It is that time of year again, no I am not talking about the start of NFL and NCAA football season. I am not talking about time for the start of your favorite shows to begin another drama-filled season whether it be Big Brother or Desperate Housewives (I don’t watch either, really I don’t). After all this is a hockey blog, so of course it has something to do with hockey (kind of). What I’m talking about is that it is time for the 3rd annual Best and Worst Fans of the NHL! Maybe an exclamation point was a bit much, but in the previous two editions of my annual fanbase rankings it generated to put it rather kindly, lots of readership and literally hundreds of comments. Even a few from major newspapers and Yahoo!‘s NHL hockey blogger “Puck Daddy” Greg Wyshynski. Most of those comments, I cannot re-post here but I can tell you that when you challenge a fanbase you better get ready for a fight. I’ve never feared that conflict, but at the same time I hope it stimulates some discussion. Besides, is the Ilya Kovalchuk drama about the arbitrator’s decision to rule in favor of the NHL’s rejection of his 17-year deal really all that interesting? Maybe its just me, but its more a sign of just how slow the NHL news has been this year (yes I fully grasp the rammifications of such a possible review of front-loaded long-term contracts). So why not add some spice and give fans something to talk (or shout as the case may be) about? Why not get people fired up a little; we are hockey fans noted for our passion, energy and dedication (at least some fanbases are).
Now it may come as a surprise that I am not the only one that does this; the prestigious financial news magazine Forbes also does an NHL Best and Worst fans. Check it out for yourself from their 2009 rankings according to Forbes‘ Christina Settimi.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/17/nhl-best-and-worst-fans-business-sports-nhl-fans.html
I don’t think its that great of an article and seems to lack analysis, and avoids ranking all 30 teams in the league and that probably was a reason it didn’t create quite as much debate. Tough debate points never made and reasons never given. Yet it still feels a bit reassuring that this is not completely unexplored territory just by myself. Anyways, let me explain yet again part of my method for my madness.
In my first Best and Worst list, I particularly caught the ire of New Jersey Devils fans. They felt I completely overlooked their apparently massive online fanbase and that I did not give them nearly enough credit. However, I explained prior to their tirades against me that if you’re a good team the natural expectation that they have a healthy fanbase that sells out the arena each and every night. The Devils were a great team, still one of the best in the Eastern Conference (at least during the regular season) but the fans were not showing up that well considering their success. By that same logic I would be far more lenient or accepting of not-so-great attendance from fans of a team that has continually been a poor performer like the Florida Panthers for an example. In my first version of the rankings I used that logic rather liberally when I considered my final judgments. In my next version I took a more objective look towards a team’s ‘online presence’ but even that did not stop people questioning my ability to tabulate those statistics. So this year I am not going to change my guidelines for my rankings from 2009. Here they are in case you forgot or have just discovered this page for the first time.
Each of the league’s 30 teams will be assessed on two basic criteria: 1. Attendance average for the last 3 seasons. This will entail tabulating the season average against the maximum capacity of the arena they currently play in based on statistics provided by The Hockey News‘ 2010-11 Yearbook. At least 75%-80.9% will equal 6.0, while anything below 75% capacity would equal a 5. 81%-85.9% will equal 7.0, 86%-89.9% equals 8.0. 90%-99% equals 9.0 and anything over 99% will yield a score of 10. A portion of this grade will take into account the team’s average finish during that span of time. So if a team had a poor record but great attendance it would reward that club with a more favorable rating, and if a good team had poor attendance it would have a more unfavorable rating. 2. A simple Google search taking note of amount of blogs and team-related message boards listed as well as message board activity. Each component will be graded on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being outstanding or perfect and 0 being very poor. In the case of online presence teams are awarded .1 point for every individual blog or team-focused message board that is out there and can receive a maximum score of 100 which would equal a 10 on the 1 to 10 scale with partial points included. You may think this sounds like “Klingon Mathematics” (thanks Litterbox Cats) but in my opinion it provides the best chance for true fairness even if its an ‘attempt at scholarship’ (thanks Puck Daddy). No, I do not want to tabulate users on message boards because those numbers can be highly misleading. So for now I am going to stick to a website based count. For every assessment there will be an explanation for the grade. I would also like to toss out a small disclaimer. While the title of the article is the best and worst fans of the NHL it does not mean that all of the fans of any particular NHL team are bad. It just means the support for the team; one way or the other isn’t as great as it may be between various teams. The team’s will be listed with their total score tabulated next to it.
