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Hockey13Playa

Everyones' favorite NHL team and why

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I tend to root for whomever is in last place in either division. (I've gotten a bit fond of the Kings -blame the fact the Luc is hot and I find Kopitar strangely attractive.)

It is also a matter of "who would I like to see win out there?" Ducks, no way! Sharks, nah.

I've been a Lions fan for long enough that I appreciate the sweetness of each victory in a losing season. Plus, a win for the worst team is a loss for a team that may be a contender.

I think I do it because I'm a soft-hearted *****. i want to root for the poor underdogs whilst shoving it in the face of the so-called better team when they lose.

None of this applies when the Wings are involved. Then it is Wings All The Way!

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i don't know its kind of a tie between the rest of the original six teams just b/c they have kept the same logo since they started in the nhl pretty much with a few changes in them but i think they all have cool logos

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Red Wings have been, & always will be my #1 team.

That said, & many here already know - I've had a soft-spot for the Maple Leafs for quite some time (since the days when Wendel Clark was young AND healthy).

word up!

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Growing up in southern California and having roots in Michigan. I became a Red Wings fan once I attended my first game in Detroit 1983. But the only hockey available here at home in the 80's was the Kings. As an adult, the Kings are amongst my least favourite teams, neck and neck with the Ducks. I really enjoy going to Phoenix and watching the Wings destroy them twice a year. Not to mention taking my kids and showing them who Gretzky is.

Phoenix is a definite second (distant second)

1. Detroit

2. Phoenix

3. Toronto

4. Calgary

5. Montreal

Least fave:

1. Anaheim

2. Philly

3. LA

4. Chicago

5. Colorado

Edited by miller76

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The Canadiens. I was born in Montreal and spent my first 14 years there so I grew up watching them. I became a Wings fan in '96 so as much as I like to see the Habs do well Detroit is (and will always be) my favorite team. Still, in my opinion there's no better place to watch a hockey game than Montreal. Just incredible passion and atmosphere.

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My second-favorite has to be the Tampa Bay Lightning. I was always a fan of how "90's" they were growing up and now that I've relocated to Florida, it's nice to have a local team to cheer for (and it sure beats the hell out of cheering for the Panthers).

I did like the Avs when they first came into the league due to: 1) the respect from our defeat in '96, 2) joe sakic, 3) those jerseys.

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I would have to say Detroit. My oldest brother was not around a lot when I was growing up for a few different reasons. When he was on leave from the Navy he would come home and we would watch games together. Im sure I asked a lot of question while watching the games and didnt understand much about the game when I was around ten/eleven, but it was fun just hanging out with him. Hes a huge Detroit fan and I became one growing up. :hehe:

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I'm a Rangers fan second, because the rest of my family are major Rangers fans. They're young, they can never get the puck out of their zone, they have alternately the worst and the best elite goalie in the NHL, and- thanks to Glen Sather- they are a real-world drama and revolving door.

The catalyst was the 05-06 season, that was supposed to be a major bust. They were projected at the bottom of their conference with no offense to speak of, no goalie, and no defense. Well, Jagr has a crazy season along with his linemates Straka and Nylander, Prucha steps up with Rucinsky and later Sykora, Lundqvist turns out to be a phenom goalie from Sweden (complete with gold medal), and goes on to make a defensive core headed by Malik one of the better defenses in the league. On the bottom lines, the kids played with energy and speed, fun to watch. It's bugging me, though- who was the third-line center? I'm thinking he went to Atlanta? And I think he once played for Anaheim. Oh! Steve Rucchin. Liked that guy.

I also saw their '94 cup run a few years ago, and a fan was holding up a sign that said, "Now or never." Well, given their history, I thought to myself, "Now and never." I then realized the inherent truth in the statement, and since then, they have gotten every drop of pity I can squeeze out of my tear-ducts.

---------

Since then, nearly all of my favorite players have been traded or otherwise thrown out. NYR is no longer the Czech national team. Their underdog, scrappy style is gone and replaced with a downright boring style of skate... skate... skate... shoot... skate... try to clear the zone... try to clear the zone... try to clear the zone... try to clear the zone... try to clear the zone... feel dejected, look at scoreboard, feel dejected.

The only things that keep me going are Prucha's limited ice-time, Lundqvist occasionally being stellar, and now Dubinsky and a couple of other new kids. Also, suddenly they've been drafting well. That's exciting... EDIT: They also had a really good offseason this year; I marvel at their apparent cap space. Zherdev should be exciting.

Edited by Earthhuman

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My second-favorite has to be the Tampa Bay Lightning. I was always a fan of how "90's" they were growing up and now that I've relocated to Florida, it's nice to have a local team to cheer for (and it sure beats the hell out of cheering for the Panthers).

I did like the Avs when they first came into the league due to: 1) the respect from our defeat in '96, 2) joe sakic, 3) those jerseys.

Dude, you live in Palm Beach? Lucky!! I'm pretty much a Floridian, my family moved down here from Farmington when I was 3, but I'm a die hard Wings fan. The Lightning are also my second favorite team, a very distant second.

