Why Isn't the NHL Bigger in the US?

[@Spike10111]

hockey by its nature is a very exclusive sport that requires a lot of infrastructure investment. by contrast basketball, baseball and football can be played anywhere and is accessible to people of all economic levels.

[@boneail94]

Spike10111 Appealing to a very small % of people (minorities) that in all reality does not care about hockey is just a waste of time.

[@original6hockey402]

People in the ghetto/poor can't afford it.

[@viperswhip]

@Hofe Thare Well, kind of lower economic areas, but everyone has TV and can get CBC, which at least still shows Saturday nights and you can often watch Canucks games on locally available channels etc.

[@crackcorn0404]

The climate can make a difference. I'm sure in Edmonton, Ottawa, etc you can find a frozen pond, grab some skates a stick and a puck and have a good time. Can't do that in Phoenix or Dallas. On the flip side, it's nothing to grab a basket ball and find a court in a park. Also, inner city and rural schools rarily have hockey programs because they get less funding than more affluent areas. Basically I'm just affirming what you said. 😊

[@kav2001c]

Ancient post but: this idea is nonsense! Baseball, basketball, and football manage to survive without building diamonds, goalposts, courts etc so why can kids in Canada play hockey on the streets there?

[@thesuperostrich]

I wish it was bigger in America , we all know the nhl is the coolest sports league

[@list67]

Going to a NFL game is the biggest sport event in America, compare to hockey!!!!

[@MikeyReadman]

You can't beat a big time College Football game, even the NFL is second rate compared to the College game day experience.

[@donvitocorleone3951]

The super Ostrich going to any Football Derby in Europe, especially Crvena Zvezda vs Partizan (The city i live in) is literally insane, look it up, you will not be dissapointed

[@hellochris06]

Going to the large college football rivalries is probably on par. Iron Bowl / The Game / USC v Notre Dame etc.

[@donvitocorleone3951]

hellochris06 not really, i saw it on videos, and there is no tension, also, people are too friendly to each other, there is no hate betwen teams for the duration of the match, that's not a real rivalry imo,

[@Jay-gi6oh]

Having 2 lockouts within a decade didn't help.

[@maineoutdoors9814]

Jay333 👆

[@Bart848]

And the cancellation of an entire season didn’t help either

[@LanceVance81]

And 3 in a 20 year period

[@Thrashman-ye4cf]

Hockey is big in the US, it's just in certain parts and not all over the country like it is in Canada. Here in metro Detroit, you would almost feel like you're in Canada with how many people play hockey and love the sport. I can count 4 or 5 kids off the top of my head I knew growing up around here who are in the nhl, or are nhl prospects presently.

[@SevenWilly]

There is a pretty big reason that hockey isn't that big in the states that I think is constantly overlooked. This is that hockey is seen as a "white sport". I got into hockey about 4 years ago, I'm hispanic. Almost everyone who knew me thought it was weird that I was into it on account of me being hispanic. Now I want to point out that hockey fans welcomed me in with open arms. It was never weird. I met plenty of hockey fans and no one was like "What? brown people don't like hockey?!" It was only non-hockey fans that found it weird. Also it's an unfortunate thing but things being "white" is seen as a bad thing now, so anytime I bring up hockey to someone who isn't into it it's like "man that's some white people shit" I also feel like there is a tyrant among sports in the US and that's basketball. Basketball seems to be easily the most popular sport, everyone has basketball sneakers, I live right about the city in NY and when you drive down the block you see a hoop in almost every driveway. It's just the cool thing right now, all of the major music stars watch basketball which makes the kids watch basketball ect. It's also more accessible, all you need are some shorts and a ball, for hockey you need a place to play. which is already incredibly hard in the US unless you play some driveway hockey, then you need skates, pads, and a stick. which can be pretty expensive. tl;dr Hockey isn;t popular and won't be popular in a lot of the US because 1) non-hockey fans view it as a white sport 2) Basketball is a tyrant(especially among kids ) currently 3) Hockey isn't accessible like other sports are.

[@viperswhip]

In Canada, certainly in Vancouver, CBC does a, well, I am not sure what language it is in, but a language Indian people understand by and large. The NHL is not above making this sport inclusive. If enough Hispanic people watched it, they would do a broadcast in Spanish.

[@Rockhound6165]

I know I'm late to the party here but you would think more Hispanics would be into hockey(there are more than people know. I grew up in a town with a large Puerto Rican population and I used to play street hockey with them all the time) because Scott Gomez was such a huge star. 2X Cup winner and Calder Trophy winner. Also players like Bill Guerin and Auston Matthews are both of Mexican descent were/are great players(Matthews is having a hell of a year so far this season).

[@ronpeacock9939]

I think the biggest problem... where I like many canadians grew up playing on frozen ponds (I only lived a few miles south of the US/Canada Border). Many in the states don't have the weather that helps make ICE. One reason I see people of Color not getting on the bandwagon so much is... they just don't get into the cold weather.. Hispanics have roots south of the USA.. where winter is still warm.. I've also seen where Bettman could market the game.. when the NBA was out for a strike, they could have stepped up and tried to get the national television that was now empty.. but he didn't do it. The biggest hit against hockey.. ESPN would rather show poker games than Hockey games...

[@dustylover100]

It's changing for the better. I support anything that will bring diversity to the NHL.

[@sportscartoonist]

​@@dustylover100 while we are at it, we need to bring more diversity to polo and yacht racing. Why should we be the only ones to experience the joys of diversity? The dads at the equestrian club need the fun of DeQuan and Li'l Sheeree "holla" at their daughters. The upper classes aren't going to survive if they don't dilute their bloodlines.

[@TheFireballReview]

Truthfully, I don't know why it's not bigger here. I'm always amazed how many more people prefer the NBA (considering their seasons run parallel). Especially since the NBA has become so painfully predicable, you basically have two to four teams with legitimate chances to win the title while everyone else is just playing out their seasons. On the other hand, you can make a strong case for 20 plus teams in the NHL to win the Cup at the beginning of each season. I think it has a lot to do with the NHL's inability to market their stars, Major League Baseball has the same problem. I always challenge everyone to attend at least one NHL game live, it's just so much better in person than on the tube.

[@euginate1344]

The Fireball Review FIREBAAALL

[@dmitrilee4784]

Problem is that most people play basketball or at least know how it works in America. Not the same for hockey.

[@kinggoten]

+Dmitri Lee yes players play basketball etc... Hockey is expensive to play gear ice time etc.... with that said the sport is growing in the states, will it ever be as well known as the other pro sports I am not sure.

[@djtrankilo231]

Maybe because most Americans (casuals) want to follow superstars or who are dominant in their sport. That's why the NBA is so popular.

[@TjSamson]

NBA are great when it comes to marketing. That's why. See how the Raptors became more successful in their profits despite playing in Canada.