I have no doubt that some of my rankings will be deemed as an insult to some fanbase somewhere, and others will feel I rate some fanbases far too highly. I know that all 30 teams in the league have its cadre of die-hards that will support their team through thick and thin and that to question their fandom on individual basis is flawed. However, without stepping on individual toes I would ask that fans of those teams who feel greatly disrespected take a step back and ask themselves if it fair when you place your team against the 29 others in the league? So with all that being said I will ask (knowing all too well that this as if you’re asking people leaving a burning theatre to keep their voices down as they exit the building) that if you do comment, please keep it clean and tasteful. But I welcome comments, but I will delete anything that gets vulgar. So let’s begin!
Click on “Read More” to see the rest of this article…
Here is the rankings 30 to 21, and in the next few days I will try to publish 20 to 11 and of course the top 10.
#30. Atlanta Thrashers Attendance grade: 6.0 Online presence: 3.2 Total Fan Points: 9.2
Rationale for ranking: I have to admit, the outcry from placing the Atlanta Thrashers at the bottom of last year’s fan rankings was hardly akin to a flood, or even tipping over a glass of water on a table. It was virtually non-existent, and that perhaps is another reason why the Thrashers deserve to be in this dubious position for the 2nd year in a row. I understand the excuses, a non-traditional market, mismanagement at the top, a dysfunctional ownership situation, a consistent exodus of star talent like the departures of Dany Heatley, Marian Hossa and most recently Ilya Kovalchuk are possible reasons for lagging attendance (ranked 28th in the league), which dropped by nearly a 1,000 fans from the 2008-09 season. Yet, since Atlanta is now the home of so many people who were born and raised in Northern areas where hockey is a more traditional sport you would think they’d be able to do better at the gate. Online, their presence is small and while some may argue it is of reasonable quality, there simply are not a lot of people wanting to talk about Thrashers hockey. I think with the massive roster overhaul put in place by new GM Rick Dudley, there is hope the presence of Stanley Cup winners Ben Eager, Andrew Ladd and big Dustin Byfuglien along with young dynamic Evander Kane and the rough and tumble style of play can spark an interest in hockey in Atlanta. At this point they can’t get much worse.
#29. Phoenix Coyotes Attendance grade: 6.0 Online presence: 3.5 Total Fan Points: 9.5
Rationale for the ranking: It may appear as though I’m kicking the Coyotes while they’re down. Especially for an organization which managed to somehow ignore all the off-ice drama between the reports of financial failure, a sneaky attempt to sell the bankrupt franchise to a Canadian billionaire Jim Ballsillie and just general uncertainty yet still managed to be 4th in the Western Conference standings. Yet, the grim secret is the team was playing to crowds that barely topped 10,000 most nights. In fact the Coyotes finished dead last in the NHL in attendance averaging a paltry 11,989 per game, which is about 70% of Jobing.com Arena’s capasity. Online, it is not much better for the Coyotes who sported the 2nd worst online presence rating. You would think with a team which was widely rumored to possibly be relocating you would have a strong outcry of fans trying save the team or advocate for its stay. It wasn’t a howl from Coyotes fans hoping to keep their team in Arizona, it barely registered a weak wimper as the fans seemed to be resigned to their fate. The league took over and tried to help rejuvenate the team by offering some of the most affordable ticket prices of any team, but the fans didn’t show up until the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Coyotes, the ownership situation is still tenuous at best, and despite assurances by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to the commitment to the area to keep the team there is still a long way to go and the question becomes whether the fans can endure the uncertainty much longer.
#28. Florida Panthers Attendance grade: 7.0 Online presence: 3.8 Total Fan Points: 10.8
Rationale for the ranking: If you ever watch a Florida Panthers game, you are often greeted by a view of a host of people dressed as empty seats. Its been now nearly a decade since the Panthers last made the playoffs and it appears as though the team is again in sort of a rebuilding mode as it traded Nathan Horton to the Bruins for Dennis Wideman. A year removed after losing Jay Bouwmeester to free agency it must be tough for fans when no player seems to want to stick around for a franchise that seems to constantly trying to rebuild. There is more and more evidence that youth hockey in South Florida is growing as evidenced by players earning spots on the U.S. National Development Team but so far that doesn’t appear to be helping the Panthers too much at the gate. I find the 15,147 listed as their average attendance to be quite generous based on crowds I saw attend the BankAtlantic Center. Online their presence is minimal, and despite a few bastions of die hards like Litterbox Cats and the Arena they do not have much of a presence in cyberspace. I honestly believe there are some reasons to be excited for the Panthers as they’ve drafted very well the last few years but do the fans in South Florida have the patience to wait yet another season or two (maybe even longer) before they can realistically be thinking they’re strong contenders to make the post-season.
