2022’s best cities for hockey fans (2024)

GREENVILLE, N.C. — Like all sports, hockey was greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fortunately for hockey fans, its revenue is projected over $5 billion for the 2021-2022 season, which is a record number. This is great news for hockey fans in the lead-up to the Stanley Cup semifinals. The qualifying teams are the

  • Colorado Avalanche (2 Stanley Cup wins)
  • Edmonton Oilers (5 Stanley Cup wins)
  • Tampa Bay Lightning (3 Stanley Cup wins)
  • New York Rangers (4 Stanley Cup wins)

Rangers oust Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 7, reach Eastern finals

WalletHub took a survey to determine the best places for hockey enthusiasts, ranking 72 US cities based on 21 key indicators of a good hockey city. The data set ranges from ticket prices to stadium capacity, to the performance level of each city’s teams.

2022’s best cities for hockey fans (1)

Night to remember: Canes win, take 3-2 series lead

The Colorado Avalanche’s performance level is two times better than the Detroit Red Wings, with the Minnesota State Mavericks’ performance level being nine times better than the St. Thomas Tommies.

Sunrise, Florida, has the lowest average ticket price for an NHL game, coming out to $37, whereas Chicago has the highest, at $109.

Dallas has the highest attendance rate for NHL games at 113%, and Sunrise, Florida falls at only 82%.

New York has the highest team franchise value, $1.475 billion, while Glendale, Arizona, is at $400 million.

The top 20 cities for hockey fans:

  • Boston, MA
  • Pittsburgh, PA
  • Detroit, MI
  • St. Louis, MO
  • New York, NY
  • Denver, CO
  • Buffalo, NY
  • Tampa, FL
  • Newark, NJ
  • Sunrise, FL
  • Chicago, IL
  • Raleigh, NC
  • St. Paul, MN
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Washington, DC
  • Anaheim, CA
  • Dallas, TX
  • Las Vegas, NV
  • Glendale, AZ
  • San Jose, CA
2022’s best cities for hockey fans (2024)

FAQs

What are the potential NHL cities to relocate? ›

During the 2024 All-Star Weekend, commissioner Gary Bettman publicly listed six cities that had expressed interest in expansion; besides the aforementioned Atlanta, Houston, and Salt Lake City, commissioner Bettman also noted that groups from Cincinnati, Kansas City, and Omaha had reached out to the league.

Where is hockey more popular? ›

Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, where it is the national winter sport and arguably the country's most popular game. Hockey is also popular in the United States and in European countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland.

Does Utah have an NHL team? ›

SALT LAKE CITY -- NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sat onstage at Delta Center on Friday with Ryan and Ashley Smith, the owners of Utah's new NHL team. There were NHL logos on the outside of the arena and “NHL IN UTAH” signs inside. Thousands of seats surrounded a fresh sheet of ice.

Is Boston a hockey town? ›

The phrase "hockey town" has also been applied to Boston, Massachusetts; Buffalo, New York; Dallas, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Saint Paul, Minnesota; Pardubice, Czech Republic; Sarpsborg, Norway; and Skellefteå, Sweden.

What city is most likely to get an NHL team? ›

The 71-year-old says groups from Houston, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Kansas City have reached out to the league. The city with the strongest proposal — according to Bettman — has been Salt Lake City along with Utah Jazz owner and billionaire Ryan Smith.

What is the largest city in the US without an NHL team? ›

Houston has been the largest U.S. city without an NHL team since 1967, when the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers joined the league. In that expansion, the NHL doubled in size from six to 12 teams.

What is the hockey capital of the US? ›

Minnesota is known as the State of Hockey and the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area is the hockey capital of the US. The NHL has also made inroads into other areas of the US not historically known for hockey.

Why is NHL not popular in America? ›

In conclusion , Hockey is not as popular as other sports because of the regional differences in the United States, from the issue of where hockey must be played, how much it costs, and how hard it is to play.

Who is the NHL's target audience? ›

Engage an Affluent Audience

According to a 2014 report from The Motley Fool, the NHL boasts the most affluent and wealthy fan base of all sports, including the PGA Tour. One-third of NHL viewers have a household income of more than $100,000 per year, compared to 19% of the general population.

Where are the Az Coyotes moving to? ›

(AP) — The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City. The NHL Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to approve a $1.2 billion sale from Alex Meruelo to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith, clearing the way for the franchise's move to Utah next season.

Where is the Arizona hockey team moving to? ›

According to an announcement from the NHL, the league's Board of Governors approved the Coyotes' relocation to Salt Lake City, and the team will begin play in its new home beginning in the 2024-25 season. Ryan and Ashley Smith, who own the NBA's Utah Jazz, are purchasing the team.

Where are the Arizona Coyotes relocating to? ›

The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City starting next season, per league sources, after the NHL's Board of Governors voted in favor of the sale and relocation of the team's hockey assets on Thursday.

Where do most hockey fans live? ›

The top 20 cities for hockey fans:
  • Boston, MA.
  • Pittsburgh, PA.
  • Detroit, MI.
  • St. Louis, MO.
  • New York, NY.
  • Denver, CO.
  • Buffalo, NY.
  • Tampa, FL.
Jun 16, 2022

What city is called Hockeytown? ›

Signs proclaiming Detroit as “Hockeytown” started to appear in the late 1990s – a full 40 years after the name had rightfully landed in eastern Roseau County. They put the name at center ice of Joe Louis Arena. They opened up a sports bar called the Hockeytown Café in downtown Detroit.

What city is considered Hockeytown USA? ›

As home to several Olympic, NHL, collegiate hockey players and the famous Warroad Lakers and boasting multiple high school boys and girls hockey state championships, Warroad truly lives up to its reputation as “Hockeytown USA.”

Where are NHL Coyotes moving to? ›

Arizona Coyotes relocating to Utah: NHL board of governors approves sale to Jazz owner. The Arizona Coyotes are officially headed to Salt Lake City starting next season, per league sources, after the NHL's Board of Governors voted in favor of the sale and relocation of the team's hockey assets on Thursday.

Where are the Coyotes relocating to? ›

Later Friday, Bettman sat next to the new Coyotes owner in Salt Lake City to bask in the excitement of the league's newest city and a fan base that had been itching for another team to join the NBA's Utah Jazz. One day, two drastically different news conferences for the same hockey team.

Will Arizona Coyotes relocate? ›

The Arizona Coyotes will relocate to Salt Lake City and play under a new name for next season. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith has officially landed a National Hockey League franchise. Earlier this afternoon, the league's board of governors approved a plan to relocate the Arizona Coyotes to Utah for next season.

What NHL team is moving? ›

The NHL team moving from Arizona to Salt Lake City will be known as Utah, at least initially, until a long-term name is determined. “We'll start with Utah on the jersey and we'll figure out the logo and everything else and what it is that we are,” new owner Ryan Smith told The Associated Press on Thursday.

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