Fans

D.C. Ranked 20th for U.S. Hockey Cities

These fans don’t care what wallethub.com thinks. (Caps Outsider)

According to wallethub.com, America’s obsession with hockey seems only to be growing.  It’s currently the 4th most followed sport among U.S. adult fans and has climbed one spot in the Top 10 every year since 2012.  The NHL is in fact so popular that it sold out more arenas than the National Basketball Association this past season.  Equally surprising, Americans are willing to pay, on average, 15 percent more to see a hockey match than an NBA game.

Since 2012, WalletHub has been famous for their ‘best and worst’ ranking of just about anything you can think of.   The online personal finance resource company claims to be a one-stop destination for all the tools and information consumers and small business owners need to make better financial decisions and save money. They utilize a unique combination of social features, expert insights, and a vast amount of constantly-updating information to aid the consumer.

The folks at WalletHub were at it again this year ranking the best and worst largest cities for hockey. They ranked 74 hockey cities, professional and college, based on 18 key metrics from stadium accessibility to ticket prices to team performance. These factors, coupled with sports experts’ opinions provided the basis for the rankings. So, how did Washington D.C. rank? The Capitals’ home-sweet-home ranked number 20 overall. Breaking it down, Washington had a “team and performance” rank of 22 and a “cost and fan engagement” rank of 23. The cost of attending a Caps game doesn’t help the ranking at all since the average ticket price is one of the highest in the NHL.

The city ranked number one is Pittsburgh, PA – home of our arch rival, the Penguins. (Boo Hiss!) Pittsburgh was also ranked most friendly. (Seriously?)   Anyway, here are the top five hockey towns overall:

  1. Pittsburgh, PA (Penguins)
  2. Chestnut Hill, MA (Boston College)
  3. St. Louis, MO (Blues)
  4. Tampa, FL (Lightning)
  5. Boston, MA (Bruins)

Despite the ranking, Washington Capitals fans feel like their city is, and always will be, #1.  Let’s Go Caps!

For more information, the complete list and an in-depth analysis of all the rankings, visit wallethub.com.

Source: WalletHub

Barbara Banks

Barbara Ann Banks is a freelance writer out of Rockville, MD.

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