#27. Tampa Bay Lightning Attendance grade: 7.0 Online presence: 4.3 Total Fan Points: 11.3
Rationale for ranking: For any Lightning fans reading this, I have no doubt this may anger them but I really do not expect to see this team this low in the standings next year. So why the low ranking? One of the factors that hurts Tampa Bay is playing in such a large arena as St. Pete Times Place (a capasity of 19,758), makes for a fairly poor attendance grade after averaging about 80% filled per game. The afterglow of winning the Stanley Cup in 2004 has faded rather steadily as the team as suffered through tough salary cap issues and more recently of dysfuntional ownership of Oren Koules and Len Barrie. Their ‘win now at all costs’ knee-jerk roster and coaching moves made it tough for the players to settle and establish consistency and the record suffered as did the attendance. Online the team’s presence is small, but in the blogs and team-focused message boards there is a lot of hope that youngsters Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos are going to be able spark a resurgence while veteran leaders Martin St. Louis and especially Vincent Lecavalier regain their old form. Yet was rookie coach Guy Boucher the right guy for the job? Only time will tell. If Boucher is that elusive answer, I have little doubt that as the wins start piling up, the fans will start showing up with greater regularity and there is reason to believe this will happen sooner rather than later.
#26. Nashville Predators Attendance grade: 8.0 Online presence: 4.0 Total Fan Points: 12.0
Rationale for ranking: Whenver the Predators score a goal at home, which is now called Bridgestone Arena the event is celebrated with the Tim McGraw song “I like it, I love it” immediately followed by ‘I want some more of it’ could be used by the organization in regards to its fanbase. The Nashville Predators have perhaps the most maligned fanbase in the NHL. Since current Wild owner Craig Leipold was the team’s owner its been a well-known fact the team has just not been able to make money despite putting a fairly competitive team on the ice. Sure they haven’t won a playoff series but this is a team that has been remarkably competitive due to savvy drafting and solid work by General Manager David Poile. Cellblock 303 is one of the loudest (some would say obnoxious) fans in the NHL and show plenty of exuberance night after night, but the lack of corporate sales has plagued the team especially in the lower bowl of the arena and that has made it a lemon financially despite a frugal payroll. Online the team’s presence is small, but like the Cellbock 303 they are very dedicated but unfortunately that hasn’t expanded enough to mean regular sellouts. Even playoff games are difficult for the Predators to sellout and its unfortunate because the organization has done just about everything else right.
#25. Columbus Blue Jackets Attendance grade: 7.0 Online presence: 5.0 Total Fan Points: 12.0
Rationale for ranking: The team qualifies for the post-season for the first time, theat means you’d expect to see an uptick in attendance right? Wrong. The Blue Jackets averaged just over a 100 fans less per game than a season before and the team again found itself vying for a Top 10 draft pick by season’s end as they finished at the bottom of the Central Division. While Blue Jackets fans simmer about what they feel is a league-wide conspiracy to hold their team down, its the continual cycle of mediocrity that has seen the home of the Ohio State Buckeyes steadily have seen their fanbase slowly dwindle. It isn’t an exodus, but the waiting is getting tiresome to a city used to winners. Online the team has a fairly dedicated fanbase, but the want for their team to be good is becoming desperate. Any reason to get excited, whether it was the strong play of Matt Calvert in the Memorial Cup or the buzz around high picks Ryan Johansen and John Moore gets the fanbase reaching and hoping this team’s fortunes are going to turn around. Yet its a team that has a lot of question marks. Can Steve Mason find his rookie form between the pipes? Will someone else emerge to take the scoring load from Rick Nash? Will Scott Arniel be the coach that finally gets the most out of all of their players or will he struggle like his predecessors? The team did not make a lot of changes to its roster so is it realistic to expect a different outcome? Nationwide Arena is just under 85% filled most nights, which isn’t bad but can this team afford to wait for success much longer?
#24. Colorado Avalanche Attendance grade: 7.0 Online presence: 5.1 Total Fan Points: 12.1
Rationale for ranking: Last year Puck Daddy strongly questioned my assessment system especially in regards to the low grade I gave the fans of the Colorado Avalanche. Yet I’d like to see him defend the team now after it saw another considerable DECREASE in its fans after a season where it overachieved and were actually exciting to watch with a whole host of young talent. Colorado’s attendance ranked 27th in the league last season despite a tremendously strong start and apparently the fans in the Mile High City don’t show up unless the team has a Joe Sakic or Peter Forsberg on its roster. That is unfortunate, because they missed out on watching Chris Stewart have a breakout season and remarkably poised play from Matt Duchene. No Patrick Roy, no problem in Colorado as goaltender Craig Anderson stood on his head most nights to deliver victories that the team probably did not deserve. Online the fanbase is above average, and I’ll concede is of decent quality but the best this team could do was just 13,500+ per game? It doesn’t make sense. Very few expected the Avalanche to do so well out of the gate, but how could their fans seemingly ignore that success does not speak well of such an allegedly strong fanbase. The Avalanche’s future looks fairly bright, as they still have a strong prospect pool and lots of young talent, but will the fans show up this time around?
