Editor’s note: This article is part of our Rankings & Tiers series, an evaluation across sport about the key players, front offices, teams, franchises and much more.
They’re not always talked about as much as star players, head coaches and general managers. And, in many cases, they’re not in the limelight.
But one thing I’ve seen repeatedly covering the NHL the past 20 years is the value of a good owner to an organization — and the disruption that can come from having a bad one.
Owners set the tone for their franchises. They, ultimately, pick who is in charge of their most important hockey decisions, as well as the organization’s key business decisions. They help build arenas. They build fan bases. And they can also help build communities through charitable endeavors and redevelopment projects.
Several months ago, we put out a call to our NHL readers to evaluate their owners. Nearly 4,000 of you — including representatives from all 32 NHL fan bases — filled out our detailed owner survey, and the results are fascinating.
We’ve compiled your answers in four key ownership categories — willingness to spend, organizational stability, treatment of the fan base and franchise vision — into a “Fan Score” and combined that with our own ranking that factors in objective things such as team performance in the regular season and playoffs (over the past decade) as well as ownership’s general reputation and influence, according to our reporting.
The end result is our first-ever NHL ownership rankings. Keep in mind that this ranking is an amalgam of 50 percent fan perception of their teams’ owners and 50 percent of our own accounting for owner performance, and in some cases, those factors don’t align with one another. (In some markets, fans don’t love their owner even though the franchise is successful on the ice, for example.)
Note: Survey responses have been edited for clarity and length.
Vinik has become the gold standard for an owner, not just in the NHL but also in pro sports. He took the Lightning from a bottomed-out laughingstock to a powerhouse, a team that has won more games than anyone over the past decade and somehow remains a contender, year after year.
Vinik also transformed downtown Tampa through massive redevelopment of the area and has donated millions to charity through community initiatives every home game.
Lightning fans voted Vinik the NHL’s top owner in treatment of the fan base and organizational stability, but he scored highly in every category to the point he ran away with the top spot. He is the only owner in the league to receive an A+ rating.
The only negative note? Vinik has sold most of his stake in the franchise and will step aside for a new majority owner in 2027.
Those are very big shoes to fill.
Fan perspective: “While I still think he is the top owner in the NHL, I’d be lying if I wasn’t scared about the upcoming ownership change. Vinik has spoiled Lightning fans and created an unmatched culture.”
“He not only revitalized a crumbling franchise but turned it into a world-class championship organization, and his generosity and philanthropic efforts throughout Tampa Bay have meant even more. He is the shining beacon against whom all other owners should be measured.”
“Jeff please don’t leave us (sobs uncontrollably).”
The defending champs were built with a lot of sweat equity — and a ton of Viola’s Virtu Financial money. The Panthers were a completely lost franchise when he purchased them 12 years ago for a song; an organization that was giving away tickets and missed the playoffs in 15 of 19 seasons.
Viola airlifted in an aggressive group from his New York headquarters, led by CEO Matt Caldwell, that took a unique approach to building an NHL team. The group hit some bumps in the road early on, but ultimately its work paid off with a Stanley Cup victory last season.
Hiring Bill Zito as GM in 2020 was the final piece of the puzzle.
Fan perspective: “The Violas and (co-owner Doug) Cifu have been a godsend to this franchise. I had season tickets before they took over (season tickets were $7 a game) and I still felt I was being ripped off because of the amount of people getting free lower bowl tickets. When they took over, the first thing they did was tell us they are committed to us and putting value and pride to our fan base.
There were some lean years for sure, but they stayed committed and I cannot be more happy and proud to be a Florida Panthers fan. Down to earth and approachable folks (bought our table a round of beers at a NYC bar before a playoff game) and still offer an affordable ticket for season ticketholders with some of the best playoff pricing in the league.”
“Turning the Panthers from a joke to a juggernaut has been truly miraculous.”
It’s almost ridiculous what the Golden Knights have accomplished in fewer than eight seasons in the league.
A trip to the Final in Year 1 as an expansion franchise. Four trips to the final four in their first seven postseasons. A pile of blockbusters trades and players flocking to a market many were skeptical of when Vegas was awarded an expansion team less than a decade ago.
Foley set a lofty goal of winning a Stanley Cup within six seasons, and he certainly delivered. And, as a bonus, there may not be a more entertaining building to be at for a big game.
Vegas fans voted Foley No. 1 in willingness to spend to win and fifth in franchise vision.
Fan perspective: “VGK ownership is second to none. He supports his organizational team to the max and lets them do their jobs without any interference from him.”
“Love his willingness to go all-in from Day 1.”
