of thousands in Toronto that still stick by their team.

4. Minnesota Wild — When the Minnesota North Stars were shipped to Dallas in 1993, it appeared as if Minnesota wouldn’t see another hockey team for a while. But in the year 2000, after years of fans demanding a new team, the state was rewarded with the Wild. This season the Wild have sold out every home game. The Wild’s home is the Xcel Energy Center, a fitting name because there isn’t a louder arena in the league. Minnesota fans truly love the game of hockey, and will most likely be rewarded with an outdoor game sometime in the near future.

5. Philadelphia Flyers — 22-48-12; that is the Flyer’s record from last season, the worst in franchise history and a big reason why attendance should have gone down, yet it hasn’t. The Flyers finished seventh in attendance last season. They were even ahead of the Stanley Cup Champion Anaheim Ducks. In a lot of other cities, attendance would have crumbled and talks would have begun to arise about relocation (cough, Islanders, cough, cough), but the Philly faithful did not falter. This season the Flyers’ attendance is back up to fourth, the team is in a good position to make the playoffs and the fans are more than happy with their team’s performance.

Five Worst:

1. New York Islanders — If the NHL were a “Bizzaro World,” then the Islanders would be the “Bizzaro” counterpart to the Canadiens. The Islanders sit in ninth place in the Eastern Conference with 67 points and are still averaging a league-worst 13,378 fans per game. But this countdown is not all about numbers. During a game against the Rangers on March 8, 2007, at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the Islanders’ Chris Simon took his stick and swung it at the Rangers’ Ryan Hollweg, striking him in the face and knocking him to the ice. Hollweg was lucky enough to escape the injury with only two stitches. However, directly after the hit, Islanders fans across the Coliseum stood up and cheered, without knowing if Hollweg was seriously hurt. There is a certain level of class and respect involved with hockey, and that level is never reached at the Coliseum.

2. Nashville Predators — The fan base just isn’t strong. It took a group of 30 investors to keep the team in Nashville for the ongoing season, and the way attendance is going, the Preds won’t be around much longer. Nashville currently has the fourth worst attendance in the league and the fans have no enthusiasm for the sport, making it obvious that they just don’t want the team kept in the city. It certainly looks like the Predators’ train will be leaving Nashville. Next stop: Hamilton, Ontario.

3. New Jersey Devils — The Devils have won three Stanley Cups since the 1994-1995 season, but after consecutive low-turnout seasons, the Devils finally opened their brand new arena, the Prudential Center. The Prudential Center is a state-of-the-art arena with some amazing technology, including a 4,800-square foot LED screen, one of the largest in the world. But the new venue has helped the Devils draw in just 15,201 per game — a mere 1,100 more than last season. That certainly seems like a good way to waste $375 million.

4. Florida Panthers — The attendance percentage for the Panthers this season is the lowest in the NHL — 77.1 percent. That might have something to do with the fact that the Panthers have not made the playoffs since the 1999-2000 season. “In Florida for the Panthers game, it was quiet and a small crowd,” Williamson said after his trip around the NHL. “You just didn’t get the feeling there were a lot of real hockey fans.” Panthers fans just aren’t dedicated, but at least in Florida it’s almost justified with a poor record.

5. Washington Capitals — With a star like Alexander Ovechkin, Washington fans already have one great reason to enjoy the game. But even with Ovechkin, Washington is averaging the second worst attendance percentage in the league at 77.9 percent. “Washington was really sad,” Williamson said. “It was a Saturday night, there was a small crowd. It was quiet. Just didn’t feel like hockey there.” The Caps are averaging 14,536 fans a game. Really sad, indeed.