NHL rules in sports fan satisfaction survey, save for Philadelphia
Do you enjoy attending NHL games?
Obviously the answer to that question is determined after several tests. Like “does my team suck?” or “was it a blowout?” or “did the guy seated in back of me spilled nacho cheese on my head while screaming ‘shoooooot’ on the power play?”
But in general terms, are you satisfied with your NHL game-going experience in relation to, say, attending other live sporting events in your city?
J.D. Power asked that question in a survey released this month, and wouldn’t you know it: The NHL actually leaves fans more satisfied than many other sports do. Although not necessarily as satisfied as an MLS game, apparently.
From the survey:
Fan satisfaction is evaluated across seven factors (in order of importance): seating area and game experience; security and ushers; leaving the game; arriving at the game; food and beverage; ticket purchase; and souvenirs and merchandise. Satisfaction is measured on a 1,000-point scale. Additional factors that are measured but not included in the official ranking are loyalty and future intentions; team performance (on-field); and team image.
Here’s the city-by-city breakdown for ones evaluated with NHL teams:
The Patriots bring up the rear might seem like a surprise but that surprise will subside when you see the rest of the NFL teams in this survey and how much people hate attending these games.
The Bruins rank behind the Red Sox here, which as you’ll see is not the norm.
Interesting that the Blackhawks aren’t higher given the atmosphere at the games and the cult of fandom that’s surrounded them. But the price of tickets do grow forever higher.
What a coup for the Dallas Stars, head and shoulders above the rest of the market. What’s the secret here, Stars fans? Cheap tickets and cheaper beer? The Jumbotron jokes?
Big win for the Avalanche here as well, leading the market in fan satisfaction despite being a flaming dumpster fire of a team in the last year.
Considering the competition, this shouldn’t be a surprise. But ticket prices are probably a driving factor here.
The Devils? Yes, the Devils. While many of you associate the team with coma-inducing play, going to a game in Newark is a rather rewarding experience, from the amenities to the sight-lines. As for the Islanders, JD Power notes:
The Islanders may not be in Barclays Center for much longer, but as long as they are, fans are starting to embrace the arena at Atlantic and Flatbush. In last year’s study, the Nets scored second in the market, with the Isles fifth, reflecting the discrepancy between the basketball and hockey experiences. But this year, after Barclays Center management tried to address some of Islanders fans’ concerns, the Isles perform fourth (786), actually beating out their co-tenants (783).
Make of that what you will.
Oh noes.
In Philadelphia, only the across-the-board dissatisfaction with the NFL experience keeps the Flyers from being at the bottom of the fan satisfaction rankings.
So what’s this about, Flyers fans? Dissatisfaction with the team or the price of seeing them play?
Giant smoking shark head plus copious amounts of Metallica. Not hard to figure this out.
No idea how the Ducks can rank ahead of a place where you can watch Dustin Brown play and meet Matthew Perry but here we are.
No surprise here. Caps games are super fun before May arrives.
So there you go. Fans are rather satisfied with attending NHL games, although not as satisfied as those who attending MLS games. Memo to the NFL: Needz moar diving!
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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