[@kevin31974]

I'm from the US and hockey is my favorite sport, but it's just me

[@David-ys9wh]

Kevin Meyer I'm with you

[@TheRealitzamechrispratt]

That's because you guys have great taste!

[@alphadog4real53]

with you. love from dc

[@cocofashosho]

Same. Go Stars... 💔

[@kevin31974]

the Stars are gonna be good soon, just like my Devils

[@tracykelbaugh2608]

I'll tell you one major reason why Hockey is not as popular in the US. It's availability to play is a factor. Look at basketball... All you need is a Basketball and a court which is at your local park or elementary school. You can play a legitimate competitive game of basketball. Football all you need is a ball a few friends and an open space. Baseball same thing you can play at a park or school. All you need is a few friends, a ball, some mits and a bat. All of which you can purchase at Walmart for fairly cheap. Now Hockey on the other hand. It's not something you can go do with your buddies legitimately. You have to have gear, helmet, pads, stick, and skates. Which can't be bought at Walmart and in a sporting goods store. You have to have a rink that has an open slot to play in. Sure you could play in the street with a ball but its not hockey. Half of America doesn't have frozen ponds or lakes. When I was in middle school my parents wanted me to play a sport. I wanted to play Hockey. This is around 1996 However, it was going to cost $1100 plus you need your own gear. For my poor family it was too much compared to just $500 for football with equipment included. Most of the people I talk to here in America like Hockey, they know its a tough and fast sport. But I hear constantly in how they don't understand the rules or how it's even played. Also another unfortunate comment I hear a lot is how they have a lack of diversity or minorities in the game. Sure there is a lot of white people that play but that doesn't mean that there isn't minorities playing or not allowed to play either. Lack of promotion from the NHL in America. The attendance all season compared to the NBA is less than 450,000 people in all 1,230 games played. Average capacity for the NBA is 19,122 compared to 18,333 in the NHL. Now the Average Attendance is vastly different NBA average is 17,864 to NHL's 17,481. NHL seems to fill their stadiums better. However, the NBA makes almost 2 billion more a year in revenue. And that is merchandising and promotion in America. Too conservative and not able to understand the base they are reaching for. NHL could easily beat out NBA if they just gambled on promotion more. Make it easier to watch on cable TV. Streaming is fine but not everyone can afford or is responsible enough to pay 20+ a month for it. Work on division rivalry games. Bring ticket prices down $10 a pop to compete with basketball games. There is literally a lot of things they could do to help build it's popularity in America. That's just what I think...

[@djtrankilo231]

Tracy Kelbaugh soccer's readily available here in the states, too and doesn't require hardly any gear besides a ball, cleats and shinguards. Why isn't soccer popular?

[@666mathew]

Soccer is probably growing faster than hockey in the U.S.

[@djtrankilo231]

Florida Bay Pirate but unfortunately, it's still not considered one of the "top" sports in the States or Canada despite young kids playing it.

[@hattorihanzo2275]

Street hockey is still hockey. I grew up in MI. A lot of kids played street hockey. We didn't have a rink and no one played on the lake when it froze. I never spent a dime. Always borrowed a stick.

[@ReinSouls]

I always hate the "hockey isn't diverse enough" argument. The same people would turn around and watch football and basketball which are majority black players. Those leagues aren't all too diverse either, but they're made up of a minority so I guess they get an exception to the "diversity" rule.

[@smikutow]

Losing ESPN was huge. They used to cover the NHL very consistently. Now, not only does the network not cover the NHL because of the NBC deal, but they go out of their way to talk trash about it. This goes for FOX Sports radio as well. You have the most of the popular US sports networks going out of their way to brush the NHL aside. Just the other day a host was bringing up the news that Darryl Sutter was fired, and the co-host jumped in and said NEXT STORY, I dont want to hear about hockey. That is an exact quote. These are supposed to be our "sports experts". They decided to talk about baseball and basketball for the next 3 hours. I remember when ESPN was on board in the 90's. You would actually get coverage. It kind of proves their agenda. Don't pay us? fine, no coverage. Also, NBC needs to fix Wednesday Night Rivalry. I would tune in to watch more often if it meant we were going to see a RIVALRY. In its current state it means absolutely nothing, as they just play a random game on Wednesday night.

[@AlbanianMan]

Agreed. Ditching ESPN for NBC has been an unmitigated disaster for the league. NBC's hockey coverage is beyond abysmal especially with their crew of terrible announcers like Ed Olczyk, Pierre Maguire, Doc Emrick, Mike Milbury, and Jeremy Roenick. During the playoffs, I streamed the Canadian broadcasts of the games on my computer since the Canadian broadcasts (Sportsnet, TSN) are light years better than NBC. Everything about the NBC broadcasts is bush league from the announcers to the graphics to the music. It looks cheap! While I despise the direction ESPN has gone in the last several years, I would give anything to see the NHL get the fuck off NBC and go back to ESPN.

[@Jmnor60]

I wouldn’t want ESPN now, because they are SJW’s and it would turn me off. That being said, it’s a big platform and there is very little national coverage of the nhl here in the usa 🇺🇸. Time for a new leader who’s younger and not contentious. Bettman is contentious and cantankerous.

[@hattorihanzo2275]

I remember pre-strike when ESPN2 broadcast a game every week. Watched all the time. I now have digital rabbit ears. No NBCSN and NBC is the only over-the-air channel I can't pick up.

[@yaboie4866]

As a hockey fan from Atlanta, this is relatively easy to explain. For me, personally I loved the Thrashers and loved going to Philips Arena to see them play. However, when I say there is nowhere, and I mean absolutely NOWHERE to play hockey in the state of Georgia (and in the southern US in general) is an understatement. You will not find a place to skate and will not find ice hockey equipment anywhere. It simply is just very difficult to market a sport where people not necessarily don't want to play, but CAN'T play. Soccer made a huge leap after the US World Cup effort in Brazil, but you can go grab a ball an some cleats for your kid to become a soccer player. Atlanta has taken VERY WELL to soccer expansion. But hockey just couldn't take off here because it is nothing more than something you see on tv. Maybe if the Thrashers created a dynasty they could have survived, but it's hard to get people in the south excited about bad hockey. I assume the same problem happened with the Montreal Expos. I'm not sure there are too many places to play baseball in Quebec, but maybe I'm wrong.

[@ArmD13]

NHL is absolutely trash at marketing. Non NBA fans know who LeBron James, Steph Curry, etc are. I highly doubt non NHL fans know who McDavid, Crosby, etc are. Gretzky was the last household name. He retired 18 years ago. Nobody has replaced him in star presence. After Jordan it was Kobe and James that took over that household star presence.