It took time to lay the foundation, but since hiring Jim Nill away from the Detroit Red Wings to be GM in 2013, the Stars have quietly evolved into a perennial contender, thanks to savvy drafting and talent acquisition.
Gaglardi’s franchise earned top marks from fans for organizational stability and franchise vision (both ranked third in the NHL), largely thanks to one of the league’s best front-office groups. And many Stars fans compared Gaglardi’s relative anonymity in Dallas favorably with another more, uh, visible owner in the market: Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys.
Fan perspective: “Gaglardi brought us out of the dark ages. The Stars went from irrelevant to contenders thanks to him. Not only that, we’ve hosted the draft, the Winter Classic and been a choice destination considered by basically every free agent the last five years. All he needs is a Cup and Gaglardi may be the best owner we’ve ever had.”
Flags fly forever. The Blues’ surprise Stanley Cup win in 2019 may have been six years ago, but it still received many prominent mentions from Blues fans when it came to Stillman, who brought the franchise a great deal of stability when he purchased it 13 years ago.
That championship changed the perception of the franchise and the hockey culture in St. Louis to the point that many fans and their children began playing the game for the first time, even though the NHL had been in the city for more than 50 years when the Blues won.
St. Louis finished second in voting for treatment of the fan base, behind only the Lightning. Fans also lauded Stillman’s willingness to spend to the cap despite being in a midlevel market.
Fan perspective: “Tom Stillman is one of the best owners in all of sports. He has built a consistent winner, he’s never been scared to spend to the cap if the circumstances are right, and he views the organization not as an investment to profit from, but a civic duty. The man is a gem.”
“Mr. Stillman saved our franchise and brought us the Cup.”
It was a long, long wait for Leonsis to finally get his championship, with nearly 20 years of twists and turns before Alex Ovechkin raised the Stanley Cup at the ripe old age of 32 in 2018.
It’s a fitting sign of Leonsis’ longstanding success that the Capitals remain a contender even now. Fans voted Washington as sixth best in organizational stability, although there were plenty of grumbles about the team’s near-move to a new arena in Virginia last year that dropped Washington’s “treatment of the fan base” score.
Fan perspective: “Leonsis has led a stellar organization for years, but his Virginia stadium fiasco has definitely undermined confidence in and good feelings toward him.”
“Ted seems to truly care about the fans, and his communication is extremely good. Surprising how tone deaf he was with the attempted move to Virginia but seems back on track in D.C.”
The fan base is clearly happy with the team on the ice, led by superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, and ranked the Avs fourth in organizational stability.
But there was some strong pushback from fans in a few other areas, with the Avs finishing a surprising 21st in the “treatment of the fan base” category. At issue primarily seems to be the struggle to watch games on television consistently given the structure of the rights deals.
Fan perspective: “The years-long fight with cable companies — such that most fans couldn’t watch either the Avs or the Nuggets win championships — was and remains a huge slap in the face to fans.”
“The Kroenkes are the best owners in pro sports. They hire great people and get out of the way.”
The NHL’s newest majority owner, Smith is difficult to place on a list like this. But the early returns are incredibly positive, with the fan base loving his personal approach and enthusiasm.
If Utah can sneak into a wild-card spot in the Western Conference, what’s quickly become one of the league’s louder groups of fans will have even more to cheer about.
Fan perspective: “Ryan Smith is a great owner who cares about the team, players and community and puts his money where his heart is.”
“The guy does everything for the community. It’s hard not to see him as the ideal owner.”
Another brand new owner, Andlauer has done a good job of quickly winning over the Senators fan base in the honeymoon phase.
Ottawa fans have been through a lot given their historically challenging ownership situations, so he has a chance to rewrite franchise history the way few owners can. Especially if he gets a new arena built closer to downtown.
Fan perspective: “He’s at least brought class and stability to our team after 10 years of futility of running an NHL team to the ground.”
“Ottawa has become an actual professional organization instead of an underfunded plaything.”
“Andlauer has totally transformed the public face of the Ottawa Senators. He is a down-to-earth, engaged individual who genuinely wants to bring respectability back to this franchise. From totally revamping the management group, spending to the cap, expanding the community to finally include Gatineau and taking a professional approach to the construction of a new arena, there is a breath of fresh air and optimism surrounding the team.”
Having brought in some ideas that are different from the NHL’s norm, Dundon can be controversial — just look at our agent survey from last month for some examples — but for hockey fans in small market North Carolina, he’s been a godsend.
Caniacs ranked Dundon the fourth-best owner under the category of franchise vision and seventh for organizational stability, scores that helped him creep into our top 10. The Hurricanes’ sparkling win-loss record since he bought the team helps, too.
