Providence Ranked as 38th Best City for Hockey Fans in US
Joe Calabro, GoLocalProv Sports Team
Providence Ranked as 38th Best City for Hockey Fans in US
Providence has an NHL rank of 23 and a college rank of 21.
Bowling Green, Ohio and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan rank ahead of Providence at 36 and 37 respectively while Lewiston, New York and Ithaca, New York rank behind Providence at 39 and 40 respectively.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHow Hockey Stacks up Nationally
According to WalletHub, hockey is the fourth most followed sport among US adult fans and it has climbed one spot in the top 10 every year since 2012.
When compared to the NBA, WalletHub says that the NHL has sold to more arena's then the NBA and that fans are willing to pay 15% more to see a hockey game than an NBA game.
WalletHub's Rankings
While Providence ranks 38th, the top city for hockey is Detroit, Michigan, home to the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. Boston, Pittsburgh, New York and Chicago round out the top five.
Note that four of the top five cities are home to the NHL's original 6 teams, Pittsburgh being the odd one out.
Find out where other cities rank using the map below.
The Method
To find the best city for hockey fans, WalletHub's analysts compared 72 of the most populated US cities across two divisions including NHL and College Hockey. WalletHub chose cities with at least one college or professional team.
WalletHub then compiled 17 relevant metrics and gave each one a corresponding weight. Each metric was given a value between 0 and 100, with 100 representing the most favorable conditions.
In order to determine the weight for each division, WalletHub surveyed teams in each division's Facebook account, summed the number of "likes" and calculated the proportions that each league represented in total. The weight attributed to each division was based on its popularity.
WalletHub then calculated the overall score for each city using the weighted average across all metrics and ranked the cities accordingly.
The metrics WalletHub used are as follows:
NHL (Division I) – Total Points: 90
- Number of Teams: Full Weight (~12.00 Points)
- Performance Level: Full Weight (~12.00 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
- Number of Stanley Cup Wins: Full Weight (~12.00 Points)
- Number of Division Championship Wins: Half Weight (~6.00 Points)
- Franchise Value: Half Weight (~6.00 Points)
- Note: This metric measures the team’s estimated value in $million.
- Minimum Season-Ticket Price for a Game: Full Weight (~12.00 Points)
- Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~12.00 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by adding the number of Twitter followers to the number of Facebook “Likes” per capita.
- Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~6.00 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.
- Attendance: Half Weight (~6.00 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by dividing average home-fan attendance by arena capacity.
- Popularity Index: Half Weight (~6.00 Points)
College Hockey (Division I) – Total Points: 10
- Number of Teams: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Performance Level: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by dividing the number of wins by the total games played. The past three seasons’ average was used for this calculation.
- Number of Championship Wins: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Number of Regular Season Championship Wins: Half Weight (~0.83 Points)
- Minimum Season-Ticket Price for a Game: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Fan Engagement: Full Weight (~1.67 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by adding the number of Twitter followers to the number of Facebook “Likes” per capita.
- Stadium Capacity: Half Weight (~0.83 Points)
- Note: This metric was calculated by dividing stadium capacity by city population.
The Greatest Rhode Island Olympic Hockey Players
Bryan Berard
Olympic Team: 1998
Born in Woonsocket, Berard was a member of the U.S. men’s hockey team in 1998. A graduate of Mount St. Charles Academy, Gerard played 11 seasons in the NHL for six NHL teams including the Boston Bruins. He was the first overall pick in the NHL draft in 1995. His career accolades include winning the Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy in 2004 for his exemplary sportsmanship.
David Emma
Olympic Team: 1992
A graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, Emma played for the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics. He also represented the U.S. at the World Championships in 1991 and 1999. Emma went on to play five seasons in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Boston Bruins.
Emma, a native of Cranston, is currently the Managing Director, Partner at Masterson, Emma and Associates at HighTower.
Chris Terreri
Olympic Team: 1988
Born in Warwick, Terreri was the goaltender for the U.S. Hockey Team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. He also played for the U.S. at the Worlds Championships from 1985-1987 and again in 1997.
Terreri also served as goaltender for Providence College from 1982-1986 – winning the 1985 NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey Championship MVP. He would go on to play 14 years in the NHL and win two Stanley Cups.