[@bobbyshmurda6528]

ididitfortherock13 facts

[@splashnskillz37]

I'm a sports fan in general with basketball, soccer football and grideron football as my top 3 favorites (hockey 4th), started following more this season and I've watching the Stanley cup since 2015 and I'm from 🇧🇷, the only big name I know that plays right now is ovechkin, hughes and crosby, other players are know some from the VGK, I wish I knew more but I'm still learning

[@WS-tj7zp]

It's very strange. As a Canadian I've always wondered why it has failed in the US. Isn't hockey everything they are looking for in entertainment - fast, goals, physical

[@slimdangerous1928]

Yes. I dont get it either. I'm minnesotan

[@RushAnthem69]

It’s not nearly physical as it used to be, since the 04 lockout the increase in penalties and less physical gameplay has alienated some longtime fans such as myself

[@rynedowning7694]

I think part of it is that not a lot of kids get the chance to play hockey because it's so much more expensive than other sports. How to fix that, I have no idea

[@JustinAndrews74]

Roller, Inline, Quad, Street, Floor, Field Hockey - all these are forms of hockey!

[@JustinAndrews74]

If you've got a hockey stick, and a ball or puck, you've got hockey.

[@robertwarren4346]

In Nashville, it took 20 years for the team to really get the whole state behind it. With Atlanta losing the Thrashers, I have seen so many fans from Georgia and Alabama which sounds surprising but success brings fans. The Vegas team this year is sadly what the NHL has to do to increase the vieweship which is make expansion teams immediate contenders.

[@winstondavis8033]

I am a huge Carolina Hurricanes hockey fan and live in North Carolina. I watch almost every game on tv and enjoy the game of hockey. It annoys me that no one cares about the team or the sport as a whole. I try to talk about hockey but people around hear don't know who Jeff Skinner is or Jordan Staal. Most people think that Eric Staal still playes for the Canes! The franchise does terrible advertising living only a couple hours out of Raliegh I don't hear a thing about the team. If the team spent more money on advertising it would attract more fans. A couple of days afo I was wearing my Hurricanes Justin Faulk black alternate jersey and someone asked me what team was I representing and who is Faulk. It is very aggravating being a hockey fan in a non hockey market.

[@danielmoore8695]

haha i'm a huge Canes fan in South Carolina and I wear my jerseys everywhere and no one ever says anything to me at all. Back when the Atlanta Thrashers existed they were on the radar a bit, but after they left hockey has become almost oblivious in SC. Some people in Columbia casually follow them but it's all college football. I'm also a huge Braves fan and the same applies. No one seems to care unless its college football. I hate college football

[@joshdellinger856]

Winston Davis I hear ya! I live in Wilmington, NC and it's disheartening here as well. Most people here don't even know that NC has a NHL club :(

[@alphadog4real53]

Hockey is super popular up here in northern virginia and DC

[@durland31]

Winston Davis basically the same thing here in Central Florida...

[@ballsackstbagger]

Where I live, nobody seems to care about hockey

[@johnathonolavarria7432]

I lived in the Tampa Bay Area for 20 years. I saw the popularity of the lightning explode when Jeffery Vinik took over. He upgraded the building, marketed the players, made a fantastic community outreach program and most important hired Steve yzerman as the GM. The lightning are the most popular team in Tampa bay in my opinion.

[@rfosco9271]

The nhl needs to terminate teams that have poor fanbases in the U.S., and focus on the strong ones. Make cities want nhl franchises, instead of giving teams to cities that don't want them. This is Bettman's ultimate failure.

[@TheBlazeyBoy]

Minnesota is called the state of hockey for a reason, its the biggest sport here

[@Mr_Donkey]

Brandon Spencer yeah its huge in Minnesota and Canada

[@Ziege16161]

Really? because according to KFAN, and the Star Tribune, the Vikings, Twins and Timberwolves... not to mention anything Gophers, dwarfs the Wild support.

[@joking4663]

Brandon Spencer just secede already jeez

[@Internut1985]

Brandon Spencer no it is not. I am huge Wild fan, but in this market, Vikings football rules, followed by Wolves, Twins and then the Wild. Perhaps in Northern like Duluth, Roseu, and along the Canadian border hockey is huge but not South Minnesota

[@daryld1961]

there might be a lot of support for hockey in minn but its nothing compared to Canada.

[@brettbainbridge3154]

I don't care for it to be bigger in the US until the US wants hockey. Build the sport where the sport is wanted, and let it grow organically from there as people are exposed to it.

[@moze_-]

Vegas will work long term. You see the way we (the fans) act in the stadium? It's our first ever major sports team. We almost worship this team, it's crazy.

[@stephenspinato]

so why did the whole building sell their Stanley cup tickets to caps fans

[@cocofashosho]

Growing up in Texas, it's all about football. That or it's soccer, baseball, or basketball, depending on who you ask. It's simply because it doesn't snow here & skating is very rare, people are more into riding horses & skateboarding & shit, rather than ice skating. There's a rink in most big cities, but they're kind of whack. The only reason I discovered how awesome hockey was is because the Texas Stars(Dallas' AHL affiliate) showed up in my home town during middle school. They're being heavily advertising all throughout Austin & surrounding suburbs, but it's still such a steep fight uphill against the NFL, NBA, & MLB. Fuck it, I'm gonna buy some skates & gear & go train at the Pond Hockey Club & form a beer league team with my friends.

[@SuperRyanreed]

It depends on where you are here in the US. Michigan is a huge hockey state.

[@joshuabutterwick8768]

I swear that if the NHL starts putting advertising on the helmets, jerseys, pants, & socks I will stop watching hockey

[@MANIIAKYTB]

This years the year

[@brianschlaf9678]

From the USA love hockey and best sport in the world and huge Blackhawks fan and go USA! I watch other sports but mostly hockey!

[@PMK.95]

I don’t know about other states but in Tennessee if you didn’t grow up in Nashville you might not even know the Predators exist. I say that as someone who grew up in East Tennessee and only discovered hockey when I went out of my way to give it a shot in college. The problem here is that hockey was literally never on the tv when I was a kid. I only ever saw it when a character in a movie liked it. If I’m remembering correctly we had to pay extra at the time to even get a channel that showed hockey and since no one had ever watched it my parents didn’t want to pay for something they might not like. Plus everyone here grew up watching football, basketball, baseball, etc. so they had already absorbed the rules and when they went to actually learn them it was easy. It’s harder to learn a sport you’re unfamiliar with when the announcers are using terminology you’ve literally never heard. You have to really want to like hockey here, and if you didn’t grow up in a big city you’ve probably never gone ice skating in your life (I’m too embarrassed to learn at this point bc it would require learning while around literal children who can already outskate me) so absolutely nothing looks familiar. I think it’s intimidating so ppl don’t give it a shot

[@Ethcon1]

In the Northern States (like New England, Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, etc.) hockey is near Canada level. I can't speak beyond those states/areas, but I've seen every single jersey or team represented in Massachusetts from various people, which tells me that there is a decent following up here. I have family in Quebec, and when I visit, I probably see the same number of jerseys there as I see here. This is just my observation. There are many rinks in my area, yet again, I'm from Massachusetts, which is one of the biggest states for hockey. But obviously Canada is going to dominate.

