{"id":30000,"date":"2021-12-11T17:30:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-11T23:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/?p=30000"},"modified":"2021-12-10T05:21:36","modified_gmt":"2021-12-10T11:21:36","slug":"which-nhl-team-should-you-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/","title":{"rendered":"An Expert\u2019s Guide To Choosing Which NHL Team To Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hockey is a great sport. It has skill, speed,\nviolence, incredible athleticism and high drama. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you\u2019re a new hockey fan, you\u2019re probably going to want to cheer for an NHL<\/a> team to take that support to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you live in an NHL city, it might be easy\nto choose which team to support. But if you don\u2019t live in a hockey market \u2014 or\ndon\u2019t care to root, root, root for the home team \u2014 then it could be tricky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where we come in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s our foolproof guide on how to choose an\nNHL team to support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anaheim\nDucks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Anaheim
Anaheim Ducks apparel, due to the team\u2019s unique eggplant and jade color scheme, was extraordinarily popular in the 1990s. [Image: Andrew Gardecki\/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (2007)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Ryan Getzlaf, forward Rickard Rakell, Goalie John Gibson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong> Paul Kariya (1994-03), Teemu Selanne (1995-01), Ryan Getzlaf (2005-22), Scott Niedermayer (2005-10), Chris Pronger (2006-09) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love 1990s nostalgia, particularly the Disney variety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ducks, who were founded by Disney in\nresponse to the popularity of the \u201cMighty Ducks\u201d movie franchise, play second\nfiddle to the Los Angeles Kings in that region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019re coming out of a rebuild with a budding\ncrop of talented young players but still may be a few years from legitimate\nStanley Cup contention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arizona\nCoyotes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Gila
The 2021-22 season could be the last for the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena, their home in Glendale, Arizona since 2003. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1996<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Phil Kessel, forward Clayton Keller, defenseman Jakub Chychrun<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nKeith Tkachuk (1996-01), Jeremy Roenick (1996-01)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You\u2019re a schizophrenic sports fan who wouldn\u2019t be affected if they\nmoved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coyotes, who moved to the southwest from\nWinnipeg in 1996, have been flirting with relocation for more than a decade at\nthis point, which has also coincided with just one postseason appearance since\n2012. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2021-22 season should be their last at\nGila River Arena, meaning the team is essentially a free agent when this season\nends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boston\nBruins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Bobby
Bobby Orr created thousands of new Boston Bruins fans with his spectacular skill and skating while also guiding the team to two championships in the 1970s. [Image: Aaron Frutman\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 1924<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n6 (1929, 1939, 1941, 1970, 1972, 2011)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Patrice Bergeron, forward Brad Marchand, forward Taylor Hall, defenseman\nCharlie McAvoy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong> Johnny\nBucyk (1957-78), Bobby Orr (1966-76), Phil Esposito (1967-75), Raymond Bourque\n(1979-00), Cam Neely (1987-96), Joe Thornton (1997-05), Zdeno Chara (2006-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You\u2019d love to support tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bruins are arguably the most classic NHL\nteam, with the legendary spoked B logo and support from across hockey-mad New\nEngland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Orr created a generation of hockey fans with\nhis smooth skating and incredible skill, but Neely carried the torch through his\nrugged and skilled play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern-day stars like Chara, Bergeron and\nMarchand helped bring Boston back to the forefront, winning the Cup in 2011 and\nhelping Boston reach the Stanley Cup final in 2013 and 2019 as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buffalo\nSabres<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Jack
Jack Eichel became the most recent Buffalo Sabres star to exit Western New York when he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on November 4, 2021. [Image: Lisa Gansky\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1970<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Jeff Skinner, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nGilbert Perreault (1971-87), Phil Housley (1982-90), Dave Andreychuk (1982-93),\nAlex Mogilny (1989-95), Pat Lafontaine (1991-97), Dominik Hasek (1992-01) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You\u2019re loyal and love a good project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sabres have had some near-misses \u2014 Hasek\ncarried them to the Stanley Cup final in 1999 and they went to the Eastern\nConference final in consecutive years in 2006 and 2007 \u2014 but have the sport\u2019s\nlongest playoff drought and just traded captain and star center Jack Eichel in\na rebuilding move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sabres fans are among the most loyal in\nhockey, although their patience is wearing thin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calgary\nFlames<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"
