How popular is the NHL?

[Finnish your Czech]

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 only know Peter North, but I'm biased because I'm a big fan of his industry (even more than hockey)

 

[JianYang]

If we go by participation numbers, ice hockey isn't even the most popular form hockey. Field hockey holds that distinction. Having said that, I don't think there are fully pro feild hockey players but I could be wrong on that.

So ice hockey as we know it, is the niche form of a niche sport. Let that sink in.

 

[JianYang]

In USA for pro sports

1. NFL
2. NBA
3.MLB
4. Pro Gamers
5.UFC/Paul bros


6.NHL

I would assume NASCAR is way ahead as well.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Maybe if the NHL learned how to properly officiate games to showcase their stars vs throw the rule book out to prop up the “parity” angle and allow 4th liners and bottom pair D to waterski on McDavid/Matthews/MacKinnon, maybe they’d be half recognizable.

Gonna let you in on a little secret. Every single major sports league has fans that complain about the refs. Every single one of them.

 

[Barnum]

When they are looking at Hockey they add in Canada to the mix which props up the numbers, in the US, hockey is big in certain states but is way behind other sports in most. Go check ESPN's quick tabs and try and find the NHL when College Sports are in full swing. The NHL will get removed to the drop down menu.

1. NFL
2.MLB
3.NCAA Football
4.NBA
5. MMA/ NHL/ GOLF/ SOCCER/ NASCAR

Ohhh okay, we are now just re-writing the facts and stats to how we believe it should be. I posted 4 links that used facts and stats but you ignored it and re-wrote the list to how you feel it is.

What do you mean adding Canadians to the numbers? They are using US Nielsen ratings, which does not count Canadian channels.

 

[Barnum]

I would assume NASCAR is way ahead as well.

Can you prove it?

 

[Roof Daddy]

Gonna let you in on a little secret. Every single major sports league has fans that complain about the refs. Every single one of them.

Aaaaaaannndd missed the point completely. Fully aware that every league has some seriously questionable officiating. My point is that in the other major sports you're more likely to see the officiating allow for the superstars to do their thing. In basketball, you can't sneeze in LeBron's direction or he's going to the free throw line. In football, you touch Brady or Mahomes a milisecond after they've released the ball, they're tacking 15 yards onto the play. As a result, the skill players in those leagues get a little extra time and space to do their thing. In hockey, you can hook, hold, hack and crosscheck Matthews/McDavid/MacKinnon and if they defend themselves by returning the favour, its a 50/50 coinflip that they'll be the one penalized. Tough to conjure up excitement for a first time viewer if they're watching the stars of the league getting groped every play.

 

[Ivo]

First of all you got to talk to sports fans which are a dying breed, then you have to find a hockey fan who isn't a homer. Shit ain't gonna be easy.

Even here you get, whether sarcastic or not, people who don't know who Patrick Mahomes is or KD.

May be hard to believe, but there are also Europeans like me on this board and I had to google who Mahomes is. Very few people care about or watch American football here, so it is not particularly rare not to know him. The only football player I know is Tom Brady, but that’s only because he is sometimes mentioned in pop culture. Well, I guess I also know OJ Simpson.
I know Durant is a basketball player, but I couldn’t say what team he plays for or what position.
From baseball, I don’t know any players since Babe Ruth. I once tried watching a game, but nothing was happening most of the time.
Meanwhile, I could name every half-decent NHL player of the last 30 years, because that’s a sport I follow and find interesting.

 

[cupcrazyman]

The NHL is a fringe second tier sport, potentially even third tier

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/595ea7d6e58c62dce01d1625/1601662594282-26RU5NWQKFD8O60IINY5/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFwES5gcLely-LKpTanW59l7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0pCSswFn5K_K_ZO4AKZ0tae8VKWCErfrQlWFuAYCubIoqCJQEzvuaYDbxOWgF-Cwjg/2020+State+of+Play+Tables+(bg)+1.62.png?format=750w

More kids sign up fokr cheerleading.

 

[Ivo]

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.

1/10 (Halep)

 

[Barnum]

TV ratings are kind of bogus, a successful NHL team in Chicago will boost ratings when they are winning and almost go bankrupt when bottom feeding.

I go off if anyone can recognize a player. Most Americans can name atleast one of Lebron James, Mcregor, Tom Brady etc. Almost everyone can name atleast one baseball team, the Yankees. American kids can name a Ninja for e sports or Faze. It’s not the same for the NHL outside of the big hockey states like Minnesota or Michigan.

NHL is very niche that relies on causal fans jumping on the bandwagon when the local team is winning or the smaller group of hardcore hockey fans.

When the Kings won the cup most fans couldn’t even name their captain.

Nice feelings, can you prove it? Or do we now live in a world were whatever we feel is true?

