Detroit has the nickname “Hockeytown,” but is it really the best hockey city in the United States?
ESPN senior writer Craig Custance recently got to the bottom of this very question with a list of the top hockey towns in the country, and Boston fans likely will agree with his No. 1 team.
Custance ranked the top 10 cities in America with NHL teams based on percentage of population attending games, hockey participation, local TV ratings, Stanley Cups, Stanley Cup viewership and franchise value. Boston didn’t reach No. 1 in any of the six categories, but it still earned the title of “Hockeytown” thanks to its 3.7 average rank.
Boston was No. 6 in percentage of population attending games (2.8), No. 5 in hockey participation (45,951), No. 3 in Stanley Cup viewership (5.2 rating), No. 3 in local TV ratings (4.5), No. 2 in Stanley Cups (six) and No. 3 in franchise value ($750 million).
On top of all those numbers, ESPN also credited Boston for developing multiple NHL players like Jeremy Roenick, Keith Tkachuk, Tony Amonte and Bill Guerin and for the vibrant college hockey scene in the area.
Chicago was right behind Boston at No. 2, and it was followed in order by Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York, Denver, Philadelphia and St. Louis.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