The Calgary Flames have played their home games at the Saddledome since 1983. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1980<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (1989)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Johnny Gaudreau, forward Matthew Tkachuk, goalie Jacob Markstrom<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats: Al MacInnis (1981-94), Lanny\nMcDonald (1982-89), Joe Nieuwendyk (1986-95), Theo Fleury (1988-98), Jarome\nIginla (1995-12), Miikka Kiprusoff (2003-13), Mark Giordano (2006-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You prefer the upstart in a rivalry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flames have always played understudy to\nthe tradition-laden Edmonton Oilers. The Flames have only gotten to the\nmountain\u2019s summit once, 1989, yet annually go to battle with a competent and\nstar-laden lineup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For some reason, recent playoff success has\nbeen hard to come by as Calgary hasn\u2019t advanced past the second round since its\nrun to Game 7 of the Cup final in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina\nHurricanes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Rod
Rod Brind\u2019Amour helped the Hurricanes hoist the Stanley Cup as a player in 2006 and is hoping to win the trophy as Carolina\u2019s coach. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1997<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (2006)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Sebastian Aho, forward Teuvo Teravainen, forward Jordan Staal,\ndefenseman Jaccob Slavin, goalie Frederik Andersen <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nRon Francis (1999-04), Rod Brind\u2019Amour (2000-10) Eric Staal (2003-16), Cam Ward\n(2005-18)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You like your sports to be a little bit fun or fashion yourself a\njerk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hurricanes have had a run of relevance\nunder coach Rod Brind\u2019Amour and led by its loaded roster and creative marketing\nteam that has leaned into its quirkiness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina, which moved from Hartford in 1997,\nhas donned the legendary Hartford Whalers jersey at least one night every\nseason since 2018-19, dubbed itself the \u201cBunch of Jerks\u201d in response to\nnow-disgraced hockey commentator Don Cherry\u2019s complaints in 2019 and have\nparticipated in the arena-wide \u201cStorm Surge\u201d where they produce elaborate\ncelebrations after home victories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago\nBlackhawks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Duncan
Duncan Keith won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs when Chicago won its most recent championship in 2015. [Image: Lisa Gansky\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1927<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n6 (1934, 1938, 1961, 2010, 2013, 2015)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Jonathan Toews, forward Patrick Kane, defenseman Seth Jones, goalie\nMarc-Andre Fleury<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nBobby Hull (1957-72), Glenn Hall (1957-67), Stan Mikita (1958-80), Tony\nEsposito (1969-84), Doug Wilson (1977-91), Duncan Keith (2006-21), Marian Hossa\n(2009-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You like blue bloods and are not afraid to shield your eyes at times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blackhawks are coming out of a dynastic\ndecade where they won the Stanley Cup three times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, before that dynasty they were among\nthe most irrelevant teams in the NHL, to the point where they were blacked out\non local TV. Chicago had gone 49 years between championships and only won once\nin a 72-year stretch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now they\u2019re headed back for a rebuild while\nalso attempting to manage a scandal involving a sexual assault coverup that\nmarred their 2010 title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorado\nAvalanche<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Joe
Joe Sakic was the first Colorado Avalanche player to lift the Stanley Cup and is hoping to build a championship team in the Rockies as team general manager. [Image: H\u00e5kan Dahlstr\u00f6m\/Flickr, CC BY 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 1995<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n2 (1996, 2001)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Nathan MacKinnon, forward Mikko Rantanen, forward Gabriel Landekog,\ndefenseman Cale Makar<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nJoe Sakic (1995-09), Peter Forsberg (1995-04), Patrick Roy (1995-03), Raymond\nBourque (2000-01), Rob Blake (2000-06) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love speed and skill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Avalanche took the NHL by storm from the\nminute they moved west from Quebec City, claiming the Cup twice, reaching the\nWestern Conference final six times in a seven-year stretch and developing one of\nthe fiercest rivalries in league history with the Detroit Red Wings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colorado is back as the preseason favorite to\nwin the Cup after reaching the playoffs each of the past three seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Columbus\nBlue Jackets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets fire a cannon after goals scored during home games at Nationwide Arena. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n2000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Boone Jenner, forward Max Domi, forward Patrik Laine, defenseman Zach\nWerenski, goalie Joonas Korpisalo<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nRick Nash (2002-13), Sergei Bobrovsky (2012-19), Nick Foligno (2012-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love the smell of smoke in the morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blue Jackets\u2019 identity league-wide comes\nfrom the cannon the team blasts off after every home goal at Nationwide Arena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took Columbus nearly two decades to win a\nplayoff round \u2014 it famously won its first postseason series against the\ndominant Tampa Bay Lightning \u2014 and is back to rebuilding after not renewing the\ncontract of coach John Tortorella after the 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dallas\nStars<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dallas