Fan perspective: “Dundon has saved the ‘Canes, so it’s hard to ding him for much because they likely would be elsewhere without his ownership. I wish he was a little less bare-bones when it comes to the front office and scouting, but it has been working so it’s hard to complain too much.”
“Having lived through the tail end of the Karmanos era, Dundon is a massive improvement and the on-ice product reflects that. He may need to rely on his staff more than he does, but it seems like they all have it handled.”
“Love (that) he is willing to think outside the ‘hockey box’ and basically doesn’t care about what anyone thinks. Also embracing the Billy Bean philosophy on selecting the players.”
Ever-passionate Minnesotans flooded our survey with the most responses of any fan base, and the results were largely positive. Leipold was ranked sixth for his willingness to spend on the team and eighth for treatment of the fan base, although he ranked middle-of-the-pack in organizational stability and franchise vision.
More success in the postseason is needed to climb higher than this ranking, as many fans are frustrated with the Wild being in the mid-tier again and again.
Fan perspective: “Love his commitment to the fans, but we have never truly been a cup contender since he purchased the team.”
“Ownership’s commitment to ‘going for it’ every year has meant the team has been stuck in the middle for far too long, with only marginal variances up or down. Too good to get good draft picks, too bad to really make noise in the playoffs.”
The Canadiens have lost a ton of games under Molson’s watch lately, but that hasn’t dissuaded a fan base that loves his personal approach and enthusiasm for the team. They also make clear they believe the Habs are finally headed in the right direction, under a bright new management team and with many young stars in the fold.
Fans ranked the Canadiens sixth in franchise vision and eighth in willingness to spend and treatment of the fan base, very high marks for one of the sport’s marquee franchises.
Fan perspective: “I couldn’t be happier about Geoff Molson’s decision to pursue a rebuild for the Canadiens and then to follow through with the necessary patience and commitment to make it work. The organization’s adoption of a more progressive and modern approach to management and roster building is a breath of fresh air for the lifelong Habs fan.”
“Geoff Molson is a great owner. He is equally as nice. He can be seen walking around town and speaking with fans very often.”
“Molson has definitely improved during his time as owner. He’s been historically hampered by being slow to address issues in a dynamic way. However, his handling of the Habs over the past three years has instilled a new confidence amongst the fan base, myself included. Hiring Gorton and Hughes and navigating the franchise out of the ‘old boys club’ mentality has been refreshing.”
It’s been a bumpy road for this well-heeled ownership group, with nine postseason misses in 11 years. The franchise was in a tough state when ownership bought it, after selling the future for so many years to try to keep the glory years alive.
But fans are largely happy with the state of the long-running rebuild, centered around Jack Hughes, and believe the Devils’ time as a contender is just around the corner. Still, fans do worry about the franchise playing third fiddle to the owners’ other teams, led by the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
The Devils scored only 16th under the “treatment of the fan base” category.
Fan perspective: “I think they get a bit of a harsh rep by Devils fans who have PTSD from the failings of previous ownership and a rebuild that took longer than expected to come together, but overall I think they’ve generally done a good job as owners. They’ve hired smart people who’ve brought their hockey and business ops into the modern era, and have largely stayed out of their way and let them do their jobs. … Just look around the league and you’ll find so, so many worse owners. I can’t call them the best owners in the league, but by and large, they do all the things you want your owners to do to support a winning team.”
Playoff wins have been hard to come by, and there are new grumbles in the fan base over how the attendance situation was handled a year ago, with national headlines shining on Winnipeg for a rare negative reason.
Overall, fans are appreciative that their franchise is back and owned by one of the richest men in the world. But the Jets finished 24th in treatment of the fan base, which shows where ownership still has work to do.
Putting up more wins in the spring should help, too.
Fan perspective: “Great ownership. They did take for granted that the sellouts would continue and did not serve their customers like they should have. They have admitted that mistake and are working hard to improve things.”
“Mr. Chipman took way too long to recognize that the fans must be respected at all times. He seemed to think that bringing the Jets back would be enough for us to open our wallets no matter how we’re treated or how much we’re charged. He has a long way to go but at least we can see progress on that front.”
An octogenarian German billionaire, Plattner is considered as hands-off as they come in the NHL. The Sharks’ longstanding success has hit a rut recently with a deep rebuild, something that has split the fan base.
The Sharks finished middle-of-the-pack in every category in our survey, although 58 percent of fans said they felt more confident in their ownership over the past year, one of the higher positive responses in that regard. That Macklin Celebrini appears to be the real deal already certainly helps.