[@JustinAndrews74]

There is good support here in the Pacific Northwest.

[@VoIcanoman]

The northern states certainly have the most hockey fans per capita in the US. But I've been to most of them (spent time in all but the New England area, so your own experience may be different than mine being from there) and even in Minnesota, where hockey is actually played by a lot of people (given the environment, it's a lot more natural to play hockey there than in some other markets), and where the number of per capita hockey fans is probably higher than any other American state, it doesn't even come close to being as big as it is in Winnipeg, the smallest Canadian NHL market. In fact, the Vikings, Twins and even the college football Gophers are all bigger in Minnesota than the Wild. In Canada, there's hockey at the top (EVERYWHERE), then way down a ways, Canadian football (CFL), and finally the NFL gets some love as well (but not that much). So to be a sports fan in Canada is to be a hockey fan, almost by definition. Even provinces without teams, like Saskatchewan, have tons of NHL fans. So while hockey appreciation is the greatest in the coldest parts of the USA, I don't think it comes close to Canada levels. At least not yet. And it's too bad because a NHL with a bigger fanbase is a better NHL. You'd get more people playing, more talent entering the league, and a higher quality (and more diverse) product on the ice. Canadians still make up in the 48-50% range of active NHL players (which is down from 80+% in the 60s and earlier...so the game has grown in the US, but that growth has stagnated). I think they're going to have to try a different strategy of promoting the game in America because what they're doing now is NOT working.

[@davidfox9947]

In some northern states Hockey is on par with Basketball

[@davidfox9947]

@@VoIcanoman The NHL is never going to be as big in the US as it is in Canada but it does not have to be, to be major sport in the US the NFL is significantly bigger than the MLB or the NBA but there is no denying these sports are major in a country with the size and economy of the US there is room for more than one major spot. Why do think they have tried for decades to make soccer work.

[@ryanbranigan231]

Hockey is pretty big here in the northeast

[@mikephillips1043]

ESPN is the key. Basketball and Football are all ESPN cover these days and look at where the ratings go. It was like that with baseball but they got on their high horse with only talking steroids and people were tired of hearing about it so they pivoted to basketball. If ESPN covered more then 10 minutes of highlights it would be a league game changer. There are so many shows dedicated to specific sports on that channel and they never went that route for hockey. Things like Baseball tonight brings in tons of viewers. Honestly hockey needs a Steven A Smith or Skip to make you want to hear people talk about hockey.

[@Estrad43]

When ESPN had had the rights to the NHL, they had a follow up called NHL 2 Night, which helped the sport a lot

[@danielhughes7647]

I'm a huge hockey fan living in the southeastern United States, and I think it's really about the media. The sports media in Canada zeroes in on hockey because they know the viewer base loves it and are mostly adamant hockey consumers. In the States, the other 3 leagues are more popular, so you either have to relegate hockey to a niche league or find a way to market to general sports fans. Most people down here get sports news from ESPN or an outlet similar to that. You could watch ESPN (which is a 24-hour sports network) 24 hours a day from the beginning of July to the end of September and not hear one word about the NHL. Obviously the NFL is king here and once you get into August that sort of drowns out the other sports, but the NBA even dominates hockey, and they run pretty much the same seasons. If hockey got more media attention and airtime, the ratings would do better, but there's stiff competition, especially when the NBA has guys like LeBron, Russ and Steph who are guys with personality that ooze star power and ratings. I agree with the point that the NHL needs to market stars better, but it's a little difficult when one of your biggest stars is a guy like Tarasenko or Ovechkin (not to pick on the Russians, but you catch my drift) who don't speak great English and are rather, shall we say 'un-American' in front of the camera. What hockey really needs to take off here, and I'm not trying to come as a xenophobe, is a few American stars with some off-ice personality. Kane has great on-ice charisma, but could do better off the ice. We'll see with Matthews. A few more American stars wouldn't hurt.

[@alisonschaefer9182]

I think a huge part of the problem is the television coverage. In some places if you don't have the sports package, you don't have access to hockey at all. I grew up in one of the big hockey markets (New York) but we didn't have cable until I was a teen. I knew nothing about hockey because I had no access to it. If I had had say a Wednesday night rivalry game to watch on national TV the way I had football, I probably would have started watching sooner.

[@dkeough722]

The trick to building hockey fans is getting kids to play hockey. Unfortunately, hockey is far and away the most expensive sport to enroll your kid into. Not just the equipment cost which by itself is ridiculous (and for example some kids may need two pairs of skates in a season with growth spurts etc) but also ice time. There's not going to be pond hockey in most of the U.S. because there aren't many frozen ponds. NHL teams in warmer climates need to invest in minor hockey infrastructure to grow the game. IMO progress IS being made, does Austin Matthews become Austin Matthews without the existence of the Coyotes? I'm not sure he does.

[@therocketjones]

Agreed. My granddaughter plays hockey in the Phoenix area. The Coyotes and NHL put a lot of effort into supporting the kids. For example, she's skated with the US Women's Olympic team on the big ice at Gila River Arena more than once. Unfortunately, she's also the *only* kid - boy or girl - at her school that plays hockey. But it is slowly changing. A lot of the neighborhood kids come to her house to play because she's got street hockey equipment, and several have picked up their own gear. It's funny because she sometimes has them all do drills. Her attitude is "If I have to do them at Power Skating, then they should do them with me at home." LOL

[@jonhanson8098]

But imo roller hockey could do the same thing and be cost effective.Here the problem with that no space or gym because basketball and wrestling volleyball eat up the time available to play or practice

[@alexgammino]

I'm from the States and I live and breathe hockey. Wish it was more popular in the States.

[@getstakerized]

This video was five years ago… what has changed, and how much stayed the same? NHL has grown but still not anywhere close to NFL/NBA…

[@JHockeyFan]

Hockey is viewed by many as a white sport. And most grow up not watching hockey. I gained interest in it because of NHL 07. Video games are huge in getting kids interested.

[@juanalvizo7428]

That's what happen to me, i started getting into hockey when i was 7 when i played nhl 94, my mom bought me wayne gretzky 3d hockey 98 for the n64 and that was it, i told my mom to take me to a blackhawks game and loved the game since and this was back in 1998

[@ScottsThoughts]

I got into hockey because my mom and I discovered we had a minor league team because one of her co workers read about them. And you're right. Hockey is seen as a white sport. My ex (whom is mexican) got into it almost immediately upon actually giving it a chance. But when I tell people that they go, but there's so many white people? My response is, yeah there's a lot of black people in basketball but why would I care about that?