The Dallas Stars brought the Stanley Cup to Texas in 1999. [Image: Wikipedia]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (1999)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Tyler Seguin, forward Jamie Benn, forward Alex Radulov, defenseman Miro\nHeiskanen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMike Modano (1993-10), Joe Nieuwendyk (1995-02), Sergei Zubov (1996-09), Ed\nBelfour (1997-02), Brett Hull (1998-01)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love Texas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Stars moved from Minnesota in 1993 and\nimmediately became one of the league\u2019s most dominant teams, becoming the first\nSun Belt team to win the Cup in 1999 and reaching the Cup final in 2000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dallas has had a few good, not great, years \u2014\nnotably their upstart run to the Stanley Cup final in the bubble playoffs of\n2020 after hosting that year\u2019s Winter Classic \u2014 but haven\u2019t quite been able to\nreach the summit in the new century. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Detroit\nRed Wings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Detroit
The Detroit Red Wings last won the Stanley Cup in 2008. [Image: Michael Righi\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1933<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n11 (1936, 1937, 1943, 1950, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2008)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Dylan Larkin, forward Tyler Bertuzzi, forward, Filip Zadina, defenseman\nMoritz Seider<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nTed Lindasy (1944-57), Gordie Howe (1946-71), Terry Sawchuk (1949-64), Alex\nDelvecchio (1950-74), Steve Yzerman (1983-06), Nick Lidstrom (1991-12), Sergei\nFedorov (1990-03), Brendan Shanahan (1996-06), Pavel Datsyuk (2001-16), Henrik\nZetterberg (2002-18)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love timeless teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Red Wings are classic. They have arguably\nthe best alumni base. They play in Hockeytown USA. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have arguably the coolest playoff\ntradition \u2014 throwing octopus on the ice in a nod to when it took just eight\nwins to claim the Stanley Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing they don\u2019t quite have yet is a\nwinning club, although with Yzerman calling the shots as the team\u2019s general\nmanager, that can\u2019t be too far off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edmonton\nOilers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Wayne
Wayne Gretzky helped maked Edmonton the City of Champions in Canada by winning four championships with the Oilers in a five-year span. [Image: Richard Bartlaga\/Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 1979<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n5 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Connor McDavid, forward Leon Draisaitl, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins,\ndefenseman Darnell Nurse<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nWayne Gretzky (1979-88), Mark Messier (1979-91), Jari Kurri (1980-90), Paul\nCoffey (1980-87), Glenn Anderson (1980-91), Grant Fuhr (1981-91), Ryan Smyth\n(1994-07)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love old-time dynasties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Oilers organization is still clinging to\nthe five championships it won in a seven-year span, while also trying to revive\nEdmonton\u2019s moniker as Canada\u2019s City of Champions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

McDavid and Draisaitl are a veritable 1-2\npunch as two of the league\u2019s best players, but the Oilers have struggled to put\nenough talent around them to become even a championship contender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That duo is still fun to watch, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florida\nPanthers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Florida
The Florida Panthers have struggled to capture South Florida\u2019s attention since moving to Sunrise in 1998 yet are on the rise. [Image: Ines Hegedus-Garcia\/Flickr, CC BY 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1993<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Aleksander Barkov, forward Jonathan Huberdeau, forward Sam Bennett,\nforward Sam Reinhart, defenseman Aaron Ekblad, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nJohn Vanbiesbrouck (1993-98), Scott Mellanby (1993-01), Pavel Bure (1999-02),\nRoberto Luongo (2000-06, 2014-19), Olli Jokinen (2000-09)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You support endangered species. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Panthers have long been one of the NHL\u2019s\nmost moribund organizations. Outside of their famous Year of the Rat run to the\nCup final, Florida has been largely irrelevant and a threat to move. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the Panthers have one of the NHL\u2019s best\nyoung cores and are poised for a run of relevance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will the team be supported? Stay tuned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Los\nAngeles Kings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Dustin
