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Southern Hockey Towns (NHL)


Lexy

Best Southern Hockey Town Experience.  

61 members have voted

  1. 1. Please vote for you choice.

    • Raleigh
      14
    • Nashville
      25
    • Tampa/St. Pete
      10
    • Miami
      2
    • Atlanta
      4
    • Dallas
      6


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Which city offers the best buck for buck experience on game night. Nashville's is well known throughout most of the NHL as being one of the best in the league, but who else puts on a good show. Show me some pics if you got 'em. Just give me what ya got. I'll post a few pics of Nashville later.

Remember, support your local hockey teams. They are there for you!

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Alright some pics of Nashville during the playoffs last year against Detroit.

playoff11.jpg

playoff3.jpg

The arena (Gaylord Entertainment Center) in the urban fabric.

jj.jpg

Live bands entertain the crowd during intermissions. This is the only NHL venue that has live entertainment. A tribute to the huge music industry in this city. That is the stage where the CMT signs are above the Bud Light cover. (sorry for the large size *pics taken last night before game*)

Picture675.jpg

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I'm inclined to vote Atlanta her because of what the city has to offer before and after games (and I did vote for it). Also, we do support our Thrashers (just thought I'd get that out of the way. I'll elaborate later).

However, I hear Nashville's hockey has an awesome experience.

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ironchapman, does Atlanta have hockey bars around the arena??? I know in Nashville we have a couple around the arena and one inside the arena that is all locally owned. I was just wondering.

What I mean by hockey bars is ones that are themed around the team. It is owned by hockey lovers for hockey lovers. Often times you will see fans of both teams or just the Preds here in Nashville chanting and hollering at the bars before the games. It is unusally crazy when Detroit or St. Louis is here due to their large fan bases.

cheeriokid, you are one lucky person. I may have heard you before. When did you sing it??

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ironchapman, does Atlanta have hockey bars around the arena??? I know in Nashville we have a couple around the arena and one inside the arena that is all locally owned. I was just wondering.

What I mean by hockey bars is ones that are themed around the team. It is owned by hockey lovers for hockey lovers. Often times you will see fans of both teams or just the Preds here in Nashville chanting and hollering at the bars before the games. It is unusally crazy when Detroit or St. Louis is here due to their large fan bases.

I don't know too much about the bar scene because I am still too young to have much of a reason to get involved in it (by that, I mean I am under 21). However, I do know that there are quite a few bars here themed around Atlanta sports in general, whether it's a Mom n' Pop one or a professional chain trying to immerse itself in the local fabric. We don't have too many just hockey bars...quite a few Braves and Falcons ones, though.

Now that I think of it, I guess Nashville does offer a better experience.

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^ Interesting. I would think that the Cowboys dominate with the Mavericks a close second down there. It is always packed for both of those teams.

2nd love. LOL! Yeah I guess you could say that. People are starting to warm up to the team now (which is a great thing!).

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Interesting, I looked up the last NHL attendance figures (2004)...

For the Southern teams...

Rk City Attend % cap

#7 Dallas 18, 350 94.8

#12 Tampa Bay 17,820 87.9

#17 Florida 15,904 83.5

#21 Atlanta 15,121 84.4

#28 Nashville 13,177 83.8

#29 Carolina 12,171 75.9

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/attendance?year=2004

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Believe it or not, our attendance figues average has gone up this year. There was an article in the paper here stating that Nashville had a 15.7% increase over the 2004 figures so far. That is a marketable increase compared to last years numbers.

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Believe it or not, our attendance figues average has gone up this year. There was an article in the paper here stating that Nashville had a 15.7% increase over the 2004 figures so far. That is a marketable increase compared to last years numbers.

It'll be interesting to see what happens after that long hiatus. I expected more backlash but I wonder if attendance will be up or down across the NHL. Personally, I'm a little miffed at the NHLPA right now.

BTW, the Predators have a gorgeous facility. Adelphia, for that matter, is a first class facility.

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I think the Dallas Stars are probably as heavily supported as any team on that list.

I have to agree. Dallas is known around the league as being a huge success in the NHL because of the popularity and the revenue it brings. Lexy,you are right that the Stars coverage is behind the Cowboys and Mavs. But it is not that far behind the Mavs but wayyyyyy behind the Cowboys for obvious reasons. I think with the Victory project and everything happening around the AAC that you would have to put them up there.

