There are numerous methods to measure the standard of an NHL fan base: All-Star votes for hometown gamers, jersey gross sales, or the variety of fights that happen in opposition to visiting followers exterior the world.
One other technique to measure that is by figuring out which stadiums are reaching capability on a nightly foundation. The NHL has launched its attendance numbers, and a few groups are doing a greater job than others at filling their arenas.
Right here’s a rating of the very best and worst common attendance for the 2024-25 season.
Worst NHL Attendance in 2024-25
32. Utah Mammoth – 11,131
The newly Salt-Laked Utah franchise ranks final in attendance this season, however primarily as a consequence of some structural points with the Delta Middle.
The sector was first constructed within the Nineteen Nineties to accommodate the Utah Jazz NBA workforce so when the franchise previously generally known as the Coyotes abruptly moved earlier than the 2024-25 season started, the constructing wasn’t totally optimized for hockey.
Delta Middle’s capability is barely round 11,130, so their placement on the backside of the listing isn’t imagined to say something concerning the enthusiasm of Utah Hockey followers. Summer time renovations are supposed to extend the hockey capability of the Delta Middle to roughly 17,000 for the upcoming season.
31. San Jose Sharks – 14,219
Provided that they’d a 20-50-12 season, it’s affordable that the Sharks rank close to the underside in attendance this yr.
The SAP Middle’s capability is round 17,400, so that they had been nicely under filling their barn for a lot of the season. The rise of younger prospects like Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini ought to up the joy for the San Jose fanbase within the years to return, however there hasn’t been an excessive amount of to warrant a go to to their enviornment in current seasons.
30. Winnipeg Jets – 14,366
Regardless of a Presidents’ Trophy win this season, Winnipeg was close to the underside of the league for common attendance this yr.
The Jets’ house enviornment, the Canada Life Centre, has a capability of 16,345, so that they had been additionally nicely under filling their enviornment.
No offense to Winnipeggers, however, in the course of the useless of winter, what else is there to do up there apart from going to look at your Presidents Trophy and Hart Trophy successful NHL workforce? Do you really need your franchise despatched again to Atlanta?
29. Anaheim Geese – 15,806
Over there in Mickey Mouse land, the Geese had been having a tough time filling up their enviornment.
Anaheim had a middling 35-37-10 season this yr, ending close to the underside of the Pacific Division. The Geese haven’t made the playoffs since 2018, after they had been swept within the first spherical by their in-state rival, the San Jose Sharks.
Anaheim’s Honda Middle has a capability of 17,174.
28. New York Islanders – 15,979
Nicely, they ended up with the primary general decide after this season, so hopefully, extra followers will present up on the UBS Enviornment subsequent season. However this previous yr, the Islanders had been close to the underside in attendance.
New York’s common attendance fell about 2,000 followers wanting their enviornment’s 17,250 capability.
The Islanders had a 35-35-12 file this previous season.
Greatest NHL Attendance in 2024-25
1. Montreal Canadiens – 21,105
The winningest workforce in NHL historical past can also be the one which persistently will get probably the most attendance of any workforce within the league.
A part of that’s as a result of the Bell Centre, Montreal’s house enviornment, has the NHL’s highest capability, with 21,273. Despite the fact that the Canadiens got here in a hair underneath the capability for the yr’s common attendance, they nonetheless rank first.
Montreal’s workforce is on the come-up proper now with a complete host of burgeoning younger expertise, like Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson.
They completed the season final yr with a 40-31-11 file, qualifying for the playoffs, the place they had been defeated within the first spherical by the Washington Capitals.
2. Detroit Pink Wings – 19,345
Regardless of a considerably disappointing season for the Pink Wings, they’ve nonetheless completed close to the highest of common attendance for an additional yr.
Detroit’s Little Caesars Enviornment (pizza, pizza) has a hockey capability of 19,515, so the Pink Wings additionally didn’t must be at 100% capability to nonetheless end excessive on this listing.
Detroit hasn’t had a playoff look in 9 years since they had been eradicated within the first spherical by the Lightning. The Pink Wings had a 39-35-8 file within the 24-25 season.
3. Chicago Blackhawks – 19,130
Like the 2 earlier than it, Chicago takes benefit of the substantial capability on the United Middle, which seats 19,717. Their workforce additionally has a wealthy storied ‘Unique Six’ historical past like the 2 different groups earlier than it.
The stadium and historical past are, primarily, the one issues protecting this Blackhawks workforce afloat. The identical goes for his or her NBA neighbors, the Chicago Bulls, afloat, if we’re being trustworthy.
They completed with a 25-46-11 file final season.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning – 19,092
The Lightning managed to realize 100% common attendance for the 2024-25 season — Amalie Enviornment in Tampa has a capability of 19,092 for hockey.
It was a routine, strong yr for the Lightning, who completed with a 47-27-8 file this yr.
Sadly for them, although, they fell to their in-state rival Panthers for the second yr in a row. Does it make it higher or worse, Tampa followers, that you just misplaced to the Stanley Cup winner annually?
5. Florida Panthers – 19,059
The Stanley Cup champion Florida workforce completed with a median attendance barely under their capability of 19,250 on the Amerant Financial institution Enviornment.
Regardless of being the league’s finest workforce for a number of years in a row, their stadium continues to be consultant of the lean years for the Panthers, provided that it’s type of in the midst of nowhere.
Florida followers have been questioning whether or not the Panthers would ultimately transfer to a brand new enviornment nearer to a inhabitants heart. For reference, it’s an hour exterior of Miami and about half an hour away from Fort Lauderdale.
Possibly a generational run of a number of Stanley Cup wins may get them some higher digs.