Dustin Brown and the Los Angeles Kings won the Stanley Cup twice in a three-year span in 2012 and 2014. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1967<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n2 (2012, 2014) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Anze Kopitar, defenseman Drew Doughty, goalie Jonathan Quick<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMarcel Dionne (1975-87), Luc Robitaille (1986-94, 2003-06), Wayne Gretzky\n(1988-96), Rob Blake (1989-01, 2006-08), Jeff Carter (2012-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love the glitz and glam of Hollywood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kings may be down the pecking order of\nSouthern California sports, but they are still the top hockey act in town\nthanks to a mid-2010s run that included two championships and a trip to the\nWestern Conference final in 2013. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kings are notable for their splash-making\nas they brought Wayne Gretzky to the US in 1988 and moved the NHL from out of\nthe dark ages and toward the mainstream \u2014 particularly as celebrities flooded\nthe Great Western Forum, LA\u2019s home arena at the time, to get a glimpse of \u201cThe\nGreat One\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Minnesota\nWild<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mikko
Mikko Koivu was the Minnesota Wild captain for 10 seasons before he departed for Columbus in 2020. [Image: Andy Witchger\/Flickr, CC BY 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n2000<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Kirill Kaprizov, forward Joel Eriksson-Ek, forward Mats Zuccarello,\ndefenseman Matt Dumba, defenseman Jared Spurgeon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMarian Gaborik (2000-09), Mikko Koivu (2005-20), Niklas Backstrom (2006-15),\nRyan Suter (2012-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You support second chances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wild have unfortunately had similar\nsuccess to the North Stars before them only with much more rabid fan support.\nLosing a team will inspire that. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wild haven\u2019t yet achieved star status in\nthe NHL zeitgeist, but they\u2019re trying with a young core of skilled players,\ncoach Dean Evason and general manager Bill Guerin appear to be moving in the\nright direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal\nCanadiens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Montreal
The Montreal Canadiens have won the Stanley Cup 24 times, by far the most of any NHL team. [Image: Ken Lund\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1917<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n24 (1924, 1925, 1930, 1931, 1944, 1946, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960,\n1965, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1986, 1993)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Brendan Gallagher, forward Jonathan Drouin, defenseman Jeff Petry,\ndefenseman Shea Weber, goalie Carey Price<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nGeorges Vezina (1917-26), Maurice Richard (1942-60), Jean Beliveau (1950-71),\nJacques Plante (1952-63), Henri Richard (1955-75), Yvon Cournoyer (1963-79),\nKen Dryden (1971-79), Guy Lafleur (1971-85), Larry Robinson (1972-89), Patrick\nRoy (1984-95)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You speak French or love a winning tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Canadiens are sports royalty, essentially\nhockey\u2019s New York Yankees, with the timeless uniforms, endless traditions and\nlitany of star alumni looming over the present-day roster. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montreal is currently stuck in its longest\nchampionship drought in franchise history, but that shouldn\u2019t stop any\nprospective fans from cheering on le bleu, blanc et rouge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nashville\nPredators<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Nashville
Nashville Predators fans have started throwing catfish on the ice in an homage to the region\u2019s southern roots. [Image: Brent Moore\/Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1998<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Matt Duchene, forward Filip Forsberg, defenseman Roman Josi, defenseman\nMattias Ekholm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nTomas Vokoun (1998-07), David Legwand (1999-14), Shea Weber (2005-16), Mike\nFisher (2010-18) Pekka Rinne (2005-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You like your sports with a twang. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Predators play in the heart of Nashville\nand have embraced the Music City theme as one of their main identities,\nenlisting marquee country acts to perform the national anthem at playoff games\nand even having a house band play during intermissions at every home game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What they haven\u2019t quite done is reach the\npromised land, as the Predators\u2019 deepest run came in 2017 when they fell to the\nPittsburgh Penguins in the Cup final.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New\nJersey Devils<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"