[@dashmow9809]

Half of the Americans I talk to have never heard of Sydney Crosby

[@davidfox9947]

The NHL is definitely one of the four major sports with about five times the revenue of the next half dozen mid-major sports PGA ., NASCAR, UFC ,MLS ,Tennis,.Rodeo all these sports have decent attendance but the the NHL does it with a lot more games and the NHL is able to have 90% capacity in almost all its US markets with truly major league ticket prices. Then with the love of hockey in Canada it really drives the NHL to major league status

[@kamelkadri2843]

it's simple, i can't go outside and play hockey without being equipped with an expensive gear and ICE ! yes USA don't have a lot of that

[@TRB3027]

I am in the U.S. and I don't know a single person who is an MLS fan. Hockey is less popular than the MLB NFL and NBA but it is WAY more popular than the MLS. That is not an exaggeration I literally don't know one MLS fan. Let's Go Ranger

[@TRB3027]

Rangers

[@Estrad43]

I live in the US, and soccer is popular, the EPL is popular, FC Barcelona, Real Madrid..but I agree, MLS dosent have the fans that certain european teams have

[@JHockeyFan]

In the black community, as well as other minority communities, you could get made fun of for being a fan of the NHL because it's not a part of their culture and it's viewed as a white sport. My mom is Asian and loves the sport and the Blackhawks. Anyone can love this game, somehow, the NHL needs to do that. PK Subban is doing a good job of marketing the game to black Nashville residents so far.

[@andrewr7982]

Jonathan Zygmunt white people are 70% of the population. So really if you just marketed to more white people the league would improve.

[@connorthompson8963]

Jonathan Zygmunt this is so true juat watch videos of Nashville residents react to the additon of PK

[@boneail94]

The whole "Hockey is for everyone" is just a waste of time because all they care about is basketball and sometimes nfl. Just market more for white people and then they stop coming off as sjw losers.

[@waifubreaks1572]

I don't know about other teams, but the Kings have a large Hispanic fanbase (myself included). I'm sure the Ducks do too. But then again the same applies to any LA sports team. I think it's more to do with geography since the cold northern states tend to be pretty white.

[@davidphillips7712]

I’m from Michigan. The Red Wings are still less popular than college football and it kills me. I think what needs to happen is the exposure needs to be helped along by the fans. People will see an ad anywhere promoting hockey, but this day and age the masses are numb to it. When people start waving flags, wearing jerseys, playing hockey in the street over basketball and football is when it will be more popular.

[@davidfox9947]

They are all great sports can't they just play all three.

[@SportsFan-vq9kk]

@@davidfox9947 Facts

[@brodyhinz6664]

You need to put teams in markets that make sense. Like Cleveland, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Hartford, Seattle, Portland, Salt Lake City. When you're moving franchises from cities that make sense (Ex. Winnipeg, Hartford, Minnesota) to cities that you know might not generate a lot of fans (Arizona, Carolina, Dallas I know Dallas gets fans) your not going to make much money from those franchises.

[@cormacwalsh6979]

Couldn't agree more

[@chieftop_leaf8465]

What about Québec city?

[@cormacwalsh6979]

He's talking about american cities, Quebec would def work also Saskatoon

[@mkailov13]

A lot of the aforementioned northern towns don't have the population to support an NHL Team. The NHL expanding south is a direct result of the south's population boom. And I'd say a few southern expansions worked out pretty well. (Tampa, Dallas)

[@myname6633]

Arizona should move imo. Carolina won the Cup in 06 so they are okay still. They have a solid young team that should get better which should bring back the popularity. Dallas has worked out really well though. So has Tampa Bay and Nashville. Florida is strange. I don't mind them moving to Quebec City. Even though they have the talent to be a top contending team which can bring popularity.

[@maxlee6739]

In the US there are about 10 people who can name a team in the MLS that isn't their local team or the LA Galaxy. It's not a major sport. Not even close.

[@inmanchristopher78]

I wish more of my countrymen liked hockey. I've been blessed to have several decent ice rinks in my area and when I'm not working, I try to get on the ice. It may be due to the price because I basically have to hemorrhage money to get the equipment (even secondhand stuff.) Rinks aren't readily available here and the ones that are you're fighting with figure skaters for time. Inline hockey you can do any tennis or basketball court, but you get the equipment issue again and people aren't willing to go through all the trouble to make it work. I'm basically an American who loves hockey like a Canadian and I've done a lot to support my hockey habit. All I can say is my friends and neighbors are missing out on a beautiful sport.

[@evandoeswhatever3993]

I know this video came out a long time ago, but I still want to share an interesting fact. As pretty much everyone knows, hockey is part of growing up in Canada. In Edmonton there is an Out Door rink in every neighborhood, and then there are several sports complexes with anywhere from 1 - 4 indoor hockey rinks. For a metro pop. of 1.2 million, Edmonton has an incredible amount of hockey rinks that the public use on a day to day basis in the winter. Every time I am out play hockey there are at least 4 other random people at the rink playing hockey. Then in the summer, whenever I am driving in a neighborhood I more often than not see kids rushing to move the hockey nets off the road to let me through. In the states, it simply is part of their culture.

[@JHockeyFan]

Wayne Simmonds needs to be marketed better, especially in a metro with a large black population. You could have Saturday Flyers-76ers doubleheader "Simmonds and Simmons Night". Grabbing minority interest in the sport will be key for its long term growth. That's why Charles Barkley as a prominent black man in the US saying that he was an NHL fan and loved the playoffs was huge to make Americans in general cognizant that not only the NHL is exciting, but black people can be fans too.

[@nolank19]

Here in northern Minnesota hockey is the biggest sport, with the whole high school state tournament and amazing college hockey. It’s a shame it isn’t in the rest of the country tho

[@adamb1229]

Leafs fan!! But shout out to Sabres fans!! They had the best TV ratings out of the American markets this year!

[@fourien4584]

I want Montréal vs Toronto

[@Jacob-hq1ql]

Gotta make the sport cheaper to play in order to get fans

[@camjcasey]

You hit the nail right on the head here. It's amazing how well you are able to read into U.S sporting culture without being from here.

[@rich7447]

In Canada all the games are on channels in the basic cable package. In the US you get almost no games unless you add a sports specific package.

[@averytribbett8932]

I live in Minnesota and when I ask kids why don’t you play hockey they say it to much money and their parents can’t afford it

[@ZeBRaH1223]

I agree, just to see a hawks game i have to drive 4 hours to Tampa cause that's the nearest team to where i live

[@socalhockeyfan9784]

Since Gretzky came to LA Hockey has really grown in California and the past 10 years it's really getting bigger and bigger. Not just My Ducks but Hockey in general is all year round for me and it's almost an addiction lol but I don't care really I know Canadian fans think We don't have any fans but We really do in California.

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Yeah, it has taken root in California. It also comes down to population numbers. There are more people in California than in all of Canada. That really helps.

[@socalhockeyfan9784]

The Hockey Guy Ya I hope one day it can be at least as big as the other sports but if not I'll move in with My Grandpa who lives in Vancouver lol I want to be surrounded by hockey fans haha

[@chrisbouve846]

anaheim tickets go for $10 and they still cant sell. I'm from CT but went to a Ducks playoff game last year. in was probably 55% Oilers fans!

