Michigan Among Best Places For Hockey Fans: Report

DETROIT, MI — Hockeytown is living up to its name. Or at least that’s the reputation it has, according to new research published that found Detroit is among the best cities to be a hockey fan.

As hockey heats up in America, Wallethub has dug a little deeper and found that both participation and attendance are up. Fans are willing to shell out a lot for ticket prices, which exceed those of the NBA, according to the group. They ranked 73 U.S. cities based upon 21 key indicators of a good hockey city, like ticket prices to stadium capacity to the performance level of each team.

What’s interesting is that while the Red Wings may not be outperforming other teams, the fans and energy around the sport still rivals other cities.

As the Stanley Cup finals approach, let’s see how metro Detroit measures up to other cities across the country:

• Detroit ranked the overall No. 2 place to be a hockey fan, according to Wallethub.
• It received the highest rank for “NHL Score” of all the 73 cities in the country. This score factored in team accomplishments, coaching stats, along with popularity and prices.
• Along with Raleigh and Denver, Detroit ranked as having one of the worst performing NHL teams. On top of that, Detroit was ranked for the most expensive NHL tickets around. Just call us loyal.
• Detroit was beat out for the No. 1 spot only by Boston, according to the survey.
• Along with Pittsburgh (another top Hockey town, Wallethub found), Boston and Buffalo, NY, Detroit was found to have the highest fan engagement when it comes to hockey.

Detroit wasn’t the only city to top the list of best places to be a hockey fan, either. In fact, several Michigan cities made the cut, including Ann Arbor, Houghton, Sault Ste. Marie, East Lansing, Kalamazoo and Marquette. Only New York had more top-ranking cities than Michigan for hockey appreciation.

For more on the methodology behind the rankings or to see how other cities ranked for hockey fans, click here.

Image via Shutterstock

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