The New Jersey Devils won the Stanley Cup three times in nine seasons between 1995-03 and are trying to build back to a championship-caliber team again. [Image: Wally Gobetz\/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1982<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n3 (1995, 2000, 2003) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Jack Hughes, center Nico Hischier, defenseman Dougie Hamilton,\ndefenseman P.K. Subban, goalie Mackenzie Blackwood<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nScott Niedermayer (1991-04), Scott Stevens (1991-04), Martin Brodeur (1992-14),\nPatrik Elias (1995-16) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You like an upstart and have thick skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Jersey is constantly belittled for its\nsmall-market status and \u201cboring\u201d run of success in the mid-1990s and early\n2000s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Devils fans embrace their team\u2019s history and\nrelish the three championships \u2014 even though the title celebrations came in the\nparking lot of the Meadowlands arena. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also hope the team can emerge from a dark\nperiod with its young and improving core and deliver a new and sustained run of\nexcellence to Prudential Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New\nYork Islanders<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"New
The New York Islanders won the Stanley Cup in four straight seasons between 1980-83. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1972<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Mathew Barzal, forward Josh Bailey, forward Anthony Beauvilier,\ndefenseman Ryan Pulock, defenseman Adam Pelech, goalie Ilya Sorokin <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nDenis Potvin (1973-88), Bryan Trottier (1975-90), Clark Gillies (1974-86), Mike\nBossy (1977-87), Butch Goring (1980-85), Billy Smith (1972-89), Pat Lafontaine\n(1983-91)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You like an upstart and have thick skin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Islanders have taken a lot of the same\nflack that Devils fans have gone through in their existence, notably from New\nYork Rangers fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the Islanders\u2019 dynasty in the early\n1980s cemented their place in hockey history, and fans on Long Island are hoping\nthe present-day team \u2014 which has reached the Eastern Conference final two\nstraight years \u2014 can rekindle some of that success at their new home, UBS\nArena, which opened November 20, 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New\nYork Rangers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Henrik
Henrik Lundqvist is arguably the greatest player in hockey history to not win the Stanley Cup. [Image: Lisa Gansky\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1926<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n4 (1928, 1933, 1940, 1994)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Mika Zibanejad, forward Artemi Panarin, defenseman Adam Fox, goalie Igor\nShesterkin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nGump Worsley (1952-63), Rod Gilbert (1960-78), Jean Ratelle (1960-75), Ed\nGiacomin (1965-75), Brad Park (1968-75), Brian Leetch (1988-04), Mike Richter\n(1989-03), Mark Messier (1991-97, 2000-04), \nWayne Gretzky (1997-99), Henrik Lundqvist (2005-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love to cheer for a frontrunner that never actually wins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rangers own the hockey scene in New York,\nand Rangers fans like to pretend they don\u2019t share a market with two other\nteams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, the Rangers have history, tradition and\narguably the greatest arena in hockey \u2014 Madison Square Garden \u2014 but they\u2019ve\nonly won one championship since 1940 and have only reached the Stanley Cup\nfinal twice since 1980, famously winning in 1994. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Islanders won as many titles in four years\nas it\u2019s taken the Rangers to in nearly 100. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, the fandom gets passed from generation\nto generation and that same superiority always seems to be there as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ottawa\nSenators<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Ottawa
The Ottawa Senators had roaring success in their first ideation in the NHL yet have not claimed the Stanley Cup since rejoining the league in 1991. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1991<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nForward Brady Tkachuk, forward Tim Stutzle, defenseman Thomas Chabot<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nDaniel Alfredsson (1995-13), Alexei Yashin (1993-01), Wade Redden (1996-08),\nChris Phillips (1997-15), Marian Hossa (1998-04), Jason Spezza (2003-14), Erik\nKarlsson (2009-18), Craig Anderson (2010-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You want to support a Canadian team that isn\u2019t a blue blood and can\ntolerate a miserly owner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senators sit tucked between Toronto and\nMontreal and usually are stuck playing the little brother to each team\u2019s\nverbose fanbase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Senators are generally plucky, coming just\na goal from an upstart run to the Cup final in 2017 and reaching the Cup final\nin 2007, and are on the rise with a slew of great young draft picks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as long as owner Eugene Melnyk is signing\nthe paychecks, the team will act stingy financially and could ultimately skip\ntown if its arena situation isn\u2019t resolved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia\nFlyers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Bob
