Detroit Loves Its Red Wings: Top U.S. Hockey City

DETROIT, MI — Red Wings fans won’t be surprised, but Detroit remained the top city in the United States for hockey fans, according to a report released Wednesday by the personal finance site WalletHub. Boston and Pittsburgh were the No. 2 and No. 3 cities.

Detroit ranked fifth in NHL fan engagement in the analysis, and two Michigan college towns were ranked for fan engagement in their divisions. Houghton, home of the Upper Peninsula-based Michigan Technological Institute, ranked third; Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan, ranked fourth.

To determine the best places for hockey spectators, WalletHub compared 72 U.S. cities based on two divisional categories, including professional and college hockey, across 19 key metrics. The data set ranges from the performance level of the city’s teams to minimum season ticket prices to stadium capacity.

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Ice hockey ties with men’s pro basketball as the fifth most followed sport among U.S. adults, according to a Harris poll of America’s favorite sports. The National Hockey League has grown to such popularity over recent years that it has now eclipsed the National Basketball Association in arena sell-outs.

The poll also showed Americans are even willing to pay 15 percent more, on average, to see an NHL match than an NBA game.

Here are 2017's Best Cities for Hockey Fans:

1. Detroit, Michigan
2. Boston, Massachusetts
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Anaheim, California
5. St. Louis, Missouri
6. New York, New York
7. Chicago, Illinois
8. Sunrise, Florida
9. Buffalo, New York
10. Tampa, Florida
11. Newark, New Jersey
12. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
13. San Jose, California
14. Glendale, Arizona
15. Washington, D.C.
16. Saint Paul, Minnesota
17. Nashville, Tennessee
18. Dallas, Texas
19. Denver, Colorado
20. Los Angeles, California

Detroit may be the best city hockey city overall, but it’s not one of the top-performing teams. Those honors go to Washington, D.C.; St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago; Anaheim, California; and Pittsburgh, in order of appearance on the ranking.

Also in order of appearance, the lowest-priced hockey tickets are Anaheim; Sunrise, Florida; Glendale, Arizona; Raleigh, North Carolina; and San Jose.

Detroit Red Wings left wing Henrik Zetterberg (40) celebrates his goal against the New Jersey Devils during the second period of the final NHL hockey game at Joe Louis Arena, Sunday, April 9, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya