TicketCity Ranks the Most Engaged NHL Fan Bases

February 19, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We’re excited to announce the first annual TicketCity ranking of the most engaged fan bases in the NHL. The ranking, based on an algorithm that evaluates fan activity in terms on home attendance, social media following, average ticket price, and monthly search volume provides a unique perspective as to which NHL fans are the most engaged with their team both online and offline.

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<a href="http://blog.ticketcity.com/2013/02/19/ticketcity-ranks-the-most-engaged-nhl-fan-bases/"><img alt="Active NHL Fan Bases" src="http://blog.ticketcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/top10hockeyteams.png" /></a><br />
<a href="http://blog.ticketcity.com/2013/02/19/ticketcity-ranks-the-most-engaged-nhl-fan-bases/">Top 10 Most Active Fan Bases in the NHL</a> created by <a href="http://www.ticketcity.com/nhl-tickets.html">TicketCity</a>

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Many of the teams represented on this list will go head to head over the next week looking towards playoffs.  The Pittsburgh Penguins, in first place in the Eastern Conference as of February 17, will go head to head against the Pittsburgh Flyers on February 20, in what is sure to be a high-scoring game.  Other matchups include tomorrow’s Vancouver Canucks at Chicago Blackhawks, the New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (Feb. 23), and the Vancouver Canucks at Detroit Red Wings (Feb. 24).

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Locking Out the Lockout

January 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

If all you wanted for Christmas was the NHL season than you’re in luck. After what seemed like an eternity to hockey fans, the league and the players finally came to an agreement that ended the 2012-13 lockout just in time to scrape together a matrix for a 48-game 2013 season. Almost identical to the results of the ’94-’95 lockout which proposed a similar 48-game matrix that left out the Winter Classic and the NHL All-Star game, the 2013 season will do the same.

Fans and players alike underwent an extreme case of deja-vu as we have gotten all too familiar with the NHL’s lockout habits. The 1992 strike kick-started this chain of labor actions in the NHL and though it was the least severe of the four recent lockouts it still managed to postpone 30 games in the 91-92 season. The 10-day strike led to season play ending in June for the first time in NHL history. The 75th NHL season wasn’t all bad though as it brought out the “Turn Back the Clock” uniform program and put the original six NHL teams in throwback uniforms… oh yeah, and we still got to watch our favorite teams play an entire 80-game season.

Two years later in the 94-95 lockout we got a glimpse of the future as the 3 month, and 10 day lockout cancelled a total of 468 games including the All-Star Game. The spark to this fire was the implementation of a salary cap favored by the owners but opposed by the players. Though the season was shortened to the 48-game matrix we have to settle for this year the NHLPA took it into their hands to produce some good out of the bad. Some of the Players left North America to play in various other leagues but the ones who remained took part in the “4-on-4 Challenge” organized by the NHLPA and raised more than half a million dollars in support of the Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities of Canada and various hockey associations throughout North America.

After roughly ten years of lockout free hockey the most devastating labor dispute in all of sports in North America took place. The collective bargaining agreement that resolved the 94-95 lockout expired and a day later, without hesitation the 2004-2005 season was in jeopardy. The 10 month and 6 day dispute known as the 2004-05 NHL lockout would cancel what would have been the 88th season of play in the NHL and mark the first time in 86 years that the Stanley Cup would not be awarded. Not only did the lockout result in 1,230 un-played games but since there were no results to base the 2005 NHL Entry Draft on a lottery system was put in place for a draft that included one of the most highly regarded draft picks in hockey history, Sidney Crosby. If you are a Pittsburgh Penguins fan than you can pull some good out of the 04-05 lockout as the Penguins came out of the “Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes” with the player dubbed as “The Next One”. For all other hockey fans we were just happy to hear that the dispute was over in time for the 2005-06 season.

Almost another decade of lockout free hockey goes by and nearly a month before the 2012-13 season is to get underway another lockout hits the face of the NHL. Any guesses as to the topic of desire that sparked the most recent lockout? If you guessed CBA you’d be correct. It’s not all bad though because the fans will still get their hockey fix in 2013 which is expected to get underway on January 19 with opening day games rumored to be between the Penguins and Flyers, Kings and Blackhawks, Senators and Jets, Maple Leafs and Canadians, and Blues against the Red Wings.

Dust off those hockey jerseys and get ready for some 2013 NHL action because a glass half empty is always better than no glass at all right?

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Deja Vu for the Devils

June 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Hello again and happy Monday. What an amazing week it was in the world of sports. There is Baxter’s clutch catch to save Santana’s no hitter, a first for both Santana and the New York Mets’ ball club. Then there was the NBA Conference Finals where OKC came back from a 2-0 disadvantage against the Spurs to tie the series and Boston doing the same against Miami. As if this wasn’t enough for one week, Mexico defeated Brazil 2-0 with an amazing chip-shot off the right post and a well deserved penalty kick. We even got to see some vintage Tiger in the Memorial Tournament with his version of the chip-shot that sent him to the top of the leader boards. I could stop here and be completely satisfied with how my weekend of pure sports bliss went, really I could, but there is more.

