With the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals kicking off on June 3 and the NHL projected to have a record $5.7 billion in revenue this season, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2023’s Best Cities for Hockey Fans, as well as expert commentary.
To determine the best places for hockey spectators, WalletHub compared 75 U.S. cities based on two divisional categories, professional and college hockey, across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from the performance level of the city’s teams to minimum season ticket prices to stadium capacity.
| Top 20 Cities for Hockey Fans | |
| 1. Boston, MA | 11. Buffalo, NY |
| 2. Pittsburgh, PA | 12. St. Paul, MN |
| 3. Detroit, MI | 13. Washington, DC |
| 4. New York, NY | 14. Chicago, IL |
| 5. St. Louis, MO | 15. Anaheim, CA |
| 6. Denver, CO | 16. Philadelphia, PA |
| 7. Tampa, FL | 17. Dallas, TX |
| 8. Newark, NJ | 18. Glendale, AZ |
| 9. Sunrise, FL | 19. Columbus, OH |
| 10. Raleigh, NC | 20. Las Vegas, NV |
Best vs. Worst
- The Boston Bruins’ performance level, 66.60 percent, is two times better than that of the Anaheim Ducks, at 33.47 percent.
- The Minnesota State Mavericks’ performance level, 87.07 percent, is 4.3 times better than that of the Vermont Catamounts, at 20.28 percent.
- Sunrise, Florida, has the lowest average ticket price for an NHL game, $41.79, which is 3.1 times lower than in Seattle, the city with the highest at $130.85.
- Las Vegas has the highest attendance rate for NHL games, 104.20 percent, which is 1.9 times higher than in Buffalo, New York, the city with the lowest at 53.70 percent.
- New York has the highest team franchise value, $1.610 billion, which is 3.6 times higher than in Glendale, Arizona, the city with the lowest at $450 million.