Fan perspective: “There are probably better odds of seeing Elvis and Big Foot sitting together at a Sharks game than seeing Plattner at one, but I’d rather have him than an overly meddlesome owner.”
“Hasso Plattner seems to be a decent owner. When the team was good, the team was up against the salary cap every year. The current rebuild doesn’t lack conviction either.”
The Predators are owned by a large group of more than a dozen mostly local owners. Stakes within that ownership group have evolved over the years, so they’ve at times lacked a visible face of the organization since Craig Leipold sold the franchise to take over the Wild. Former Tennessee governor Bill Haslam is set to take over majority ownership later this summer, which may change that.
Nashville had the fewest fans complete our ownership survey by a fairly large margin, a sign of some apathy on the subject. Those who did weigh in, however, put the Predators solidly middle-of-the-pack in most categories. They did rank 28th in franchise vision during what’s become a very tough season on the ice.
Fan perspective: “Owner(s) are invisible. No idea who is in or out of the ownership group. No vision about the franchise shared. The only thing I can surmise is they like booze because you can’t walk more than 10 feet in the concourses without stumbling into a beer or liquor stand. But, then again, that’s the whole city.”
One of the more unusual ownership groups in pro sports, MLSE is currently made up of Canada’s largest telecom companies, Rogers and Bell, which split a 75 percent stake, and individual owner Larry Tanenbaum.
While the fan base recognizes the Leafs’ liberal use of their financial might — ranking them fifth in willingness to spend — ownership scores poorly in every other category, including the fourth-worst score in treatment of the fan base.
And with Rogers set to buy out Bell’s 37.5 percent stake in a purchase that will close later this year, 48 percent of fans said they had a lower level of confidence in ownership than a year ago. A 58-year-long Stanley Cup drought isn’t helping, either.
Fan perspective: “Have been systemically unable to turn revenue advantage into a performance advantage. Steadily losing market share in Toronto and generational interest.”
“With Rogers taking majority control of MLSE, I have less faith in the group, especially as it is likely Larry Tanenbaum will be out as well. To me, Rogers is only in it for profits and does not care about winning. You see that with the Blue Jays.”
After many, many years as a top contender, the Bruins were in the unusual position of being trade deadline sellers last week. That lack of success of late has raised some serious frustration in what can be a cantankerous fan base, a group for whom the 2011 Stanley Cup win now feels like ages ago.
Jacobs has long been a polarizing figure in NHL circles, but under our ranking criteria, his team’s track record on the ice helps balance out some of the negative opinions and optics that have arisen during things like contentious CBA negotiations.
Despite their on-ice success, the Bruins were voted 29th in willingness to spend, 27th in treatment of the fan base and 26th in franchise vision. And 58 percent of the fan base said they had a more negative level of confidence in ownership this year compared to last.
Fan perspective: “Jacobs will always spend to the cap ceiling but is fiercely loyal to a management team that is never accountable, or, let’s face it: successful. Jacobs’ teams are productive, but the cost to see a game in Boston is not worth the product on the ice anymore.”
“They need to hire an executive that is not a former player. We need a nerd in the front office somewhere.”
After putting up a 100-point season two years ago, the Kraken had 81 last season and are on pace for just 73 this year. They are, in other words, going in the wrong direction.
Only four years into their existence, it’s clear the honeymoon period is beginning to wane a little, too. While fans lauded the team under the “treatment of the fan base” category, the Kraken received a middling score for franchise vision.
The biggest impact against their ranking here, however, was their regression in the standings the past two seasons.
Fan perspective: “I think ownership has made a mistake with Ron Francis. The team seemed set up to build conservatively through the draft (a strength of Francis) but has changed course to try to be aggressive through free agency.”
“The way this team has become a part of the community in so many ways has been wonderful.”
The Ducks’ lone championship is now nearly two decades old, and the franchise is on the verge of missing the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.
The Samuelis have long had an excellent reputation in the market and around the league, but the stalled rebuild is beginning to take its toll. Ducks fans ranked ownership 30th under willingness to spend and 18th for franchise stability, likely due to the fallout from former GM Bob Murray’s tenure.
Producing more tangible results from the draft and their young players in the system is a must in the near future before more goodwill gets eroded.
Fan perspective: “The Samuelis care about the community, have committed their time and money, brought in a Cup and treat people respectfully. What more can you ask for?”
“The owners are hands-off when it comes to running the team. I sometimes wish they were a little more hands-on, though; the last eight years have been rough.”