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My second is probably Calgary, I really like watching Kipper and Iginla ... don't get to see them much though since they usually play so late. My goal for the year is to try to take more of an interest in the Caps since they're right up the road ... hopefully they'll grow on me.

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Other than the Wings, it's the Rangers.

I started following them a few years after moving to Jersey, sort of out of a sense of needing to support a local team - if I want to see hockey out here, I might as well become a supporter of the team. When Shanny signed with them, it was just an additional reason.

Why not the Devils? Well, aside from my disdain for their lack of a fan base here, there were a few reasons:

1) It's easier/cheaper for me to get to MSG; I just hop on NJ Transit and within an hour, I'm at Penn Station; walk upstairs and I'm in MSG

2) It somehow feels right rooting for another O6 team that has fan support through thick and thin

Admittedly, it's easier for me to get to Devils games now with the opening of the Prudential Center (NJ Transit to Newark, zoom, I'm there in 45 minutes), but unless something happens to endear me to the Devils (like Shanny signing there), Rangers will hold a local place above them.

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I would have to say other than the Wings, I like Nashville. Their fans are in an area dominated by American football yet they still come out regardless of how they are doing. They are probably the best of all the Southern United States teams because unlike Atlanta, Dallas, and Florida, Nashville fans still come out when their team isn't doing so hot. That being said, I root for the Wings to stomp them into dust when the 2 play.

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I would have to say other than the Wings, I like Nashville. Their fans are in an area dominated by American football yet they still come out regardless of how they are doing. They are probably the best of all the Southern United States teams because unlike Atlanta, Dallas, and Florida, Nashville fans still come out when their team isn't doing so hot. That being said, I root for the Wings to stomp them into dust when the 2 play.

Did I miss something? Nashville has horrible attendance figures, even when the team is respectable. Here are some recent attendance numbers for the Predators:

2008 - averaged 14,910 for 41 home games (27th in the NHL)

All of the teams you listed above were ranked higher than Nashville as well.

2007 - averaged 15,259 for 41 home games (23rd in the NHL)

Atlanta, Dallas, and Florida were all ranked higher again.

2006 - averaged 14,428 for 41 home games (25th in the NHL)

All three teams were ranked higher than Nashville again.

2004 - averaged 13,177 for 41 home games (28th in the NHL)

Yes, all three other teams were ranked above Nashville.

In all four of those years Nashville was a playoff team, so by their standards the team was actually doing pretty hot. Atlanta and Florida are consistently inferior teams to the Predators, and they had better attendance. Dallas has been a good hockey team recently, and their overall attendance was ranked 12th, 12th, 13th, and 8th respectively for the years listed. I don't think your claim of Nashville fans always coming out really holds any water.

Edited by GoWings1905

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The Pens are my second-favorite, even pre-being good...it actually goes back to the 90s, when they were the parent club of the Cleveland Lumberjacks.

Actually, my top ten is pretty easily stated: the Original 6, plus Pittsburgh, Philly, Buffalo and Edmonton. Other than 1. Wings and (distant) 2. Pens, I don't give that much thought to the order of 3-10, but Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo and Edmonton would probably be the next 4 in whatever order.

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Did I miss something? Nashville has horrible attendance figures, even when the team is respectable. Here are some recent attendance numbers for the Predators:

2008 - averaged 14,910 for 41 home games (27th in the NHL)

All of the teams you listed above were ranked higher than Nashville as well.

2007 - averaged 15,259 for 41 home games (23rd in the NHL)

Atlanta, Dallas, and Florida were all ranked higher again.

2006 - averaged 14,428 for 41 home games (25th in the NHL)

All three teams were ranked higher than Nashville again.

2004 - averaged 13,177 for 41 home games (28th in the NHL)

Yes, all three other teams were ranked above Nashville.

In all four of those years Nashville was a playoff team, so by their standards the team was actually doing pretty hot. Atlanta and Florida are consistently inferior teams to the Predators, and they had better attendance. Dallas has been a good hockey team recently, and their overall attendance was ranked 12th, 12th, 13th, and 8th respectively for the years listed. I don't think your claim of Nashville fans always coming out really holds any water.

Relationship wise I mean

Population:

Nashville:545,524

Atlanta Metro: 5,314,283 Urban Atlanta 498,109

Dallas:1,232,940

Average Attendance 08

Nashville:14,910

Atlanta:15,824

Dallas:18,038

Percentage of Population that contributes to average attendance:

Nashville: 2.7%

Atlanta: .29% metro 3.2 percent urban Atlanta

Dallas:1.5%

Ratio wise more Nashville citizens attend games than Atlanta or Dallas fans. For the small city of Nashville they do well. That's why attendance figures are deceptive because they are just that attendance figures. They don't account for demographics. Along the same lines taking that into account Detroit and Montreal (#1 in attendance) shakes out something like this.

Detroit Pop=498,109 Detroit Average Attendance=18,912 Percentage= 3.76%

Montreal Pop=1,854,442 Montreal Average Attendance=21,273 Percentage= 1.1%

So the claim about loyal fans holds water. The bigger cities should have higher attendances. Atlanta, Florida, and Dallas all have larger populations.

Edited by MississippiWing

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