#23. Carolina Hurricanes Attendance grade: 7.0 Online presence: 5.2 Total Fan Points: 12.2
Rationale for ranking: Carolina Hurricanes’ beat writer Luke Decock who moonlights for the Hockey News always notes how the team’s attendance waxes and wanes with its success on the ice. When they win the fans show up, when they lose they are easily dismissed. That makes logical sense, but still for a fanbase who seems to have a chip on its shoulder and seems to be in a constant battle to claim its legitimacy as a hockey market its fluctuating attendance indicates they are a team that needs bandwagoners to show up in order to fill the RBC Center. The team has a reasonably large online fanbase, with many dedicated Caniacs blogging and attending message boards to discuss team news, issues, etc. However despite the presence of these diehards online, they do not seem to be enough to fill the arena by themselves. The Hurricanes are now tapping into some quality young talent to go along with franchise cornerstones Cam Ward and Eric Staal; in youngsters Zach Boychuk, Drayson Bowman, and Jamie McBain but with a fairly frugal Peter Karmanos still at the helm as owner Caniac fans should not expect to see anymore major stars join the team unless they’re developed internally. The Stanley Cup won a few seasons ago was well recieved as it should be, but its seems to be a case of “what have you done for me lately” approach in Raleigh. The solution is simple, if you win the fans will come if you don’t they’ll stay home and while their fans want respectability it is difficult to have a lot of respect for such fairweather behavior no matter if your south of the Mason-Dixon Line or not.
#22. St. Louis Blues Attendance grade: 9.0 Online presence: 3.5 Total Fan Points: 12.5
Rationale for ranking: It was a disappointing year in St. Louis last year after qualifying for the playoffs a season ago only to finish out of the post-season in a very inconsistent 2009-10 campaign. Head Coach Andy Murray was given the boot, and Davis Payne was promoted from Peoria to steer the team but it was too little too late. The fans seemed to show up though and there was a life to the Scottrade Center that hadn’t been seen in a while. While the team still offers one “free food” game per year in effort to get a few more butts in the seats the fans in St. Louis are rather raucous and active. The Blues have some young players who can show some flash and dash with David Perron, T.J. Oshie, and Erik Johnson but they also have a plethora of players with grit to there game that also get fans cheering for the hits they accumulate in David Backes, Brandon Crombeen and local-hero Cam Janssen. So why are the Blues ranked in the bottom 3rd of the league? Their online fanbase is abysmal in comparison to the energy they show at most home games. There simply are very few fans chatting or blogging about this team. Perhaps its my bias as a blogger but those who really love their team usually will not hesitate to expound upon it online. Is it unfair to malign a team so considerably for its lack of online participation? Maybe, but perhaps if the team has some more success the blogs and message board activity will come closer to matching the in-arena enthusiasm.
#21. Anaheim Ducks Attendance grade: 9.0 Online presence: 3.8 Total Fan Points: 12.8
Rationale for ranking: The Anaheim Ducks finally brought a Stanley Cup to Southern California in 2007 and helped continue the growth of hockey in that area that will likely last for years much in the same way Wayne Gretzky‘s arrival did in the late 1980’s. However the glow of that Cup victory has faded considerably. Finishing 24th in the league in attendance may sound impressive when you consider the rising fortunes of their cross-town neighbor in Los Angeles but how does that explain such a paltry web presence for a team that sits in America’s 2nd largest metropolitan area? Things happen fast in Southern California, but apparently blogs and message boards dedicated to the team are slow to comeby even after winning a championship. The team has star calibre talent, from the emotional Teemu Selanne to young stars Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry so there is enough flash on the ice to attract fans. But some of the most beloved veteran names have departed the last few years, with Chris Pronger being dealt to Philadelphia, Jean-Sebastien Giguere in a salary dump trade to Toronto and most recently with Scott Niedermayer‘s retirement. Yet, the Samueli family who owns the team will do so on a strict budget meaning its management will have to be creative and smart with the way it spends money, necessitating a largely “build from within” approach. Dedicated hockey fans should be able to support and understand that right? Well so far the trend seems to indicate a more fair-weather minded audience and that is not good news for the Ducks.
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