What U.S. city is the real "Hockeytown"?

Question

As hockey fans, we all know that Toronto and Montreal fight for the right to be called "Hockeytown" in Canada. Here in the United States, Detroit really shouldn't be the nominal choice because journalists in the late 1990s arrogantly hung the moniker upon the Motor City (my opinion) after the back to back Stanley Cup titles in 1997 and 1998. However, what city in the States gets that right?

PuckDat- The only reason why the Stars left in the first place wasn't a lack of fans, a lack of finances, or anything else other than the fact that their owner (Norman Green) was a greedy prick who screwed over a hockey-mad populus.

Mike and Cat- Buffalo seems like the logical choice here. Of course, this wasn't an opportunity to bash Detroit at all. What fueled this question was the comments made by a local sportswriter here in Toledo suggesting that the Lions were Michigan's most popular sports team.

Answer 1

I am not saying that Detroit should be considered "Hockeytown", in fact I don't even care if it is. But here are some interesting stats that prove it has every right;
Michigan by itself is considered a district of USA hockey while most other states combine to form districts. Michigan has more registered US hockey players than any other district, second place going to the district that combines both Minnesota AND the Dakotas.
So the one professional hockey team in Michigan, the state with the most registered hockey players in the Nation wants to call itself Hockeytown. So what??
You can't argue with the facts, more people play, ref, and coach hockey in Michigan than in any other state (or USA Hockey District for that matter) and that could have just a bit to do with the fact that USA Hockey chose Ann Arbor in which to base its developmental program.
You can crown any town in the US "Hockeytown" if you want, most of us could care less, but the statistics speak for themselves about how culturally ingrained hockey is to Michigan. The state is loaded with CCHA and junior teams that allow the fans to watch future professional talent for way less money in a much more fun atmosphere, one free of luxury boxes, 20 dollar parking, and 8 dollar beer.

Buffalo can stand outside and watch its pro team play on a giant TV all night for all we care, we will be in the rinks PLAYING the game for ourselves. If what constitutes "hockeytown" for you is how many NHL "fans" you have watching the game, then give it to Buffalo, congrats on your new title; "hockeyWATCHERStown". If Buffalo residents would just be honest with themselves and admit that the only reason that the Sabres are so popular is because the Bills are so horrible and they have no other major professional teams to cheer for, so of course the Sabres are going to be the hottest ticket in town, its so obvious!
So Detroit can't sell out its arena right now, so what, we would still sell out a large chunk of other NHL arenas with the numbers they are still getting. Only Montreal has a bigger arena capacity than the Joe and 86% attendance in a 20,000 seat arena is still 17,200. Those are numbers that I know other teams wouldn't mind having(Columbus had 11,800 tonight), and that is with the auto industry in deep trouble.
With the economy in Detroit the way that it is, its families have tough choices to make. I am glad they are deciding to sacrifice the $300 dollars that it costs to take the family to a Wings game for the sake of keeping the kids on the ice, because that is what really matters and those numbers are not suffering at all.

Answer 2

Wow

I leave here for 3 weeks, due to the buffoonery, trolling, namecalling, and ridiculous questions of the offseason (Jude, Drax, Disques, Polyp, self – proclaimed Y/A police) and I come back and wonder if I shouldn’t have. Darn, I was hoping that 3 weeks would be long enough to lose this stupid T/C tag.

wow. Snoop, I know that you have a good history of good questions, but this horse has been beaten so much. I don’t even think it matters. So much cheerleading and overzealous arguments. At least Zam (and a few of the regulars) have maintained an informed, objective perspective. Looks like Mike made a new friend. I’m not gonna get started either way.

At the end of the day, I just don’t think it matters. Anyone can be a hockey fan, and anywhere can call itself hockeytown if they want to. They still can’t make anyone else agree w/ them.

Maybe I’ll pray that my job picks up again (even though I was JUST starting to enjoy this lull).

Bluejackets sweep the Thrashers in Columbus for the Super Bowl in 13 games! you heard it here, first!



(Btw, how is the fantasy league doing?)

Answer 3

I really don't care what city is called "Hockeytown"

Just read Zam's answer, it's all facts, except the number of registered players is closer to 70,000. Thats like 17% of the total registered in the whole US.

Hell, I live in a Hockeytown as well, NCAA games, 3500 in attendance, 14,000 residents in the whole town, thats a quarter of the population, sounds like pretty good numbers to me.

