Top 10 NHL Teams with the Best Fans

The birthplace of hockey, Montreal may be a Catholic city, but its biggest cathedrals are the Forum and the Bell Centre. Its biggest holy symbol is the letter C with an H in it, and the Catholic Church has even placed ads in major newspapers urging the populace to pray for Les Canadiens.

No place in the world worships hockey with the passion of Montreal, and no place in the world has had that passion for as long as Montreal. There is no contest here.

Are you kidding? It's not even close. We have the most die-hard fans in any sport. Have you seen the prices for Cup Final tickets this year? It's RIDICULOUS! Yes, we may be annoying, but in a way, it's a bit of a good thing, making sure everyone knows that no fan base can compare.

Go Habs Go!

This team is so horrible, the fans would have to be truly superhuman to not completely abandon it at this point. Always trying to shadow the Habs. So sad that they only make this list because they're a lousy team. Losing Even After Fifty Seasons. I am a Habs fan, and I have to respect these guys. At least Habs fans have had something to cheer for over the last half century.

You have to be immune to pain to even think about being a Toronto fan. We stick with our team through thick and thin.

Our attendance is always in the top 10, even if it's during a losing season.

I'm a Flames fan living in Western New York (Sabres country) and have followed this team since the early 1980s (although not as extensively in recent years). Terrific franchise, amazing fans, and great rivalries with Edmonton and Vancouver. Colorado, Dallas, and Anaheim are also good ones as well.

All-time fave player? Hakan Loob. He wore #12 well before Iggy immortalized it. Iggy is a legend, for sure, but Loober will always be #1 in this fan's heart and mind. It's always been a challenge to follow the Flames here in the East, but thanks to livestreaming and social media, the Flames can readily be followed here in the Buffalo area (albeit very late at night). 1989 was a season to remember. (May 25, to be precise.)

GO FLAMES GO!

Still selling out the place in 2015? Those are fans.

There is no fan base, with the exception of Toronto and Montreal, that would suck for eight straight years (two last-place finishes) and STILL SELL OUT EVERY NIGHT. Easily one of the best fan bases, and far better than the "businessmen Flames" and the Canucks who jump ship at the first sign of failure.

At least they have real fans, unlike Florida which struggles to get fans to a game.

The Red Wings have one of the oldest, most educated, and loyal fan bases in the NHL.

Has nobody ever gone to a Wings game? Other fans are like jokes to Detroit!

Are you kidding me? They literally call the city "Hockey Town"!

This is the NUMBER ONE fan base out of all of the NHL! You walk into the Bell MTS Centre, and you just feel the energy and the passion for the team and the game. You cannot experience it anywhere else like you can with the fans of the Winnipeg Jets, no matter winning or losing.

Tell me how CALGARY FLAMES are up there? I have gone to many Flames games, and my god, it is the most dry and quiet game ever. You could hear a pin drop. No one does it like the Winnipeg Jetters. We may be a smaller city, but we are the most passionate and the most proud. So loud and energetic, even babies have to wear ear protection!

One cup in 75 years and countless playoff heartbreaks, and we still continue to come close or sell the place out every year since the 1970s.

Let's go Rangers... New York's #1 hockey team!

Yes, the Canucks have some of the craziest fans. They had two riots, versus the Bruins in 2011 and again in 1994 against the Rangers.

There are some crazy fans.

We're the reason that everyone waves white towels for their team. That's a fact!

Long-suffering and yet fiercely loyal. Also overwhelmingly neurotic.

Ottawa is between Montreal and Toronto, so give them credit. They have a lot of fans who will continue to support their team through the tough rebuild.

Unlike Toronto fans, Ottawa fans don't act like abused spouses who refuse to leave their abuser. Ottawa is a great hockey town, and this is coming from a Habs fan.

A good fan base tortured by one of the worst owners of all time.

A big reason there was so little attendance before the mid-2000s was because of the horrible owner Bill Wirtz. Blackhawks fans had to suffer through. He would not televise games because of greedy money deals with TV stations, which contributed to his nickname Dollar Bill. He made several more horrible decisions that isolated this team from its fans for many years.

I guarantee that any fanbase would see a major regression under his ownership. Plus, if the Blackhawks were truly a bandwagon team, they would not still be selling out every game since they have been bad for three years now. You guys obviously don't know what you're talking about.