Lisa Brown-Miller
Olympic Team: 1998
This Providence College graduate won a gold medal at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. She is one of just three players to have played on six U.S. National teams. While at PC, Brown-Miller earned All-Eastern College Athletic Conference honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior. In addition to hockey, she also played softball at PC.
Robert Gaudreau, Sr.
Olympic Team: 1968
One of the greatest Brown University hockey players of all-time, Gaudreau was a member of the 1968 U.S. Olympic hockey team. He was first team All-Ivy three years in a row and a two-time All-American. Gaudreau ended his Brown career as the school’s most productive defensemen with 35 goals and 55 assists. He is a member of the Brown University Hall of Fame.
Sara DeCosta
Olympic Team: 1998, 2002
Born in Warwick, DeCosta won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and a silver at the 2002 Winter Games. A graduate of Toll Gate High School and Providence College, DeCosta posted impressive statistics in the ’98 Olympics recording a 1.59 goals against average and a .875 save percentage as goaltender.
Decosta was named the USA Hockey Women’s Player of the Year in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, she was named a Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport. DeCosta currently lives in Warwick with her husband and three children.
Katie King-Crowley
Olympic Teams: 1998, 2002, 2006
King, a Brown University graduate played for three U.S. women’s hockey teams – including the gold medal winning team at Nagano. Aside from her gold, King also has a silver medal from the Salt Lake City Games and a bronze from Turin.
In addition to playing hockey at Brown, King also played softball, and was even named the Ivy League Softball Player of the Year in 1996. She is currently the head coach of the women’s hockey team at Boston College.
Tom Mellor
Olympic Team: 1972
Mellor, a Cranston native, won a silver medal as a member of Team USA at the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo. He also represented the U.S. at the Ice Hockey World Championship tournaments in 1971, 1972, and 1973.
A graduate of Boston College, Mellow was drafted by the Detroit Red Wings in 1970 and played 26 games in the NHL.
Keith Carney
Olympic Team: 1998
Born in Providence, this 17-year NHL veteran was a defenseman for the 1998 Men’s Olympic team that competed in Nagano. One of just 29 players to appear in 1,000 NHL games, Carney retired in 2008 as a member of the Minnesota Wild.
As a college athlete, Carney was named to the NCAA East First All-Star Team for the 1990-1991 season and the NCAA East Second All-American Team for the 1989-1990 season.
Brian Burke
Olympic Team: 2010
Born in Providence, Burke was the general manager for the U.S. men’s hockey team for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Burke is currently the President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Calgary Flames.
A former Friar, Burke was captain of the Providence College hockey team in his senior year.
Karen Thatcher
Olympic Team: 2010
This Providence College graduate won a silver medal as a member of the U.S. women’s hockey team at the 2010 Winter Olympics. In addition to winning a silver medal, Thatcher won a gold at the Women’s 4 Nations Cup in 2011.
Prior to transferring to PC, Thatcher played her freshman year at Brown University. Her many career accolades include being named to the Providence Hockey East All-Decade Team and winning the John Carlton Award in 2002.
Paul Guay
Olympic Team: 1984
Born in Woonsocket, Guay represented the United States in the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo – scoring one goal for Team USA. Guay, who graduated from Mount Saint Charles High School, played eight NHL seasons for several teams, including the Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins, and New York Islanders.
Clark Donatelli
Olympic Team: 1988, 1992
Born in Providence, Donatelli played center for Team USA at the 1988 Olympics in Calgary and the 1992 Games in Albertville. A graduate of Boston College, Donatelli would go on to play for both the Providence and Boston Bruins. He is currently the head coach of the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers.
Gerald Kilmartin
Olympic Team: 1952
Born in Providence, Kilmartin won a silver medal at the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo. A graduate of Bryant University, he also played for the United States at the 1947 and 1949 World Championships.
Cammi Granato
Olympic Team: 1998, 2002
Considered one of the greatest female hockey players of all time, Granato helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. Granato, who attended Providence College, also won a silver medal at the 2002 Olympics.
She is a member of the International Hockey Hall of Fame, the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, and the NHL Hall of Fame.