[@gurpreetkhambra5160]

San jose gets alot of fans every time i go they sell out and the tickets are 70 dollars. That has to do with the fact that san jose stays competitive so people always come and are passionate for it.

[@user-ji3il6ce2o]

@@gurpreetkhambra5160 don’t watch these fudu gora people sport, watch cricket and kabaddi

[@tbmb9531]

NHL is way higher than MLS. But maybe that’s just be cuz I grew up a Bolts fan

[@layth6857]

Hockey is still more popular but I wouldn't say way higher. Some mls teams like lafc and atlanta United have a much higher attendance than nhl teams

[@Estrad43]

Not to mention, MLS, knows it's important demographic is the Latino/hispanic sector, in order to stay profitable!

[@midnightman5139]

​@@Estrad43it's also true for the nhl with their core audience being white and majority Canadians.

[@joshuabarrett3551]

Hockey has been huge in Missouri for a while, we have 40 ice rinks within metro STL area and now the Blues won the cup which should continue to strengthen the sport here in STL.

[@closethockeyfan5284]

There are tens (if not hundreds) of millions of Americans who couldn't care less about sports altogether, for a start. In Canada, hockey is basically the only game in town--pretty much always has been. In the U.S., people see Americans as king in baseball (even though Latin America is), basketball (usually are), and football (Is there another league other than CFL?). There are straight paths for all of these, and they all have long-term traditions. Hockey missed out on that somehow. This problem is not modern. It's a century old--the NHL was in business as early as the rest, except baseball. Football and basketball were marketed well in all urban areas--football in rural areas, too, along with baseball. Hockey was solely northern, obviously, and really didn't catch on much, especially with minorities. It's simply not ever been embedded in American culture, whereas baseball, basketball, and football all were by the 1970s to differing degrees. It's way more expensive and inconvenient in the U.S. to play hockey, in part because the infrastructure is sparse. In Canada, I assume there's a rink in every town at a bare minimum, probably can't go more than 5 miles in the metro areas without passing one. I grew up in Pittsburgh; even today, I don't think there are even 10 indoor ice rinks in the greater metro area--and you can include the Pens' facilities in that count. Ice skating is relatively prevalent but not terribly popular. I don't think any of my friends skated, though some classmates did--mostly females. And we grew up with Lemieux and Jagr before Crosby was drafted when we hit high school. On the expense side from a parent's perspective, for soccer, I need to get my kid cleats--that's it. For basketball, I might need to get shoes. For baseball, I need cleats and a glove. Even for football, I need just cleats and a mouthguard, because the pads tend to stay within programs through the years, unlike hockey. The infrastructure and equipment are more easily obtained and maintained than an ice rink, skates and breakable sticks. The NHL markets the heck out of certain stars. It just doesn't seem to matter. They marketed the heck out of Crosby and Ovechkin, but people didn't care that much in either Pittsburgh or Washington until each team started winning again.

[@list67]

I think NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has failed for numerous years to properly market the sport in the US. I don't think there are more percentage of Americans who could care more or less about a game of hockey compare to when he took over the league 20+ years ago. For the NHL not allowing the release of players to represent them for their respective countries, voices the sentiment the League has about the sport to the world.

[@YourHellishEntertainment]

You should do a 2019 update on this, because a lot of this has changed!

[@spencerk45]

When I wear a Blackhawks hoodie people say "you like the redskins" it's happening twice...

[@joshuabutterwick8768]

Big Sports Fan when peple ask you a dumb question like that just play along with them nod your head and say yes

[@dremin15]

I live in Mississippi and I constantly wear my Montreal jacket. People always talk to me about if I like Mississippi University.

[@josephsprott4717]

Go RiverKings

[@dremin15]

Joseph You're damn right.

[@josephsprott4717]

Hope they win tonight

[@francoeurtim]

Coming in late to say that game 6 of the Final was watched by and AVERAGE of 7.09 million people, up 29% on last year.

[@DimeZakkSDMF]

I can give you multiple reasons why hockey has not experienced growth in the States: 1. Exposure. Most people grow up being fans of the sports they played as kids like baseball, football and basketball. Most communities have baseball diamonds and open fields for football/soccer. There is a basketball court at every park and in nearly every apartment complex, even in ghettos and poor neighborhoods. Which leads me to my next point. 2. Cost. Hockey is an expensive sport, especially in the states where most don't have frozen ponds/lakes in the winter. Equipment is expensive, coaching/lessons, ice time etc etc. Hockey skates at $900? That's a huge factor. 3. Understanding. Your typical American simply doesn't understand the game. Like you said, hockey is a part of Canadian culture. It is not for Americans. Baseball and football would be. They don't understand it, so they don't even try. 4. Diversity. Hockey for most of its history has been dominated by white guys from moderate to good income families with very few minorities. PK Subbann is no Chris Johnson; he might have been a drug dealer if he couldn't run with a football. Viewers from poverty areas have an idol to follow and look up to. There would be plenty more;m, but that should suffice for now. That being said, this diehard American fan says hockey is the greatest sport on the planet and will always love the game.

[@jonhanson8098]

I do not buy into the race thing because at one time football was all white and so was baseball

[@Barren636]

Saint Louis fan here. I played 4 different sports competitively and none of them were hockey. In my area, hockey is typically for the wealthy, or the hyper-interested. I think you could easily spend $1000 for a session, nevermind if you're a goalie needing pads. It's also rare to have the opportunity to go out and skate/play on a lake. Too dangerous/warm.

[@anotherbutt4chair454]

There are a lot of reasons, books can be written on this topic. hockey is not something you can do without support from family. both financial and just in general. With all other sports, you don’t need anything except a ball, and a lot of determination.

[@tomchamberlain4329]

I'm from England. Think a lot of comments have summed it up: it's expensive and requires ice. Hence it's never truly taken off here in the UK either, there's only 3 cities that support the Elite League teams in decent numbers. We just don't have enough ice to support it. And here, *football* is so dominant and so representative of the ambition of every kid to show every other kid their prowess, no other sport stands a chance of challenging it. It's so deep rooted in every community, the local team is your yardstick, backyards and parks, school playgrounds....your chance to piss on everyone else is right there under your feet, all the time For a large portion of the population, it IS life. It would take a monumental event for that to change. Seems like in the US, basketball has largely occupied that position, similar thing. Very accessible to kids on low incomes, an easy way of asserting athletic prowess and skill over other kids. Hockey is just too expensive and there's no ice!

[@davidfox9947]

Hockey is much bigger in the US then the UK and is one of our four major sports but it is just not as big as our big three NFL, NBA, MLB

[@colinmoore8169]

I was wearing a Stamkos T-shirt at work that i purchased when visiting FL last summer. Somebody comes up to me and says "I thought Flash was Red" lol I love hockey and pay the 144.00 dollars a year for NHL TV but i live in Kansas and at times feel like i am the only hockey fan for miles.

