Check out South Florida!
The 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Final gloriously kicks off Saturday between the Vegas Golden Knights and my Florida Panthers, and to celebrate, personal-finance website WalletHub has released a report on 2023’s Best Cities for Hockey Fans — and it features some shockers.
Releasing a top 20 list, WalletHub determined the best markets for hockey fans comparing a total of 75 cities in the United States, basing it off 21 key metrics (including team performance, season ticket prices and stadium capacity) involving both the NHL and college hockey.
Here are 2023’s Best Cities for Hockey Fans, courtesy of WalletHub:
- Boston, MA
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Detroit, MI
- New York, NY
- St. Louis, MO
- Denver, CO
- Tampa, FL
- Newark, NJ
- Sunrise, FL
- Raleigh, NC
- Buffalo, NY
- St. Paul, MN
- Washington, DC
- Chicago, IL
- Anaheim, CA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Dallas, TX
- Glendale, AZ
- Columbus, OH
- Las Vegas, NV
Congratulations @CityOfBoston, @Pittsburgh, @CityofDetroit, @nycgov & @STLCityGov for being the best cities for hockey fans: https://t.co/cLir5WmYk1 pic.twitter.com/cX7d1QqgsP
— WalletHub (@wallethub) June 1, 2023
Wow … shoutout to South Florida, man!
I’ll admit though, I’m pleasantly surprised to see Sunrise crack the top 10. As a Florida Panthers fan and following the Miami market like I do, I obviously know a lot about our hockey culture, and the fact that we made the top 10 as an area where our hockey players can go out in public and not be recognized whatsoever … yeah, I’m pretty impressed.
The Florida Panthers … South Florida … we don’t have the richest history in hockey, so it’s shocking to see. (RELATED: Patrick Kane Undergoes Hip Resurfacing Surgery, Will Need 4-6 Months To Recover)
Also, I’m honestly stunned that Philadelphia and Buffalo came in so low on the list, but the biggest upset to me is Chicago. I mean, wow, they had Patrick Kane for 15 years and won three championships with him. How on earth is that city not more passionate about hockey?
Other than that, business as usual — and me being extremely proud as a Florida Panthers fan.