The Los Angeles Kings are at it again. To recap, the Kings entered the Playoffs as the 8th seed, the last seed. The highly underestimated, as we now know, Kings have only lost two of their 16 playoff games. The first came in round one against the number one seeded Canucks and the second came from Phoenix in round three. Other than that, it’s been nothing but wins. Continuing this winning theme  in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Kings have taken a 2-0 lead, with both of the W’s coming in overtime at the New Jersey Devils’ home rink. I would hate to speak too soon, but with the next two games at home for the Kings in L.A., we could possibly see a Stanley Cup sweep.

Now, the play that topped this spectacular seven days of sports heaven. Almost identical to their win in game one, the Kings scored in overtime again to win game two. Twelve minutes into OT, after a very brief attack by the Devils, the Kings sent the puck up to Drew Doughty at center ice. Doughty makes a game changing back hand pass to a wide open Anze Kopitar, who only has the goalie to beat. Kopitar flies down the ice and in one sweet, swift motion finds the back of the net for the win and deja vu for the Devils.

Your one and only TicketCity Play of the Week! Enjoy.

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Fantasy Drafts Come To The NHL All-Star Game

January 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s amazing to me that out of the four major sports leagues in America, the NHL is the most inventive in terms of marketing and changing the game. They’ll change things up on a whim, like rules or this year’s All-Star game, which takes a page out of our past and current fascinations. Two as-yet-unnamed captains (we’ll let you guess who the obvious choices are) will choose from a roster of 40 players that were either voted in by fans or chosen by the league. While it’s easy to equate this to our nation’s fascination with fantasy-sports leagues, I’d like to equate it to our playground past, which with the popular Winter Classic played outdoors, might be how the NHL is trying to angle it, too. With the strong roster released yesterday, it seems like another, to use a somewhat improper phrase, slam dunk for the NHL in terms of its marketing.

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Round 2 Begins of Stanley Cup Playoffs

April 23, 2008 By Leave a Comment

We are through the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and it has already been a exciting one.   Both of my favorite teams, the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins, have advanced to round 2.   

I was able to go to game 6 of the Dallas Stars series against last years champs, the Anaheim Ducks.  It was an absolutely great experience that I will never forget.   I had great seats behind the goal where Marty Turco was in the 1st and 3rd periods.   Turco was amazing throughout this series.   I was also extremely impressed with the play of young D-man Mark Fistric.    He played in only half of the games in the series, replacing the injured Philippe Boucher, and he did a fantastic job.    I see him becoming a great player in the next few years. 

Another defenseman who doesn’t get as much respect as he should was the hero of game 6, Stephane Robidas.    Robidas scored the first Dallas goal of game 6 and had the assist on the game winner.     He had to play game 6 with a face cage on since he broke his nose in game 5 when he took a fast puck to the face.    A broken nose is nothing new for Robidas since it has happened to him countless times.   

Now the Stars will face another division rival in round 2, the San Jose Sharks.  This should be a interesting series.   In the regular season the series between these two teams was even and in the last game of the season the Stars beat the Shark  4-2.  There was a total of 160 penalty minutes in that game.  I expect this to be a hard hitting series.

For the rest of the league:

Eastern Conference

Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers:   In the regular season the Canadiens dominated the Flyers, but don’t count the Flyers out.   The Flyer’s Daniel Briere leads the league in goals and points so far in the playoffs.   While the Canadiens rookie goalie Carey Price has been doing wonderfully, the Boston Bruins proved in game 5 that if you can get Price on a tilt you can do some damage.

Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers:  This series will be a close one and I am betting it will go to a game 7 decision.  The Rangers in the regular season had a record of 5-3-0 over the Penguins.  It will come down to which team’s top players perform better.   For the Penguins, Crosby and Malkin need be on top of their game.   For the Rangers, Jaromir Jagr will need to do what he does best and Scott Gomez needs play with the same intensity he played with against his former team the New Jersey Devils in round 1. 

Western Conference

DetroitRed Wings vs Colorado Avalanche: The Red Wings won all four reagular season games against the Avalanche.  So the Red Wings looks to keep that ball rolling and make short work of the Avalanche.    The Avalanche have become a different team since the trade deadline though.  With the adding of Peter Forsberg back on the Avalanche bench.  Also, Jose Theodore’s goaltending is looking more like he did in his prime when he was with the Canadiens.

San Jose Sharks vs Dallas:   This looks to be a series that could go either way.   For the San Jose to win Evgeni Nabokov will have to be better than he has been so far in the playoffs this year.    Nabokobv is the front runner for the Vezina Trophy but with a save percentage of  .895 in the playoffs he will need to step it up.  Dallas rookie defensemen will need to continue  to be there and keep the Stars in it and not make the job of defense fall completely on Marty Turco.

 The second round looks to be a good one, so get your tickets from TicketCity for all your Stanley Cup Playoff needs.  

http://www.ticketcity.com/NHL-Tickets.html

 

 

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