Bob Clarke and the Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 legendary \u201cBroad Street Bullies\u201d teams of the 1970s captured the tough-minded city\u2019s hearts. [Image: Centpacrr\/Wikipedia]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1967<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n2 (1974, 1975)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Sean Couturier, forward Claude Giroux, forward Cam Atkinson, defenseman\nIvan Provorov, defenseman Ryan Ellis, goalie Carter Hart<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nBernie Parent (1967-70, 1973-79), Bob Clarke (1969-84), Bill Barber (1972-84),\nMark Howe (1982-92), Ron Hextall (1986-92, 1994-99), Eric Lindros (1992-00),\nJohn LeClair (1994-04), Eric Desjardins (1995-06)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You have no problem being the villain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flyers embraced the Broad Street Bullies\nmoniker that led to two Stanley Cup championships and three straight trips to\nthe Cup final and haven\u2019t shaken that rep even almost 50 years later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Flyers want to play rough-and-tumble\nhockey, and it paid off with their legendary Legion of Doom line with Lindros,\nLeClair and Mikael Renberg during the 1990s that led to a run of regular-season\ndominance and a Stanley Cup final appearance in 1997. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia hasn\u2019t played for the Cup since\nbut is always in the hunt with a rabid fan base that is just itching for\nanother championship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pittsburgh\nPenguins<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mario
Mario Lemieux, arguably the greatest player in NHL history, brought two Stanley Cup championships to Pittsburgh as a player and presided over three more championships as a team owner. [Image: Tony McCune\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1967<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n5 (1991, 1992, 2009, 2016, 2017)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Sidney Crosby, center Evgeni Malkin, forward Jeff Carter, forward Jake\nGuentzel, defenseman Kris Letang<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMario Lemieux (1984-06), Jaromir Jagr (1990-01), Ron Francis (1991-98),\nMarc-Andre Fleury (2003-17)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love flightless birds or flock to superstars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Penguins have been, let\u2019s just say\nfortunate, through the years to land multiple generational talents \u2014 notably\nLemieux, Crosby and Malkin \u2014 who have in turn built a standard of excellence as\nthe Penguins\u2019 identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lemieux and Jagr teamed up for consecutive\ntitles in the early 90s, then Crosby and Malkin helped did the same in the mid-2010s.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crosby, Letang and Malkin are still going\nstrong, and the Penguins are trying for one last championship run before the\ninevitable rebuild that is to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

San\nJose Sharks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"
Despite being one of the NHL\u2019s most consistent teams, the San Jose Sharks haven\u2019t yet won the Stanley Cup. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1991<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Logan Couture, forward Tomas Hertl, defenseman Erik Karlsson, defenseman\nBrent Burns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nOwen Nolan (1995-03),  Patrick Marleau\n(1997-17), Evgeni Nabokov (1999-10), Joe Thornton (2005-20), Joe Pavelski\n(2006-19), Dan Boyle (2008-14)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You support teams that fall just short. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sharks have been perennially one of the\nNHL\u2019s best teams throughout the 2000s yet have never quite reached the summit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

San Jose has made the playoffs 21 times in its\n30-season existence, had nine 100-plus-point seasons in the 2000s yet has only\nreached the Cup final once in 2016, losing in six games to the Penguins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sharks are caught between rebuilding and\nchasing the championship right now, an unenviable position generally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seattle\nKraken<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Seattle Kraken are brand new to the NHL as of 2021. [Image: Rob Masefield\/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n2021<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong> —<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\n—<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You want in on the ground floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Kraken are brand new, with no discernible\nhistory, identity or legacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They play in sports-mad Seattle yet have\nstruggled out of the gate in their first season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want the truest taste of hockey fandom\n\u2014 watching a club build, grow and ultimately taste success \u2014 this is the place\nto start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St.\nLouis Blues<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Brayden
Brayden Schenn and the St. Louis Blues finally brought the Stanley Cup to the Gateway city in 2019. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1967<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (2019)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players: Center Ryan O\u2019Reilly, forward\nVladimir Tarasenko, defenseman Colton Parayko, goalie Jordan Binnigton<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nGlenn Hall (1967-71), Bernie Federko (1976-89), Brett Hull (1987-98), Al\nMacInnis (1994-04), Chris Pronger (1995-04), David Backes (2006-16), Alex\nPietrangelo (2008-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You\u2019re a long-suffering fan who finally got the payout. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Blues were like the Sharks for years,\nconstantly falling short and letting down their fans. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the magical run from last place to\nthe Stanley Cup during the 2018-19 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Louis has emerged from the Blackhawks\u2019\nshadow as one of the best teams in the NHL, led by O\u2019Reilly and coach Craig\nBerube, and should be playoff regulars for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tampa\nBay Lightning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Tampa
