If you were a first-time NHL fan, which team would you adopt to cheer for?
Every season in the NHL, we see the circle of life play out, with new, young teams stepping into their eras of contention, invigorating their fan bases after dark periods, rewarding those who supported them through those lean years.
For this week’s Roundtable, I want you to wipe the slate clean for your lifelong hockey fanhood. If you were becoming a first-time follower of the sport, which NHL franchise would be the coolest to become a fan of today? You can base your choice on history, bandwagon factor, branding, location, whatever you want.
MATT LARKIN: I was tempted to pick the Habs, but I think the hype train left the station last year, so there would be a bandwagony element to choosing them now. How about the Minnesota Wild? You have a hockey hotbed market, full of passionate fans, and no NHL team has won the Stanley Cup while actually located in Minnesota. If you became a Wild fan today, you’d have a superstar to follow for the next eight years, with Kirill Kaprizov freshly re-signed. You’d get to enjoy the underrated talents of Matt Boldy and the charismatic leadership of Brock Faber. You’d be getting in on the ground floor of Zeev Buium’s potentially long and fruitful career. At the same time, the Wild aren’t too cool or obvious of a pick, so the bandwagon factor here isn’t too strong.
SCOTT MAXWELL: I’m torn between two teams on this one for different reasons. If I was going into the sport looking for a team that would play entertaining hockey every game while poised for contention, it’d be the Dallas Stars. They have one of the deepest offenses in the league, some of the most talented players around, and their holes on defense also open up the potential for a lot of back-and-forth chances. But if I wanted to cheer for a team that didn’t constantly give me a heart attack, it’d be the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ve been a well-run organization for seven years (and have gotten even better under Eric Tulsky), they have an incredibly deep roster a prospect pool that’s just as deep, and the patience they have from ownership is a rarity in any sport, even if Tom Dundon still does meddle sometimes. Of course, they haven’t been able to get the job done in the playoffs yet, and their style of play isn’t for everyone. So really, it would depend on what you want out of your team as a fan. Maybe I’d just pick both teams and enjoy, hoping that they don’t cross paths in the Stanley Cup Final.
PAUL PIDUTTI: It’s got to be the Utah Mammoth. There’s something about a new city, fresh brand and logo and unique color scheme that screams cool. As a kid, the expansion San Jose Sharks and the relocated Colorado Avalanche captured a lot of imaginations on the playground strictly by being new and having fun colors. Utah has a lot going for it beyond being the new kid on the block, though. They have passionate owners, a talented, up-and-coming core of young guns ready for a playoff spot, an arena glow up, and those scenic Salt Lake City mountain views. And while the NHL technically called this an expansion franchise and not an Arizona transplant, who doesn’t want to see the long-frustrated lineage of the Winnipeg Jets 1.0 and Coyotes finally succeed? Now that we no longer need to say “Go Hockey Club!” as their rallying cry, the team name is growing on people, too. I’m convinced… Let’s go Mammoth!
ANTHONY TRUDEAU: I had a lot of fun keeping an eye on the St. Louis Blues last season, and I’m willing to bet they swung some neutrals their way during an unlikely charge to the playoffs. The Blue Notes won’t be that captivating every season, but their hard-nosed defense and willingness to take chances on the rush make for great viewing. Then there are the characters: jovial bench boss Jim Montgomery, hotheaded goalie Jordan Binnington, and hard-shooting, hard-punching D-man Tyler Tucker bring personality to a league that’s critically short on it. St. Louis might not provide as much instant gratification as, say, Vegas, but what good is fandom without some peaks and valleys? It’s still a very well-run organization that looks refreshed after successfully pulling off the dreaded “retool.” The Blues’ rich history as a Second Six club will also mean our new fan has plenty to read up on during the slow part of the offseason.
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