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The hockey experience in Nashville is great and is getting better. After six consecutive losing seasons, the Preds made the playoffs in 2004, and are off to their best start ever this year. IMO, it won't be long before nearly every game sells out. Attendance is up over 15% this year despite the strike. Fans are truly excited about the Preds in Nashville.

How was the reaction in Tampa Bay when they won the Cup? I'm assuming that it was a hoot down there. Also, from all I've seen, Dallas has a great fan base and a tremendous following there.

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So far, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the second best attendance overall this year.

The Bolts also have been the South's attendance leaders the previous two seasons!!

Tampa is a Hockeytown!! Very weird to say in Florida, but very true. Also, many fans sport the

personalized license team plate. The average attendance outdraw MLB in Tampa !!

LET'S GO LIGHTNING!!!

2006 Attendance Home

TEAM GMS TOTAL AVG PCT

Montreal 13 276,549 21,273 100.0

Tampa Bay 13 267,445 20,572 104.1

Detroit 13 261,458 20,112 100.3

Philadelphia 15 293,875 19,591 100.5

Toronto 14 271,381 19,384 103.1

Ottawa 13 250,966 19,305 104.3

Calgary 14 270,046 19,289 112.4

Vancouver 12 223,560 18,630 101.1

Minnesota 12 223,142 18,595 103.0

Colorado 13 234,091 18,007 100.0

NY Rangers 12 216,048 18,004 98.9

Los Angeles 14 249,469 17,819 96.3

San Jose 9 156,262 17,362 99.2

Dallas 14 242,353 17,310 93.4

Boston 11 185,350 16,850 90.5

Edmonton 10 168,134 16,813 98.4

Columbus 12 198,676 16,556 91.3

Florida 11 177,356 16,123 83.8

Pittsburgh 12 192,440 16,036 94.5

Phoenix 13 196,375 15,105 86.3

Atlanta 12 179,824 14,985 80.8

Chicago 9 132,450 14,716 71.8

Carolina 13 190,942 14,687 78.4

Buffalo 13 188,332 14,487 79.3

Nashville 13 183,484 14,114 82.5

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So far, the Tampa Bay Lightning have the second best attendance overall this year.

The Bolts also have been the South's attendance leaders the previous two seasons!!

Tampa is a Hockeytown!! Very weird to say in Florida, but very true. Also, many fans sport the

personalized license team plate. The average attendance outdraw MLB in Tampa !!

LET'S GO LIGHTNING!!!

2006 Attendance Home

TEAM GMS TOTAL AVG PCT

Montreal 13 276,549 21,273 100.0

Tampa Bay 13 267,445 20,572 104.1

Detroit 13 261,458 20,112 100.3

Philadelphia 15 293,875 19,591 100.5

Toronto 14 271,381 19,384 103.1

Ottawa 13 250,966 19,305 104.3

Calgary 14 270,046 19,289 112.4

Vancouver 12 223,560 18,630 101.1

Minnesota 12 223,142 18,595 103.0

Colorado 13 234,091 18,007 100.0

NY Rangers 12 216,048 18,004 98.9

Los Angeles 14 249,469 17,819 96.3

San Jose 9 156,262 17,362 99.2

Dallas 14 242,353 17,310 93.4

Boston 11 185,350 16,850 90.5

Edmonton 10 168,134 16,813 98.4

Columbus 12 198,676 16,556 91.3

Florida 11 177,356 16,123 83.8

Pittsburgh 12 192,440 16,036 94.5

Phoenix 13 196,375 15,105 86.3

Atlanta 12 179,824 14,985 80.8

Chicago 9 132,450 14,716 71.8

Carolina 13 190,942 14,687 78.4

Buffalo 13 188,332 14,487 79.3

Nashville 13 183,484 14,114 82.5

I thought Nashville's attendance is up. Based on that, you'd think they'd soon be the Las Vegas Predators.

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It IS up 15.7% on the year so far over last year. That is huge considering a game two seasons ago would only attract around 10,000 to it. Now it inches closer to 15-17,000 on game nights. It is going to take some time, but when it gets there, Nashville will be one of the leaders in attendance. It just takes some time though.

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