With the 2021 Stanley Cup semifinals in full gear but the NHL facing $2.5 billion in potential revenue losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub on Monday released its report on 2021’s Best Cities for Hockey Fans, as well as accompanying videos, along with its Stanley Cup Facts infographic. The report, posted on June 7, featured a data set ranging from the performance level of the city’s teams to minimum season ticket prices to stadium capacity.

To determine the best places for hockey spectators, WalletHub compared 73 U.S. cities based on two divisional categories, professional and college hockey, across 21 key metrics. To view the full report, visit https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-for-hockey-fans/13283

Top 20 Cities for Hockey Fans

Boston, MA, ranked first; followed by Detroit, MI; Pittsburgh, PA; New York, NY; St. Louis, MO; Denver, CO; Newark, NJ; Tampa, FL; Chicago, IL; and, rounding out the top 10, Buffalo, NY.

Taking the number 11 spot on the list was Sunrise, FL; followed by Anaheim, CA; Washington, DC; Philadelphia, PA; Dallas, TX; Raleigh, NC; Glendale, AZ; St. Paul, MN; San Jose, CA; and coming in at number 20, Columbus, OH.

Best vs. Worst

The defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning’s performance level, 67.63 percent, is two times better than that of the Detroit Red Wings, at 33.18 percent.

The Minnesota State Mavericks’ performance level, 76.76 percent, is 7.3 times better than that of the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, at 10.57 percent.

Sunrise, Florida, has the lowest average ticket price for an NHL game, $37.19, which is 2.9 times lower than in Chicago, the city with the highest at $109.23.

Dallas has the highest attendance rate for NHL games, 113.00 percent, which is 1.4 times higher than in Sunrise, Florida, the city with the lowest at 82.80 percent.

Chicago and New York have the highest team franchise value, $1.085 billion, which is 3.8 times higher than in Glendale, Arizona, the city with the lowest at $285 million.