Detroit Red Wings Fans 14th Best in League
Living in the this great state of Michigan, if you enjoy hockey you are more than likely a Detroit Red Wings fan. And why not? The Red Wings are an original six team and a historic franchise who have 11 Stanley Cups to their names. The team also has 75 players in the Hall of Fame and a current 23 year playoff record. Being a Detroit Red Wings fan is one of the better things in life.
The Hockey News writer Matt Larkin published a very interesting read that essentially rates the teams in the National Hockey Leagues fan bases. The process itself is not super complex and is pretty sound in its structure. It is a very quick and easy read and can be found here.
The Detroit Red Wings ranked 14th out of the 30 teams in the league. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Montreal Canadians finished in the top three. While the Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Dallas Stars rounded out the bottom teams. This link has a full standings list of the teams.
With the Red Wings at 14th I thought I would be upset about that but the numbers do support the placement of them there. Attendance seems to be what put the Red Wings there. They ranked 14th in attendance and while they have played well in the last 5 years, which is the amount of time the sample for attendance was taken, they just can’t seem to fill The Joe Louis Arena.
With the plans to have a new arena for the Red Wings at the start of the 2017 season, attendance could see a rise. Then if you rate the fan bases in the NHL in 2021 (another five-year span) I think you would see the Red Wings move up a few spots in the list.
While a lot of attendance usually determined by the product that is out on the ice, there are a few exceptions. In Larkins piece, the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary Flames, teams that have not really produced great season have high attendance, are ranked higher than the Red Wings. With a new arena closer to places like Ford Field and Comerica Park the Red Wings could see an attendance rise with the new arena closer to down town.
The Detroit Red Wings are one of the best teams to be a fan of. We have a good system that is envied by other teams in the league. We have had some of the greatest players to play in Detroit. So even if they cause you headaches and make you want to pull your hair, support them, love your team, be proud of them.