Penguins and Maple Leaf fans are the Best in the NHL

Usually when a heated debate amongst hockey fans breaks out, the discussion deteriorates to the point of determining just who is the better fan base. Sometimes this could mean just a subjective anecdotal opinion only supported with the same passions, but Forbes Magazine has found a way to both discuss this and quantify it using a calculable formula.

For the 2008-09 season, we ranked teams based on average regular-season home game attendance as a percentage of arena capacity, regular-season local television viewers as a percentage of the team's metro area population and team merchandise sales.

That certainly seems like an amicable solution, right?

After the data was collected, the Pittsburgh Penguins were the team to have the best fans in the NHL. I already knew this in my heart, but how can anyone can deny this now is certainly seething with jealousy. Pittsburgh fans fought like hell to keep their team in town. I have never read or seen this in any other struggling NHL city.

I am also glad to see that the Toronto Maple Leafs, since this blog is a friend to Leafs Nation, are ranked #2 as fans. They have to be commended for having the audacity to continue to support a franchise that is currently in disarray. I watch the video blogs as well as all of the game recaps and it is evident to me that the fans in Toronto are the most active and continue to involve themselves every year. Leafspace is a great place to watch the fans debate and dispense their advice.

And of course, it also proves that the sun belt teams are letting me down by not attending games and not fighting to keep their teams. Florida came in last.

[Via: Forbes Magazine]