The Best and Worst Fans of the NHL: 2010 Edition

Best and Worst Fans of the NHL: 30 to 21

The Best and Worst Fans of the NHL: 2010 Edition, rankings 30 thru 21

Written by Derek Felska
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 00:00

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. (click on the link for the rest of the article)

Enjoy, I will try to have the rest of it done in the next week or so!

hopefully this will cause some stir amongst fans again this year.

what was it last year, Philly fans that were calling for your head?

lol...look forward to these every year. Thanks Derek...even though I'm likely going to be pissed off and will have some ammo to back me up

Last year it wasn't any particular fanbase. The year before it was the Devils fans that got really pissed.

The Best and Worst: 20 thru 11

The Best and Worst Fans of the NHL: 2010 Edition, rankings 20 thru 11
Written by Derek Felska
Tuesday, 24 August 2010 13:35

"Well I don't know why I came here tonight, I got the feeling that something ain't right, I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair, And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs, Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right, here I am, Stuck in the middle with you." These are the lyrics to Stealers Wheel song Stuck in the Middle With You from 1972 where it eventually became a huge hit climbing up to #6 on the Billboard charts in 1973. It was a song that sort of re-emerged in the cult classic Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction. So here we are, in the middle of the list, rankings 20 to 11 of the Best and Worst fanbases in the NHL.

There certainly is a reason why comedian and late-night talk show host David Letterman sticks to just doing a Top 10 list. It doesn't get long and drawn out, and even if some jokes bomb it is almost a near certainty that some will do at least ok or pretty well. I am not a big Letterman fan but I have little doubt a lot of people watch his show solely for the nightly Top 10 lists. So what does this have to do with this list? I understand that it probably is a bit long, afterall this is a 3-part article series but since we're talking about fans I think any fanbase is owed explanations for the grades that I have given. It may not make them accept the grade, but it at least gives them an idea why their team earned what they did. As I said earlier, comments are more than welcome (as long as its clean and relevant).

Just to reiterate for those that may not have seen the The Best and Worst Fans in the NHL: 21 to 30 article. Each of the league's 30 teams will be assessed on three 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' 20010-11 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. 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. A portion of this grade will take into account the team's average finish during that span of time. 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. 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. So without further adieu, let's begin...(click on the link for the rest of the article)

The top 10 will be done in a few days!

nicely done sir, good read.

Best and Worst: Top 10 Fanbases

The Best and Worst Fans of the NHL: 2010 Edition, The Top 10 fanbases in the NHL
Written by Derek Felska
Sunday, 29 August 2010 22:36

"Ohh It's the final countdown, We're leaving together, The final countdown, We'll all miss her so It's the final countdown (the Final Countdown), Ohh, it's the final countdown" are the lyrics to the 80's hair band Europe's power ballad The Final Countdown as you can probably tell. I thought the song, as cliche as it may be was quite appropriate as we finally count down to the Top 10 fanbases of the NHL. By this point on the list I've likely annoyed the fanbases of at least 1/2 of the league's teams. So I'd like to pass on something that may have been ignored from my first article. Every team has a portion of die hard fans that more or less have a strong emotional, financial and intellectual investment in their teams. The size of that group of die hards does indeed vary by team, and some of these franchises do benefit from existing in areas where the game of hockey is a traditional part of life. Does that mean every non-traditional hockey market is doomed to be rated amongst the league's worst? Not necessarily. It may be a bit easier to draw fans for the game of hockey in parts of the continent where it gets cold enough for lakes and rivers to freeze over but that doesn't mean they can shun their team if it is mired in a constant cycle of failure. So the results of the list often surprise myself once the numbers are all tabulated.

I also understand how personal the feelings of a fan can be. To be questioned or criticized is not taken lightly especially when it is about something you love. Its why this series of articles can lead to a firestorm of comments, many of which are pretty harsh. 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.

Each of the league's 30 teams will be assessed on three 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. 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. A portion of this grade will take into account the team's average finish during that span of time. 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" but in my opinion it provides the best chance for true fairness even if its an 'attempt at scholarship'. 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.

So let's get to the final countdown...(click on the link for the rest of the article)

Enjoy, there's your complete list!

Ah, St. Louis...strong showing at #22. I agree completely though with the write up on them. The fans kept showing up even after a crappy season and they were loud. You see the support all around the area here from the license plates, stickers on cars and all other merch.
But, I've had trouble find them online. They're there...but they just don't seem to care as much. And I rarely see the team promote any type of "online" community despite being very active in the "real life" community.

Good stuff sir!

when KW and went to that Blues game when I was in St. Louis I have to say that is one fired up ass crowd. From the guy singing "when the Blues go marching in." and the Star Spangled banner, it is electric. I also love the T-shirt tossing guy too.

Oh Charlie. He always guns up the other team (in a fan friendly way) during his songs.

"Not that other team from Disneyland!"

bwahahahah, oh the ducks

Canucks are listed too high if their score is infact 16.2 Derek.

lol, and you thought you were going to disagree in a different way!

This writer sucks donkey kong all day long. I bet he eats his own shit to recycle and save $$$ because he is a fail internet blogger.

I think some people on this board may have gotten their wish.

lol, what up fuck nuts

lol, what up piss drinker?

piss drinker trumps fuck nutz all day long.

Ninja, u can do better than that!

lol, way to change your sig and avatar douche fag.

come on wildfan4eva

lol, way to change my sig then blame me for changing my sig ya gerbil-ass. only a grade a rooster fucker would have been able to find that homo flag.

why do you have an obsession with animal asses? are you into doing barn yard animals? you are one sick fuck.