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What's the best hockey city in the US? Not just looking at NHL team support and success, but also looking at college hockey, amount of kids who grow up playing hockey---places where hockey is engrained in the local culture.
And just the US since if you include Canadian cities you are basically looking at a comparison of all Canadian cities---almost everywhere in Canada is a great hockey town.. I'm including a few cities on the poll outside the obvious Northern ones, although I already have my own idea what the top spots are.
Didn't I read somewhere the Pittsburgh Penguins are the most Valuable team in the NHL????.....
I do not believe that is correct - the local TV contract and Concessions are the drivers, both are a detriment in Pittsburgh. I actually thought I saw that the 4 most valuable were Rangers, Blackhawks, Flyers, Red Wings - let me see if i can find the list
but on Hockey towns, i forgot Pittsburgh, also a pretty good hockey town
If you're including college hockey & homegrown talent, you'd probably have to choose Minneapolis, Detroit and Boston.
Yeah, those are the three big ones that came to mind...I know Michigan and Minnesota have reputations for supporting local hockey on a huge level in addition to the NHL.
I still picked Boston though, which might be my own personal bias. I had a lot of fun checking out a game at the Beanpot Tournament last February while on a trip to Boston and was amazed at the crowds for college hockey. Saw a lot of kids playing hockey on frozen ponds driving around New England as well. And while the Bruins don't have the recent championships that Detroit has--as one of the original six NHL teams they've got a long history.
For just NHL hockey though---Detroit has a bigger fanbase than the Bruins.
Minnesota is officially named "The State of Hockey"... Gov. Pawlenty signed it into law last year...
The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul has sold out EVERY SINGLE WILD GAME played since it opened in 2000.
The Twin Cities is home to the most USA born NHLers in the USA, as well as the State of MN producing more NHLers than anyother state.
Dustin Byfuglin
Kyle Okposo
Paul Martin
Mark Parrish
Blake Wheeler
Zach Parise... just a few superstars that grew up playing on ponds in the Twin Cities (not Bfygflin)
Minnesota is also home to 5 D1 Hockey teams - University of Minnesota, Minnesota State, University of Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State University, Bemidji State University... not to mention University of North Dakota on the border. All of these teams are in the best and hardest colllege hockey conference - WCHA.
The Minnesota State High School Boys Hockey Tournament draws more spectators than the Football State Championships for Texas and Florida combined.
Also, Minnesota has "Hockey Day Minnesota" that features 2 high profile high school match ups, a D1 Hockey Matchup, and a night game featuring the Wild.
here is a picture for a VARSITY BOYS Hockey game Championship - A SOLD OUT ARENA
hahaha.. Detroit and Boston my ars. PS, of the 20 dudes on the MIRACLE ON ICE team, 12 of them were Minnesota Boys. As well as the entire coaching staff
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