But just for the sake of the people that hate the Red Wings, how about from now on Jackson Mississippi is the "true Hockeytown" (don't let the NHL get wind of that one, or soon we'll have a team there)

Answer 4

Alright before the biases come out in my answer let me tell all that are reading that I am Canadian, born and raised in Vancouver, where we have never won a stanley cup, even with The russian rocket Pavel Bure in 1994 against the Rangers. I currently live in Minnesota, after moving down here for a hockey scholarship myself to attend college and play hockey for a Universtiy in Northwestern MN. I've been here for 7 years and I would put up the argument that Minnesota is the real Hockeytown. Not for any wins, or for the North stars leaving, but because most if not all high schools in this state have high school hockey, we have one of the most acknowledged prep schools Shattuck St Mary's for hockey, St Cloud State yearly hosts the U-17 men's hockey camp, and the Wild have sold out every game since resurrecting back in 1998.
Not to mention half of the 'Miracle' team that won the Olympics in 1980 were Minnesotan. It's funny because being Canadian and living in the states everyone thinks I automatically know so much about hockey since I'm Canadian, granted they are right in my case, but there will come a day that when someone says they are from Minnesota and the (positive) stigma will be that they know so much about hockey just being from the state.
Not too sure if this makes sense, and I'm not up to argue with anyone, just wanted to share a non bias opinion of an outsider with a Canadian accent;)

Answer 5

I'd have to agree with game7ot. who says hockeytown has to be a huge city. i'm from minnesota too and whenever i hear about hockey Warroad and Roseau are not far behind. and to be considered "hockeytown" it doesn't matter how many registered players you got its about the atmosphere, the players the fans and the completely mayham that comes with every hockey game played.

Answer 6

Being a resident of Minnesota, I know that there is only one real hockeytown,,,, well Hockeytown USA and that city is not Detroit, St Paul, Philadelphia or Buffalo.

Hockeytown USA is Warroad MN. They've gone by that moniker long before Detroit took it up. Warroad is on the Canadien boarder near Lake of the Woods. Between them and their rival (Roseau) they've produced many NHL players.

Answer 7

Liberals hate it every time one of their grand social experiments takes another city to hell, and then liberals will do everything they can to discredit those who honestly point out the failures that result from liberal rule. Detroit's police chief tried to demonize the people who reported the fact that she is failing to keep crime in check, and never said a word in the press conference about trying to do a better job protecting the people of Detroit. Liberals like her are part of why I carry a 10mm Glock to protect myself. I know that the idea of police protection under the control of liberals who want to protect criminals more than honest citizens is a sick joke and as a free man it is not only my right, but my responsibility to protect myself. I will not call 911 while I am being attacked. I'll make the call after solving the problem so the police can come with an ambulance to clean up the mess I was forced to make of the criminal's head. I have seen the results of liberal rule with the accompanying high crime rates, and I refuse to be a victim no matter how much liberals scream when they hear that I will defend myself.

Answer 8

Snoop, isn't Detroit considered "Hockeytown" already? Personally, I wouldn't call Toronto nor Montreal Hockeytown at all. Toronto's considered the "centre of the hockey world" (hey, we got the Hall of Fame here). I don't really know what to call Montreal, but that city is RICH with hockey history.

Anyways, I still consider Detroit as "Hockeytown" just because it's a long-standing name. And does the Wings still have that on the centre of the ice?

Zidane, don't you have a soccer wagon to jump on?

Answer 9

I wonder if your statement that the label was started in the 1990's is correct. I don't know I'm just saying. They are and OG team....I would say the title belongs to an OG team....in the US its what? New York, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago? If it came from the 1990's then that was when they beat out the other OG teamsfor the title and still hold it. They outshine any other USA OG team then and now.

I am not a detroit fan. I love hockey and respect the teams and players for what they do. So anyone that doesn't agree sorry. I may be wrong....I may have misnamed the original six. It's past happy hour and I am just talking here. PEACE!

Answer 10

Kalamazoo Wings of the IHL used the term Hockeytown USA in radio ads in 1977. Just heard the old commercials.

Answer 11

I think there should be a hockeystate. That would be Michigan. With Wisconsin a close second. Due to the teams that are there, college, amature, kids, adult, etc. Those areas have the biggest by number of registered players in USA hockey. Detriot copywrited Hockeytown , so they have "dibs" on the name.