Pittsburgh Has NHL's Best Fans: Forbes

PITTSBURGH, PA - Pittsburgh traditionally has been a strong hockey market. Now Forbes has determined that Penguins fans are the best in the NHL.

It's the third time Pens fans have earned that distinction since Forbes started compiling NHL fan ranking in 2009.

Forbes noted that it "ranks fans objectively based on quantitative fan consumption metrics." These have always included local television ratings; attendance in relation to capacity; secondary ticket demand (via StubHub); merchandise sales (via Fanatics); and social media reach (Facebook and Twitter).

This year, Forbes added a new component, per Nielsen - a percentage of each team's metropolitan area that watched, attended and/or listened to a game in the past year.

"Ourfans are amazing, and they've always been No. 1 in our eyes," Pens president David Morehouse said in a statement. "This latest ranking just confirms it. We continue to be humbled by the support we receive from fans in all these metrics and are always looking for new and
innovative ways to engage our fan base."

The Forbes top 10 cities for NHL fans:

1. Pittsburgh

2. Boston

3. Chicago

4. Las Vegas

5. Buffalo

6. Toronto

7. St. Louis

8. Winnipeg

9. Nashville

10. Detroit