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the NHL\u2019s model franchise and two-time defending Stanley Cup champions as of 2021. [Image: Matthew Paulson\/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1992<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n3 (2004, 2020, 2021)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Brayden Point, center Steven Stamkos, forward Nikita Kucherov,\ndefenseman Victor Hedman, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nVincent Lecavalier (1998-13), Martin St. Louis (2000-14), Brad Richards\n(2000-08),Nikolai Khabibulin (2000-04), Dan Boyle (2001-08)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You want in at the penthouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lightning are the model NHL franchise with\na loaded roster and arguably the NHL\u2019s top coach, John Cooper. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tampa Bay has brought home consecutive\nchampionships and reached the Cup final three times since 2015 yet also has a\nstrong tradition that includes a championship in 2004.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toronto\nMaple Leafs<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Morgan
Morgan Rielly and the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the NHL\u2019s best teams yet haven\u2019t found a way to win a playoff series as of 2021. [Image: Michael Miller\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1926<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n13 (1918, 1922, 1932, 1942, 1945, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1962, 1963, 1964,\n1967)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Auston Matthews, center John Tavares, forward Mitch Marner, forward\nWilliam Nylander, defenseman Morgan Rielly, defenseman Jake Muzzin<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nTurk Broda (1936-52), Tim Horton (1949-70), George Armstrong (1949-71), Frank\nMahovolich (1957-68), Johnny Bower (1958-70), Dave Keon (1960-74), Darryl Sittler\n(1970-82), Borje Salming (1973-89), Wendel Clark (1985-94), Doug Gilmour\n(1991-97), Felix Potvin (1991-99), Mats Sundin (1994-08)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You are a New York Knicks or Dallas Cowboys fan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maple Leafs have all the tradition, all\nthe fan support, all the media attention and none of the recent success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toronto currently has the NHL\u2019s longest\nplayoff-series-win drought despite having a roster loaded full of young and\nskilled talent yet has not even reached the second round of the playoffs since\n2004. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Maple Leafs haven\u2019t been to the Stanley\nCup final since they won it all in 1967, with three painful and memorable\nconference-final defeats in that span. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Toronto is also the center of the hockey\nuniverse, meaning the sport will always be focused on the Leafs whether they\nare good or bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vancouver\nCanucks<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Vancouver
Despite reaching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup final twice, the Vancouver Canucks haven\u2019t yet claimed the Stanley Cup in their 50-plus-year existence. [Image: Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n1970<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Bo Horvat, forward Brock Boeser, forward Elias Pettersson, forward Conor\nGarland, defenseman Quinn Hughes, defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, goalie\nThatcher Demko<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nTrevor Linden (1988-98), Pavel Bure (1991-98), Markus Naslund (1996-08), Daniel\nSedin (2000-18), Henrik Sedin (2000-18), Alex Edler (2006-21), Roberto Luongo\n(2006-14)  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You love to watch things burn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Canucks have come painfully close to a\npair of championships, most recently in 2011 when they were the NHL\u2019s best team\nyet fell in Game 7 of the Cup final to the Boston Bruins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet both times Vancouver fell in the final,\ncoincidentally each time in Game 7, fans rioted and set the Pacific Northwest\ncity ablaze. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, Vancouver appears to be headed in the\nright direction, talent-wise, although a new coach is likely to end up doing\nmore with that talent than current bench boss Travis Green has.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vegas\nGolden Knights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights have built one of the NHL\u2019s best teams since their birth in 2017 but have not yet claimed the Stanley Cup as of 2021. [Image: mark6mauno\/Flickr, CC BY 2.0]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 2017<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Jack Eichel, forward Max Pacioretty, forward Mark Stone, defenseman Alex\nPietrangelo, goalie Robin Lehner<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMarc-Andre Fleury (2017-21)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You want to be an early supporter of a team that can compete for the\nCup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Golden Knights captured the sports world\nby reaching the Cup final in their first season, 2017-18, and have built a\njuggernaut that\u2019s reached the Western Conference final in consecutive seasons\nbut hasn\u2019t yet hoisted the Cup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first title can\u2019t be too far off though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Washington Capitals<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Alex