 

[kingsholygrail]

https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/595ea7d6e58c62dce01d1625/1601662594282-26RU5NWQKFD8O60IINY5/ke17ZwdGBToddI8pDm48kFwES5gcLely-LKpTanW59l7gQa3H78H3Y0txjaiv_0fDoOvxcdMmMKkDsyUqMSsMWxHk725yiiHCCLfrh8O1z4YTzHvnKhyp6Da-NYroOW3ZGjoBKy3azqku80C789l0pCSswFn5K_K_ZO4AKZ0tae8VKWCErfrQlWFuAYCubIoqCJQEzvuaYDbxOWgF-Cwjg/2020+State+of+Play+Tables+(bg)+1.62.png?format=750w

More kids sign up fokr cheerleading.

Why is cheerleading listed as a sport?

 

[kingsholygrail]

Aaaaaaannndd missed the point completely. Fully aware that every league has some seriously questionable officiating. My point is that in the other major sports you're more likely to see the officiating allow for the superstars to do their thing. In basketball, you can't sneeze in LeBron's direction or he's going to the free throw line. In football, you touch Brady or Mahomes a milisecond after they've released the ball, they're tacking 15 yards onto the play. As a result, the skill players in those leagues get a little extra time and space to do their thing. In hockey, you can hook, hold, hack and crosscheck Matthews/McDavid/MacKinnon and if they defend themselves by returning the favour, its a 50/50 coinflip that they'll be the one penalized. Tough to conjure up excitement for a first time viewer if they're watching the stars of the league getting groped every play.

You don't think the NHL protects star players? lol

 

[cupcrazyman]

Why is cheerleading listed as a sport?

and why do they give out scholarships ?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I think everyone who has ever seen a hockey game live will always tell you that it’s one of the best sports to watch. It’s just rare for people to follow the sport since it really doesn’t have big personalities like other sports do, which is honestly why I think this niche group of hockey fans prefer a smaller followed sport like hockey. Conner McDavid seems like the most boring dude in the history of man but when you watch him play it’s insane of how talented he is, but yeah I don’t think hockey will ever be as popular as other sports, and in all honesty I’m fine with that.

Hmm I have watched hundreds of games on TV and it was much better than when I bought $$$$$ tickets right behind the bench. Couldn’t even see where the puck was a quarter of the time. Never again for me. I’ll gladly watch on TV.

Back on topic. I would say not very popular in the US, unless you’re from Minnesota/Wisconsin area.

 

[CartographerNo611]

Nice feelings, can you prove it? Or do we now live in a world were whatever we feel is true?

Absolutely can prove it. Most popular sports trends on google search from 2016-2020. Hockey doesn’t even crack the top 10.
Most Popular Google Sports Trends

 

[Kranix]

Why is soccer allowed to use all of it’s league throughout the world when it is compared to the NHL? Does that mean we can add the numbers of the KHL, OEL, all the Canadian leagues and other leagues in Europe. That would be fair, wouldn’t it?

Hockey would still finish behind soccer

 

[Golden_Jet]

4th most watched where ? Canada perhaps but not worldwide

Canada first
US 4th

 

[AvroArrow]

Not shocked, had a new kid at work ask me "Who's this Lebron guy I keep hearing about ? Is he a singer ?" He was being very genuine. The kid had just moved to Toronto from a small rural town.

 

[Golden_Jet]

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

Who is:



No cheating.

Brad Keslowski Nacar #2 car
- Shohei Ohtani
- Aaron Rodgers Green Bay
- Simona Halep
- Lando Norris F1 driver
- Nikola Vucevic
- Harry Kane Premier league footballer
- Dustin Johnson #1 golf famous wife
- Peter North
- Penny Oleksiak 0Lympic champion swimmer

 

[Simplicity]

I think if the NHL had proper referees and encouraged skill instead of late head shots from 4th liners on 1st liners, the game would grow. To me this is obvious, but I know that like a significant portion on this site is going to disagree with me.

 

[McRpro]

Wh

Which four?

So we know who is marketing their product right.

Rodgers, Oleksiak, Johnson and Canadian great Peter North (lol).

 

[Barnum]

Hockey would still finish behind soccer

Thanks for your feelings but can you prove that the NHL is being outwatched by soccer in the US ? I have posted links proving otherwise but this is like a social experiment at this point. I post facts with several links and loads of you roll in and make statements opposing without any facts and ignore the numbers.

Personally, I don’t know why anyone cares if the NHL is number 1 or 122 in popularity. I going to watch it no matter what the majority thinks of hockey.

 

[Kranix]

Thanks for your feelings but can you prove that the NHL is being outwatched by soccer in the US ? I have posted links proving otherwise but this is like a social experiment at this point. I post facts with several links and loads of you roll in and make statements opposing without any facts and ignore the numbers.

Personally, I don’t know why anyone cares if the NHL is number 1 or 122 in popularity. I going to watch it no matter what the majority thinks of hockey.

I was just responding about Europe.

 

[jetsforever]

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.

Pretty funny
Makes sense that Crosby is probably the most famous since he's been around forever, had the international success, etc.
Probably a good chunk of people don't even know the most famous sports stars (say Tom Brady or LeBron James), and then hockey is like the 5th most popular sport (or lower) so it's very understandable