Most Pressurized Environment - #1

[Pavel Buchnevich]

I’m going to try to do a poll series.

1-32, which environments surrounding the 32 franchises are the most pressurized. That can mean fans, ownership, media, prior history, location, players or anything you take the pressure of a hockey environment to mean.

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[MessierII]

Montreal is more pressure than Toronto. The media is wild in Toronto but that’s mostly because we all hear about it. The French media is ruthless we just don’t hear about it and fan pressure in Montreal is crazier than Toronto.

 

[North Cole]

The Challenger Deep, 8 tonnes per square inch...Then maybe Toronto.

 

[Albatros]

I'd hate to be in Buffalo.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

All things being equal, I would say it's usually Montréal (which was the option I voted for).
But this season, where Toronto is considered a contender and Montréal will be an "also ran", gotta believe the answer here is Toronto.

 

[A Loyal Dog]

Montreal and Toronto

 

[ThatsSoSlavin]

it’s between Montreal and Toronto imo but One team hasn’t won a playoff round since 2004

 

[Sun God Nika]

gonna go with Ottawa Senators.

 

[Michael HOMERUNing]

Well it depends which language you speak

 

[Adele Dazeem]

Lol at Montreal.
Bergevin has been sitting on his hands since he took over and the fans and the media have done nothing but eat it up.

 

[CanadienShark]

Montreal is my vote. Toronto is equal for sure. They're by far the top 2.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Traditional answer would be Montreal or Toronto.

Given the current state of the franchises I would say I think Buffalo and Vancouver would be a lot more stressful to play for right now.

 

[Mobiandi]

Toronto and Montreal build their team up just so they can tear them down for headlines later on

 

[ClydeLee]

Idk, but I bet Avs is the least due to the whole height and atmosphere thing. ⁰

 

[Mats13]

It’s Toronto

There’s no other right answer

Most fans = most pressure

Like the Yankees, Knicks or Cowboys

 

[pcruz]

It’s Toronto

There’s no other right answer

Most fans = most pressure

Like the Yankees, Knicks or Cowboys

2 correct answers - Toronto and Montreal.

Toronto has the most vitriolic media and fanbase.
Montreal has nearly as bad a media........but in 2 different languages.

The lack of success for the Leafs is the last straw though, because the media and fanbase randomly attributes the 50+ years of futility to the current team and starts grilling them for it.

 

[93LEAFS]

It's Montreal and Toronto. Although, if you are factoring in ownership, both ownership groups are fairly low-key, so the President/GM isn't dealing with insane top-down pressure. But, fanbase and media are nuts. Toronto because its the center of hockey media, has their rights split between both SN and TSN locally, and even the National media is going to skew covering the Leafs because the Golden Horseshoe accounts for about 1/4 of the overall Canadian population, and that reduces closer to 1/3rd of Canada's population when you remove people who consume media in French. To put it in perspective, that is a bigger percentage of Canada's overall population than NYC, LA, Bay Area and Chicago CSA's are of the United States. That's before getting into the Leafs having arguably the largest non-home team fanbase in other Canadian Cities. Now, Toronto is the only Canadian city with other Big 4 professional teams which reduces pressure to an extent as they aren't the only show in town and the percentage of passionate Leafs fans to passionate Oilers or Jets fans in their markets is probably lower (but obviously still significantly more overall).

After those 2 it's probably Winnipeg and Edmonton. But, I don't know how to equate desperate owners like Melnyk or the markets losing money trying to gain market relevency like Panthers and Coyotes into the equation. Leafs and Habs make enough whether they finish 1st or 31st that ownership isn't worried about losing money, in other markets the pressure just from ownership must be ridiculous even if the fans are essentially non-existent.

 

[Mats13]

2 correct answers - Toronto and Montreal.

Toronto has the most vitriolic media and fanbase.
Montreal has nearly as bad a media........but in 2 different languages.

The lack of success for the Leafs is the last straw though, because the media and fanbase randomly attributes the 50+ years of futility to the current team and starts grilling them for it.

Idk Bergevin sucks and I never see him being asked tough questions

When we had Burke and Nonis f***ing up the media used to ask them about their f***ups

 

[Hockeyholic]

It’s Toronto

There’s no other right answer

Most fans = most pressure

Like the Yankees, Knicks or Cowboys

I disagree.

In Toronto, there's still the Raptors and Jays. And media is toxic in one language.

There's nothing the Habs in Montreal. And you get toxic media in two languages.

 

[Hockeyholic]

I'd hate to be in Buffalo.

Sabres aren't even the most popular team in their city.

 

[HolyGhost]

Toronto, Montreal and then Edmonton.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

Idk, but I bet Avs is the least due to the whole height and atmosphere thing. ⁰

That, and the fact that fans haven't been able to watch the Avs on cable in Denver for the last 2 years. Most casual fans probably don't know the Avs are even in the playoffs.

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Lol at Montreal.
Bergevin has been sitting on his hands since he took over and the fans and the media have done nothing but eat it up.

How’d you manage to dig a hole deep enough to bury your head this much in the sand? Where are the fans “eating it up”? LMAO the Habs board is maybe the most dejected group of people on the internet

 

[Mats13]

I disagree.

In Toronto, there's still the Raptors and Jays. And media is toxic in one language.

There's nothing the Habs in Montreal. And you get toxic media in two languages.

Having multiple teams just means it’s a big city.

The Leafs are the top dog. Everyone knows this. It’s like comparing the rangers to the yankees.

Montreal’s media doesn’t do shit lmao. They run the team into the ground and they ask softball questions.

Toronto media gets after management for f*** ups.

 

[Future GOAT]

Despite the poll results the actual reality is Montreal.

Toronto is a very close second though.