Alex Ovechkin, widely considered the greatest player in Washington Capitals history, brought the first Stanley Cup championship to the U.S. capital in 2018. [Image: Michael Miller\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong> 1974<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n1 (2018)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Evgeny Kuznetsov, center Nicklas Backstrom, forward Alex Ovechkin,\nforward T.J. Oshie, defenseman John Carlson<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nMike Gartner (1979-89), Peter Bondra (1990-04), Sergei Gonchar (1994-04), Olaf\nKolzig (1989-08), Mike Green (2005-15), Braden Holtby (2010-20)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You want to support a team that will inevitably break your heart. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Capitals finally got over the mountain\nwith Ovechkin and Co. for their first championship after more than 40 years of\nnear-misses, chokes and blown series leads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many diehard fans, that championship\nerased decades of horrible memories, yet what\u2019s happened since is more of the\nsame: dominant regular seasons that end in heartbreaking postseason losses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting on the Capitals bandwagon now is like\njumping on a train two stops before the end of the line \u2014 as Ovechkin\u2019s chase\nof Wayne Gretzky\u2019s all-time goals record and the team\u2019s pursuit of a second\nchampionship with The Great Eight wearing the \u2018C\u2019 are about the only things left\nto accomplish before the most successful era in team history undoubtedly\nresults in a rocky rebuild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winnipeg\nJets<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Mark
Mark Scheifele is one of the NHL\u2019s best players and one of the Winnipeg Jets\u2019 team leaders. [Image: Lisa Gansky\/Wikimedia Commons]<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Established in:<\/strong>\n2011<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stanley Cups won:<\/strong>\n0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Star players:<\/strong>\nCenter Mark Scheifele, forward Kyle Connor, forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, forward\nNikolaj Ehlers, forward Blake Wheeler, defenseman Nate Schmidt, goalie Connor\nHellebuyck<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All-time greats:<\/strong>\nDustin Byfuglien (2011-19), Jacob Trouba (2013-19)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should support them if:<\/strong> You\u2019d love to root for a small-market team with an insanely rabid fan\nbase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jets moved from Atlanta to Winnipeg,\nManitoba in 2011 and have sold out every game at Bell MTS Place since \u2014 albeit\nplaying in front of empty stands during the COVID-19-shortened 2020-21 season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winnipeggers love their Jets and were\ndistraught when the Jets version 1.0 moved to Phoenix in 1996, thus willing the\nNHL\u2019s return to the Central Canadian market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The only thing they\u2019d love more is a championship, which neither Jets edition has delivered, coming closest with a trip to the Western Conference final in 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lead image: nhl.com<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hockey is a great sport. It has skill, speed, violence, incredible athleticism and high drama. But if you\u2019re a new …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":30092,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,13],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nAn Expert\u2019s Guide To Choosing Which NHL Team To Support<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Which NHL Team Should You Support? \u2013 Discover our expert guide which covers how long they\u2019ve been around, number of Stanley Cups won, star players & more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"An Expert\u2019s Guide To Choosing Which NHL Team To Support\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Discover our expert guide which covers how long they\u2019ve been around, number of Stanley Cups won, star players & more.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Casino.org Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Casino.OrgNews\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-12-11T23:30:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-12-10T11:21:36+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/nhl-logos.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1244\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"700\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Pat Pickens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Pat_Pickens\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Casino_Org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Pat Pickens\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"25 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Pat Pickens\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/26a03ed40269d1c663dacc6606249ded\"},\"headline\":\"An Expert\u2019s Guide To Choosing Which NHL Team To Support\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-11T23:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-12-10T11:21:36+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\"},\"wordCount\":5102,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/nhl-logos.jpeg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Guides\",\"Sports\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/\",\"name\":\"An Expert\u2019s Guide To Choosing Which NHL Team To Support\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/which-nhl-team-should-you-support\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/nhl-logos.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2021-12-11T23:30:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-12-10T11:21:36+00:00\",\"description\":\"Which NHL Team Should You Support? 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