Glad to see a Sunbelt team this high on the list. USA Today just had a great article stating that one of the three major occurrences in NHL history impacting the league with regard to hockey success in the US was Gretzky going to the Kings in 1988. That fan base has been hugely supportive ever since. There never was a drop-off, and that is why this fan base HAS to be higher than 15th. Its overall impact on the league is huge! It created all the American-born players pouring into hockey instead of other sports, especially in non-traditional cities.

The result is players like Austin Matthews going to Toronto and hopefully leading my Maple Leafs back to greatness, or at least relevance. Best fan base? It's the Leafs. But the biggest impact was Gretzky to LA.

The fact that the Bruins are not in the top 5 is an absolute joke! I am from Boston, and as a Bruins fan, I am insulted that the Bruins are ranked #26!

We are talking about fanbases, right? There are no fans more rabid than the Bruins fans. They rock the garden, and most fans are very knowledgeable about hockey and the rules.

That makes it hard on the refs.

I am a die-hard Blues fan, and the other comments are true. We love our team, we would give anything for a Stanley Cup, and we are seriously ticked off that they moved our beloved Rams. We are a talented team, and we have our eyes glued to the TV when we are playing in the playoffs.

Big sports city that is hungry for their first Stanley Cup.

The Wild are huge in Minnesota, and not to mention they are in the State of Hockey. They hold the record for most sold-out games in a row.

If you go to a game, the fans love the Wild.

We are the State of Hockey, and all the other teams that can't even have outdoor ice in the winter should not even have an NHL hockey team!

The Wild, in the State of Hockey, have never had a non-sold-out game.

Been there through it all. We finally have a team we are proud of. But we were there. I lived through those terrible years. I'm still sitting through the Pirates' lean years. I'm still waiting. Fair-weather fan? Don't think so, buddy. Nobody here gave up on anything. Just the opposite. I (we) patiently waited. How about you, pal?

Do you have the patience to ride out this terrible Flyers team, which your comments lead me to believe you're a fan of? Will you be at the game next season when they have no shot at the playoffs? I doubt it. You haven't the class.

This truly is a great fan base, and I say this as a Kings fan since 1969. The first expansion franchise to truly make it big - sellout every night - basically since the Kate Smith days. And unlike the so-called "Pens Fans," they have a real home ice advantage. I've never heard it NOT loud for a Flyers home game. Meanwhile, you listen to or watch a Penguins home game, and it's as quiet as a tomb.

By far the craziest and most loyal fan base. These guys bleed orange and black, and they have been voted by players as the worst place to play on a visiting team.

We are the best! We love our team, and if you ever come to a game, you will see the energy level! This year, 2018, we are going to win the cup! Go Bolts!

Florida is the last place you'd expect a lot of hockey fans, but the Lightning sell out almost every season.

According to Nielsen, Buffalo had the second-highest percentage (48%) of people watch or attend at least one of the home team's games for the 12-13 season. We came in 22nd, fired our coach, and had Leino on our team. Pittsburgh, the highest percentage (54%), came in second, went to the Eastern Conference Finals, and had Crosby on their team.

I believe I've made my point.

Small, but extremely passionate. UBS is one of the loudest buildings in the league.

Every fan is a die-hard. From the Cup era to now.

They are the most dedicated fans. 22 is completely disrespectful. They should be at least top ten.

Please, Islander fans are the most dedicated fans in sports. We are a tight-knit community. Every single Islander fan is passionate and faithful.

Diehard fans. After 20 years of futility, anybody that still follows the Isles are top-rate fans.

I am a die-hard Canes fan, and I'm sad to say that there are fewer fans than we want. But what we lack in quantity, we make up for in pure enthusiasm. The Canes have had their ups and downs, but the fans are here for the long haul and will cheer for the Canes no matter what.

And because this list is for BEST fan bases, Canes fans tailgate, party, are welcoming to other teams and fans, and best of all, the Storm Surge.

While the Hurricanes may be a non-traditional market team, their fan base is near the top. When PNC Arena is really bouncing, its noise level puts places like Montreal to shame. Their attendance has surpassed places like New York and Toronto in recent years. Combine this with the culture the team has cultivated, and the Canes end up as one of the best fan bases in the NHL.

Extra note: While I don't think the Canes should move back to Hartford, I do think they should go back to the green and white color scheme.

They sell out practically every game and have an in-person experience that is second to none.