Boston Ranked Second-Best City for Hockey Fans

Photo via AP

Sure, the Bruins have missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Sure, Joe Thornton and Phil Kessel, once run out of Boston, have led their respective teams to the Stanley Cup Finals this year. And sure, it remains to be seen whether general manager Don Sweeney and team president Cam Neely have at least a tenuous grasp on what they’re doing.

But in spite of all that, the Hub, home of perennial NCAA contenders and the Isobel Cup champion Boston Pride, is still a great hockey town—one of the greatest, in fact.

Boston was ranked the second-best U.S. city for hockey fans, according to a new report by personal finance social network WalletHub. Only Detroit, whose rink bears the name “Hockeytown,” ranked higher. Also representing New England were Orono, Maine (No. 27), Hanover, New Hampshire (28), Storrs, Connecticut (30), Providence (38), Cambridge (45), Worcester (50), Lowell (56), Amherst (57), Durham, New Hampshire (63), Hamden, Connecticut (64), New Haven (65), Burlington, Vermont (66), North Andover (69), Waltham (70), Fairfield, Connecticut (71), and Springfield (72).

Good work, everybody.

To compile the list, WalletHub compared 72 of the most populated U.S. cities with at least one college or professional hockey team across 17 metrics, including Stanley Cups, NCAA championships, franchise value, attendance, and minimum season ticket price per game. Glaringly missing from the ranking, in light of Boston College’s recent NCAA Frozen Four appearance and Hilary Knight and company’s cup-raising this year, were college and professional women’s hockey. That’s a shame.

You can check out WalletHub’s full ranking here.