The Chicago Blackhawks are arguably the most successful team in the NHL over the last decade, but that success on the ice apparently doesn’t translate into being the best hockey city in America.
Instead, Chicago ranked fifth on a list compiled by Wallet Hub, which ranked cities on factors like performance, attendance, arena capacity, and ticket prices.
According to the ranking, the best hockey city in the NHL is actually Detroit, which racked up an impressive 54.91 points. Pittsburgh finished second, and was followed by Boston and New York in towns that finished ahead of Chicago.
Chicago finished well in the performance category, but they were dinged significantly in several other key areas. They were ranked as one of the worst cities for season ticket prices, finishing in 21st among NHL cities, and they also finished poorly in stadium capacity, with the formula placing an emphasis on the ratio between city size and stadium size.
Although a top-five spot isn’t awful, should Chicago be ranked higher among NHL cities? Three Stanley Cups in six seasons and record TV ratings would seem to be a good indicator of success, but apparently other metrics don’t agree.
