I have to disagree.
A decent team from an O-6 type market is going to be a bigger draw than a decent++ team from a meaningless market.
Using the Canucks as an example, Calgary would have to really really really suck and Columbus would have to have the ghosts of Gretzky, Mario, and Lafleur playing for them before Columbus would outdraw Calgary in Vancouver. And even then I'm not sure they would.
Not all franchises are created equal.
Pretty much. It's also the same reason why Habs tickets for games against the Leafs are given premium pricing compared to say Florida or Columbus.
In some cities, the quality of some opponents have nothing to with premium pricing; however, there are also cases where quality does have an effect, such as Chicago visiting Montreal.
No matter the quality, Boston, NYR, Chicago, and Detroit will be big draws pretty much anywhere because there are generations of fans all over North America (transplants or not), whereas Columbus and Nashville do not have that luxury. It's the same reason why NBC relies on those four (along with Philly) for Sunday afternoon games.