[@Acornoa]

what if the all-star game was Canada vs USA franchises?

[@ryanb6679]

Aaron Tam how is that fair the Canadian teams would get destroyed due to the fact that it's 7 teams against the league

[@hypernova8135]

It’s because most kids can go outside and play basketball and football and then there is hockey were you need skates you need ice and sticks and you need way too many pads to do a drop in and also my school has a hockey team and they don’t call it a school team cause it’s “too dangerous”

[@widehalk]

And yet only 7 Canadian teams

[@EveryoneIsAnIdiotExceptForMe]

Don't worry, Quebec city, Hamilton and maybe Saskatoon will get teams in the next couple years

[@Internut1985]

widehalk US has bigger population compared to Canada. More people=more 💰

[@YAOmighty]

Somali Pirates of the Indian Ocean It's not about the population. It's about the dedication you give to your team. Fans are supposed to support their local team, not go to other fanbase because they won something (Pittsburgh has a big problem with that, so does Chicago, maybe not, since they got knocked out in the first round twice in a row with a sweep from Smashville).

[@onebuffalo5402]

Cause you dont have big enough markets.... players dont want to play in a city in bum fuck no where canada with a population of 200,000. All major cities in canada outside of quebec already have a team (even quebec isnt that large 500k pop 8 mill in the entire Provence). Even with a lack of interest putting hockey in a city with a close by urban area that has 1-2+ million people is more beneficial and has more upside than a small market canadian team that doesnt help to promote the sport.

[@jesusiracheta8570]

I’m Mexican and I love hockey I live in Colorado and have been a fan since 2013. I got my brothers and my mother into hockey as well. I think a big reason why hockey may not be as big of a sport in the united states is mostly marketing a lot of big TV companies do not promote hockey as much as NBA for NFL also in Colorado altitude sports has a very specific deal with DIRECTV where you can only watch Colorado sports besides Denver Broncos on DIRECTV so that also limits it’s exposure in Colorado

[@kobaltteal7139]

In Saskatchewan You have WHL and their JR A league of 12 teams i think. So Moose Jaw Saskatoon Regina Prince Albert for WHL. SJHL is North Battlesford, Estevan, Flin Flon, Humbolt, Kindersley, La Ronge, Melfort, Melville, Nipawin, Notre Dame, Weyburn and Yorkton. So ofc hockey comes up XD

[@TRZN91]

I can assure you that NHL is bigger than MLS here in the states.

[@nickkb9191]

It’s big in the NHL but not nearly as big as NFL. Honestly it is very popular. I personally see tons of hockey fans all over the city I live in. Hawks, Blues, Bolts, Wings, Leafs. I even saw a guy in a Coyotes shirt the other day. And I live no where near Arizona.

[@hoctorthepipedoctor8445]

I think it has grown in the States. Ghostbear from Florida so are the Hughes brothers. Matthews from Phoenix. There were a handful of kids from the St Louis area that got drafted recently. This year's draft a lot of the top 10 prospects are US kids. I would agree the sport doesn't get the viewership or casual fan levels that the NBA, MLB, and NFL have. Part of the problem is it's an expensive sport. Maintaining ice rinks is a lot pricier than just sodding and painting lines for a baseball/football field or putting up nets for basketball court. I don't know how you make it more affordable to appeal to more people and grow the viewership.

[@chrisscorpio5651]

Most Americans also DO NOT like Cidney Crosby, at least those who do know hockey. Most prefer Ovechkin because of his hitting style and fun personality.

[@AZrakoon]

in AZ, only some people follow it..... people know the coyotes exist, but they ignore hockey.....some people talked about the coyotes in 2012 because they went pretty far.....but i love the yotes and me and my day watch them

[@LPdecibal]

I live in Upstate NY, hockey is popular down here, the local AHL team sells out regularly and I can barely get tickets because everyone in the audience is a god damned season ticket holder (Utica Comets) To be fair Upstate NY has more in common with Canada then NYC.

[@RememberingWW2]

Detroit is one team with a huuuge market. Every store I walk in (even grocery stores) have Redwings gear. Hockey Town!

[@MegaGlupe]

still think Canada can support at least another 5 NHL teams

[@terrymyers2676]

I wish hockey were bigger here. I always watches hockey but it wasn't always huge to me because I've been an NFL fan my entire life (over 35 years). That has changed mainly due to the fact that we were granted a team here in Vegas. I wish I would have started wAtching hockey sooner but growing up and still living in a city that has never had a pro sports team and in the desert (but it can get cold as hell here regardless of the fact) it was difficult to latch onto especially since there was no real way to play it minis using rollerblades in the street, it was difficult. To address an elephant in the room, quite a bit of it has to do with the fact that there are not a good amount of minorities in the NHL. It should not be that way but here in the US, if the sport doesn't appear to be racially diverse people don't have a huge interest in it. Add to the fact that things that are seen as predominately african-american, it is not seen as "cool" (No pun intended intended) especially to the younger audience. I think it will grow, but slowly. 2 final things I will say is: NHL is still above any soccer league, and 2, the sweaters/jerseys are definitely amazing, I just don't think the 100% authentic jerseys with names and numbers, at like $300, is way too much. But how do you get hockey bigger in the US? Try to get in more African American players!! Raised said than done though as hockey is mostly considered to be a sport for white dudes here in the states. Not trying to seem racist or anything but, it is the truth.

[@WarioSaysSo]

Well the NHL have ALWAYS been the BEST ice hockey league in the WORLD !!!! People all over the world who plays hockey dream about being one day good enough to make it there!

[@jamiekmett8847]

In some areas it has grown... For example, when I learned to play in the early 80s in Johnstown, PA, there were maybe 6 rinks in a 70 mile radius... Enter Mario, Jagr, Sid, and 5 Cups and now that same radius has 50 rinks...

[@ThePrizmbot]

It's pretty much just in the south and west were it's not very popular. It's popular in the north east because those teams have been around longer.

[@dumbcow1]

NHL needs to market SO much more. Have only 8 sheets of ice here in the Phoenix area. 5 of which are operated on the dime of the Coyotes.... so =/ I grew up in San Diego, where I did not even know hockey existed! When i watched my first hockey game, I was upset that I had been kept away from this sport for so many years of my life. I wish it was part of the culture here in the US, I love this sport and have happily taken the hockey virginity of many people!

[@bankingonmoney8224]

My opinion is must start with the youth. At present or past there has been no opportunity for the youth in the states to play hockey. It's not until you get older (Dependant upon the high school attended) you will have the option to play hockey. Depending on location you may have hockey clinics to learn about hockey. I can also state hockey is not readily available to attend at every location for entertainment at any level. If you look at the successful sports football and baseball is available anywhere. Unfortunately another hurdle is hockey is labeled as an Canadian Sport unlike the successful sports MLB and NFL. I was fortunately enough having exposure to hockey at an early age. My parents took me ice staking at a very young age when there was no indoor domes. We had a minor league AHL team which I attended until moving in the 90's. When I was a kid friends of mine would play street hockey until getting older when pickup hockey came about to play ice hockey. I believe my past experiences of hockey are very limited to many individuals.

