How popular is the NHL?

[JPeeper]

Not a word of a lie. I couldn't name the team either play for. I know KD use to play for Golden State and I only know that because the Raptors played against him and he screwed up his ankle.

Edit to add: And I don't know what either look like. Show me a photo and I wouldn't know.

People have to remember not everyone is a sports nerd. I could ask my brother the same questions and he wouldn't know who Tom Brady, Sid, KD, Curry are. He just doesn't follow sports.

 

[Oneiro]

The games tonight are objectively better than anything the NFL has ever done.

 

[KeithIsActuallyBad]

The NHL has the best product but the worst marketing.

 

[KCC]

To be fair the NHL is awful at marketing their star players. haha

 

[DuklaNation]

These portrayed street interviews cannot be considered random.

 

[ref19]

What city was this, I’m not sure a lot of people would not even know those people. There are a lot of people have zero interest in sports.

Nashville. Not a hockey market and in the south so not surprising.

 

[voxel]

Why do these myths continue?


The NHL is the 4th most watched sport in the USA, though it sometimes flips with soccer for 5th depending on the year. Nascar/car racing is 9th.

Top 10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 (TV Ratings)

Top-10 Most Popular Sports In America 2021 | SportyTell

What are the 5 most popular sports in the USA? | STATSCORE - News Center

10 Most Popular Sports in America 2021 - SportingFree

I’m not sure those links mean anything. NASCAR races draw 3-5M viewers per races but each Stanley cup game barely draws 1M. Daytona 500 has a capacity of 100K in the stands and is a multi day affair. It drew 13 to 17M viewers for many years.

NCAA football is a huge deal too. Each game can draw 2M to 10M viewers.

 

[RebuildinVan]

The NHL has always been behind on promoting and marketing its stars. Alot of people still identify Gretzky as the face, as mentioned before many Canadians still know Crosby but not McDavid, Draistl was the league MVP last year and is unknown beyond usual fans. The way Panarin has played in NY the last two seasons his face should be all over the sports scene there. How many casual fans really know Nathan MacKinnons name and how good he is?

 

[Pyrophorus]

Sad? It's a niche sport. The cost of the equipment alone makes it effectively inaccessible for recreation. Almost every community has soccer, football, baseball and basketball leagues/camps/school teams for youngsters. Not hockey. Viewing-wise, tracking the puck for new fans can be frustrating. As i learned with my kids, the best way to get them into hockey is to take them to an NHL game, particularly up against the glass during warmups. Absolutely no better sport in-person.

We used to find broken sticks, and we cut them off, got a plastic blade, hammered it on, and played road hockey.
I will say the prevalence of that has gone down, though.

 

[kihei]

Pretty sad how nobody knows about NHL players. I’m sure if you asked who was Pat Mahomes or Kevin Durant most people would be able to answer.

I wonder if Mahomes or Durant could name a hockey player. Wouldn't bet a lot of money that they could. By NA standards, hockey will be a niche sport forever. But we already know that so why hope otherwise? So people don't know what they are missing? So what?

 

[Artorius Horus T]

ya Hockey live is so much better.
Same with auto racing and dirt / motorbikes

Talking about myth's... watching sports live is better, another myth.

Only reasons to go to watch games/sports live; the atmosphere,
the chance to have fun with friends, its a social event.

Most people don't go live events for the sports, most people go to live events
to have fun, spend time with friends and family.

Ive seen so many fans on TV over the years,
especially motorsports, that don't even follow what's happening on the track,
they are just having fun, drinking, eating, talking,
the only time they look, when ever there's a crash..

Obviously hockey (any sport for that matter) is best via TV
(or what ever devices these days most people use).

Thou its different with stadium events, like Motocross
and some show events like, Monster Truck shows

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

Not as popular as it should be.

 

[SotasicA]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane
- Dustin Johnson
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak

No cheating.

 

[McRpro]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane
- Dustin Johnson
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak

No cheating.

I know 4/10

 

[SotasicA]

Wh

I know 4/10

Which four?

So we know who is marketing their product right.

 

[MikeyMike01]

By NA standards, hockey will be a niche sport forever.

The NBA was a niche sport at one time. The NHL could be much more popular if it was run better.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I think the NHL will never be as popular as hockey fans want it to be.

Hockey is fine the way it is. It's a niche sport most popular in niche northern markets, and that's fine.

Being in Florida, Nashville, and Arizona are a joke to me.

 

[wacko2]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane
- Dustin Johnson
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak

No cheating.

Penny and Simona. That's it for me.

 

[Kalv]

To be fair the NHL is awful at marketing their star players. haha

Yes. This is crucial to do for the NHL to grow the game, but so far little effort. Hopefully something changes with the TNT/ESPN, but it has to be pushed by the league as well, and so far... poor job, imo. There are a lot of cool players coming up like Pasta, EP, Matthews, etc

EDIT: McDavid as well ofc, lol

 

[Mark Stones Spleen]

I mean, I've heard of it.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

BTW
NHL is behind field hockey in popularity.

I don't think we need to care. Hockey is fine as it is.

I hate obnoxious personalities rolling up to games in bling with an entourage. I hate stupid trash talking.

NHL is fine. Leave it alone. We don't need a league full of Evander Kane's to make it more popular.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

So let's see how well you do, if you get asked in the street.

Who is:

- Brad Keselowski - This one I am not sure, but I think Nascar
- Shohei Ohtani - Baseball, Angels, pitcher AND hitter.
- Aaron Rodgers - Football, Packers, QB
- Simona Halep - Female tennis player
- Lando Norris - F1 driver
- Nikola Vucevic - Not sure, but I think basketball
- Harry Kane - Soccer, Tottenham, forward
- Dustin Johnson - Golf, Gretzky's daughter's husband
- Peter North - Canadian legend
- Penny Oleksiak - Swimmer, Canadian

No cheating.

No cheating, I know pretty much all of them or at least have heard all the names... but I am sports junkie and they all are stars.

 

[Eisen]

We can't complain about that as long as we have icehockey players thinking that Mandela was one of the greatest athletes ever.

 

[SotasicA]

We can't complain about that as long as we have icehockey players thinking that Mandela was one of the greatest athletes ever.

On and off the ice.

Damn, I should have put that as a bonus question.

 

[Jussi]

Posts regularly on the mainboards.

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