The finale of The Hockey News’ NHL pre-season fan survey results is here.
This is the last piece of the three-part series, where we revealed the results of different controversial, fun and trending topics. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 if you haven't already.
For Part 3, we’ll be sharing what the fans think of other NHL fan bases, their favorite arenas, hockey traditions, analysts, and who should receive the next NHL expansion team.
Which Team Has The Best Fan Base?
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Canadian teams dominate the votes, with the Montreal Canadiens’ fan base leading the way. The Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets have crawled into the mix, too. However, that shouldn’t be surprising, considering Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal were the top three in votes for favorite team in the first part of the fan survey.
The San Jose Sharks’ fan base received the most recognition among U.S. teams. The Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings and Carolina Hurricanes were next in line in terms of American fan bases.
According to NHL.com, last season had the highest attendance for a regular season in NHL history. The Canadiens led all teams with the highest total attendance, reaching 865,305 across their 41 home games at the Bell Centre.
Which Team Has The Most Annoying Fan Base?
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Funny enough, the “winner” of this category goes to arguably the biggest rivals of the Canadiens, the Maple Leafs. This was a very one-sided vote, far more one-sided than the vote for who has the best fan base.
With a massive market and confident – sometimes too confident – fans, it’s tough to avoid Leafs Nation.
How will this affect Auston Matthews’ legacy? (Just kidding.)
Favorite Arena
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Along with the best fan base, the Canadiens’ Bell Centre was voted as the most-voted favorite arena. Many NHL stars would agree. Players such as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Connor Bedard, Jack Hughes and more said the Bell Centre is their favorite road arena.
Bridgestone Arena made it in the top three on this list, likely because of some of the famous Nashville Predators chants from the playoffs, including the “You Suck!” chants towards opposing goaltenders.
A few fans listed some old venues, such as the Nassau Coliseum, Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, Chicago Stadium and Joe Louis Arena.
Favorite Hockey Tradition
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Several traditions, superstitions and unwritten rules make hockey what it is. In this fan vote, the majority says their favorite tradition is the handshake line.
In a best-of-seven playoff series, when players battle physically, mentally and verbally and seemingly stop at nothing to help their team win, it’s a beautiful thing when the opponents face each other and shake hands, despite the chaos that ensued.
One fan joked, “Handshakes after a playoff series (coaches included, Paul),” referencing Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice, who believes that coaches shouldn’t take part in the handshake line and leave it to the players.
Other popular votes included Stanley Cup celebrations. Some said that when players get their day with the Cup, or the handoff by commissioner Gary Bettman to the winning captain, rather than team owners, as in other sports.
Favorite NHL Analyst
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The media across the NHL and hockey community are filled with great and insightful analysts. Some are former players who bring a perspective to hockey that the average fan would never see, while others have become masters in their field.
Leading the charge is former Vancouver Canucks and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Bieksa, who provides a unique player perspective to Sportsnet’s broadcasts.
Just behind him in the voting results is Paul ‘Biz’ Bissonnette, who played for the Phoenix Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins. He provides a fun and lighthearted aspect to broadcasts.“Biz brings exactly the personality that hockey needs for broadcasts,” said one fan.
What City Deserves An NHL Expansion Team?
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NHL expansion is consistently a controversial topic. Some people are against the idea of adding more teams to the NHL, while others want to see an eighth Canadian team or another team in an unconventional market in the U.S.
Quebec City earned just over 50 percent of the votes, suggesting that fans want to see a return of the Quebec Nordiques. They lasted from 1979-80 to 1994-95, before they relocated to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche.
Speaking of returns, Atlanta and Phoenix got some love. Both metropolitan areas also had NHL franchises before, in the Atlanta Flames and Thrashers, and the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes.
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