[@jonhanson8098]

Growing up in the Washington DC Area in the 70s the Washington Capitals almost went under it was the the Philadelphia team that helped save the team .The problem in the this area was the fact that their was no place to skate and those that were around it was so expensive to play.So it was so much cheaper to play soccer football and baseball. When the Cap had their parade i saw more fans attend that then i had ever seen at the Washington Redskins parade.

[@dustinrhodes4793]

From California, hockey is my favorite sport. I think there are just so many teams out here (I think 3 or 4 each in NHL, NBA, NFL and 5 in MLB) and hockey had a late start out west. Gonna take time to grow. I also think Hockey is like baseball, it's not an overly flashy game with super charismatic players like NBA and NFL. Just not as popular with Americas youth. But I love the game, I don't worry about what others think. I do think we need more teams in Canada tho

[@woody72691]

subbed. you know what you talking about. also the Detroit area is a good hockey area due to the Wings of course and the Toledo Walleye. love this area

[@WindyCityHawkey]

In the mid west hockey is big in the states in Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, and a few more states. How Golden Knights will work is the casino will buy out stadium for that team to work. And I go ice skating every week.

[@williamzambrano5321]

I live in Cali and I don’t understand why more people love hockey. I’ve watched hockey since I’ve been 3 and have fell in love with it. And I play soccer and basketball lol.

[@davidfox9947]

Hockey is defiantly more fun to watch then basketball and soccer but more Americans do prefer basketball and a lot of travel soccer family's will not give hockey a chance. I personally love hockey, do not care if everyone likes it or not.

[@youngtooth4330]

Great video bub

[@Pfsif]

Hockey competes with football, baseball and basketball. A lot of divided love for each sports.

[@davidpitts5851]

It may not be noticeable on the big scale but it has definitely grown. The example I’m about to give has a lot to do with marketing, sponsors , social media, etc but where I live we have the Carolina Thunderbirds in the fhl. Yea yea the slapshot league but anyways, when we had our Cyclones team which was SPHL in 07-09 we would have 800 fans at a game on a good night. I think 1,200 was the most they ever got in the arena. Now our Thunderbirds are selling out almost every home game at 3,050 but 3,175 with standing room only. It’s our 2nd season and we broke the attendance record halfway through our first season last year. Now yes a lot of that has to do with marketing and ownership and sponsors, all of which have been done so well. But also before they finalized bringing a new team in they had 1 game between the Watertown Wolves and Danville( I think Danville not positive) at our local arena. To see what the fan support would be and to test local interest in hockey etc. for that one game, which wasn’t the most talked about thing in town, they sold out. 3,000+ people showed up and I’m sure that was a big help in us getting our Thunderbirds. So at least in the middle North Carolina, Winston-Salem area, interest in hockey has grown tremendously. I’ve had several friends who had never watched hockey, didn’t think they would like hockey even, that I take to a live game, every one of them fall in love with it and now they are all going to be season ticket holders next season for our team and it’s become their favorite sports. I’ve heard many people talk about how they never gave hockey a chance but as soon as it was put in front of their faces, they fell in love with it. Side note- my Carolina Thunderbirds are playing the Elmira Enforcers this weekend in the Commissioners Cup Finals and Shannon if you threw them a shout out it would soooo make mine and my other friend that follows you days. #GoThunderbirds!

[@NameN0tFound]

In a lot of cases, a teams actual location in town can make or brake the franchise long term. I was once on vacation in Miami and a friend of mine and I decided to go to a Panthers game for the heck of it. The only reason the place was even half full was because the Leafs were in town and they bought more seats than the Panthers fans did. The arena was so far out of the way of anything I'd be surprised if the locals could find it. Meanwhile, Bridgestone arena in Nashville is right in the middle of town. Knowing this, I'm not too surprised that one was able to build a fan base and not the other.

[@ScottsThoughts]

As someone from the US hockey has been my favorite sport since pretty much I have memories. I'm definitely in the minority in my area on that and have spent pretty much my whole life trying to get people into hockey. A lot of people I talk to just say it's a white sport. Or that there's a lot of white people, or not enough minorities. My response to that is, yeah and I watch football and basketball which have a lot of black people but why would I care about that? I know my ex whom is mexican almost immediately got into hockey when I took her for the first time. People in the states are almost nervous to give it a try? It's weird and mildly annoying. Even still I will continue to try and show everyone I know.

[@BoyNamedSue4]

NHL's big mistake is that it markets "tradition and history". If you aren't a fan you don't care. Focus on stars. PK and Crosby are going to get people to tune in way more than "hey remember when Orr scored that goal. "

[@dankmeme8849]

I'll have to be honest here I'm a lightning fan and I always knew hockey existed but I never really watched a real game when I watched one on TV when they were going into the playoffs in 2015 I loved it I feel like it's just getting people into the sport like maybe the tickets have to be lower so more people can be interested

[@bobjohnson5062]

Updated thoughts on this if any please!

[@celticwanderer89]

I believe you are right about the regionality of hockey in the US. Apart from the southern states where it might be popular because it's some of the only ice they ever see, a lot of the States that host NHL teams have mountains, cold winters, or experience snow. But I also think you are right about it being a part of Canada..I live in Colorado and there are a few skating rinks here and some summer hockey leagues, but for the most part many kids dont get exposed to hockey like they do to the NFL or others from a YOUNG AGE...here you can play flag football or mini basketball or teeball from like age 4-5, but there arent many kid/youth hockey programs for that age!! Build the popularity in the kids, and the future generations will adopt it as readily as anything!

[@celticwanderer89]

And originally being from England, I know this to be true. I was born and raised in england for the first 8 years of my life, and our national sport is football. We basically start playing football as soon as we can run..then I moved to America and had no IDEA about other sports played here. As I grew up, I learned to appreciate all the sports, but have grown tired of the endless commercials and bigheaded attitudes of the NFL, and find hockey to be most entertaining sport besides maybe lacrosse. Fast paced, not high scoring so more tense action, and definitely WAAAAY less commercials!

[@frame3139]

Several reasons........ the NFL, NCAA Football is HUGE, MLB and the NBA. Simply to many high level sports with quality athletes. It's as simple as that, AND the NHL doesn't translate very well on TV to those fans who just wanna see what it's all about.

[@connorthompson8963]

This^^^^

[@JT_1]

So you're saying Potential USA fans are dumb and don't understand the game?

[@lezor777]

I was walking down the street in rural Alberta with I mighty ducks jersey on and a gut mowing is lawn started quacking at me

[@TheHockeyGuy]

Sounds like he confused you with an actual duck. Some of them rural types, I tell ya....