The National Hockey League, or NHL, as it is more commonly known, is the top of the pops as far as American ice hockey goes. Ice hockey has to be one of the most enjoyable games to watch live and in person. The atmosphere at an NHL game is absolutely electric. Fans arrive in groups, singing, smiling, or chanting their team’s songs and player names. Inside as everyone sits down, chatter and laughter break out while the spectators wait for their teams to take to the ice. There are delicious snacks and maybe a cold beer to be had (if you’re over 21, of course!), and the camaraderie is second to none. Once the teams hit the ice, the fans go nuts.
Ice hockey is a no holds barred, speed-of-light game. Blink, and you’ll miss a huge check or the goal of the century! Obviously, attending NHL games is a blast even if you don’t support one particular team, but it’s so much fun if your heart and soul belong to one team and one team only. If you’re checking out the NHL odds to place a bet, you need to know that the team you’re betting on is the team you love the most. But what goes into choosing your favorite team? Lucky for you, we’ve got all the info you need.
How To Pick Your Team?
1. The Numbers
You could choose your favorite team based on how well teams are doing this season. That seems like a great way to pick, right? Maybe for now, but remember that teams have ups and downs, Players come and go and the team you chose to support this year may not look anything like its old self come next season. While this is an option for selecting a team to follow, we have a few others that you should also keep in mind.
2. Geography
It would make plenty of sense to choose a team based close to where you live or somewhere that you have the opportunity to visit fairly often. It’s no fun supporting a team who only ever plays halfway across the country, is it? Supporting a team that hails from your hometown or at least somewhere close by, comes with a lot of benefits.
- You’ll have easy access to local radio and TV show information about the team, often only shared in areas where a team plays.
- You get to see them live! There is nothing better in the world than watching live hockey games, as we’ve already explained in detail. Sure, having friends over to watch the game on TV is a good time, but nothing beats real life.
- You’ll have a fan community. If you support a hometown team, you’re likely to find a community of fans in your area who support the same team you do. This can be great for tailgating or just having a shoulder to cry on in the event your team doesn’t come out on top. In the off-season, you can find things to do together that don’t involve hockey. Who would say no to a built-in friend family?
3. Family Ties
If you come from a hockey family, you may already support the same team as the rest of your family. This is an excellent choice because you’ll always have someone to go to or watch the game with and a built-in fan community. Plus, family members supporting different teams have been known to cause a little friction at family gatherings! If you support the family team, you’re virtually guaranteed to get some killer vintage team merch handed down to you at some point too, which is definitely a bonus!
4. The Underdog
Nothing feels as good as supporting the underdog. Well, nothing except supporting the winning team, I guess! Supporting the underdog is a wonderful way to select a team. Just imagine being the team with the lowest league stats and knowing you’re likely to have far fewer fans in the stands than the team you’re playing against. Now imagine you’re that team, but they know they have loyal fans waiting to support them win or lose! A very different picture, that’s for sure.
5. Historic Teams
Supporting a team that goes way back to the formation of the NHL (these teams are Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leaves) gives you a lot to work with. These teams have been around since the very beginning, and there’s a lot of evidence to show patterns, strengths, and weaknesses.
Wrap Up
There are so many different ways to select your team. Any of the methods we’ve outlined would be a great way to start, and before you know it, you’ll be singing and jumping in the stands!