The Islanders had a couple trips to the conference finals (2020 and 2021) and now have their new, state-of-the-art home. But cracks have begun to show, on and off the ice, and that’s evident here from a fan base frustrated with an aging, underperforming roster.
Ownership was ranked 27th out of 32 teams for franchise vision in our survey, and 54 percent of respondents said they had lower confidence in Ledecky and Malkin than a year ago.
Fan perspective: “The owners spend to the max, which is great, but are slow to realize that this team is in dire need of a rebuild. Whether this is all on Lou, or whether the owners are telling Lou to just focus on making the playoffs, even if they’re a one-and-done team, is unknown. But the perennial mediocrity is becoming tiresome.”
“After years of rumors around moving to Kansas City, the Isles now have ownership that is willing to spend, have stabilized the team’s reputation and are generally competent. It’s hard not to see them as anything but a positive force given how things were before them.”
It’s a little surprising to see the Oilers this far down the list, given they have a beautiful new building and a contending team, but Edmonton is called the city of champions for a reason. The lean years and managerial mistakes under previous front offices continue to not sit well with an educated fan base, even with their current superstar-led cast getting to within a win of a championship last season.
Fans in our survey lauded Katz’s willingness to spend (fourth best), but the Oilers finished 28th under organizational stability and 24th under treatment of the fan base, with many complaining about costs at the arena. So there’s still work to do to win over folks in the Alberta capital.
Fan perspective: “Since he has owned the Oilers, Daryl Katz has had something like seven different GMs and 11 different coaches. Unbelievable lack of organizational stability and long-term vision.”
“Katz is willing to spend but has made terrible decisions to date with management hirings. That has held the team back from winning a Cup with McDavid and Draisaitl.”
Another polarizing figure in a major sports market. In fact, we couldn’t publish quite a bit of the commentary we received from surly Rangers fans.
The Rangers have made the playoffs 11 of the past 14 seasons and gone to either the conference finals or Cup Final five times in that span, so the on-ice success has often been there, even if they haven’t been able to win a championship.
During a tough season this year, however, the Rangers were ranked 25th in organizational stability and 28th in treatment of the fan base, according to the MSG faithful who weighed in.
Fan perspective: “He’s done an OK job with the Rangers, but his ownership of the Knicks, MSG, etc., have all been catastrophic. He shouldn’t get points for caring too little about the Rangers to destroy them as much as he’s destroyed everything else.”
Often referred to as “the Boston guys” in hockey circles, FSG has had a controlling interest in the Penguins franchise for only a few years, and with an aging roster and new GM, it’s been a bumpy ride. An attempt to retool rather than rebuild has gone poorly, to the point Pittsburgh sits at the bottom of the standings this season, and a fan base that has been spoiled with so much success is already souring on the ownership group.
FSG scored especially poorly under “franchise vision,” where fans ranked them 24th. Organizational stability wasn’t much higher, at 21st.
Fan perspective: “We all miss Mario and are skeptical that these guys want to really win.”
“FSG is still new to hockey, and while it shows, it’s tough to really give them fair grades. They purchased the team entering a difficult period of the team’s cycle, so we’ll have to see how they come out of it.”
“They should have bought the Bruins instead.”
In the decade since winning their second Stanley Cup in three years back in 2014, the Kings have won just seven playoff games. That’s led to a fan base that is largely angry or apathetic, depending on who you ask.
More of their ire is directed at management, but ownership gets some shrapnel by association. Fans voted the Kings harshly in every category in our survey, but they finished especially poorly in franchise vision, where they ranked ahead of only the Buffalo Sabres.
Fan perspective: “Very hands-off but willing to spend. But lacking in vision. Too committed to legacy players in management and less focused on where the game is going.”
The Flyers have unbelievably only made it out of the first round once since 2012, a span of 13 seasons of futility that is more pronounced than anything that’s come before in their long, storied franchise history.
That, understandably, does not sit well with a very passionate fan base, which did not hold back in our survey. The Flyers’ worst marks were reserved for “organizational stability,” where they ranked 28th. Many fans also complained about having corporate ownership after the passing of Ed Snider in 2016 and some of the management mistakes under previous regimes.
Fan perspective: “The lack of vision has been apparent for years and the team’s wallowing in mediocrity is a direct result of ownership refusing to tear it down and rebuild properly.”
“They need to spend less time concerned about doing things ‘the Flyers way’ and more time concerned about doing things the best way.”
For decades, the Ilitches were the gold standard in NHL ownership, as the Red Wings built a dynasty in the late 1990s and into the early 2000s. But the rebuild years have hit hard, with eight consecutive playoff-less seasons, and the Motown faithful are restless with the next generation of the family (led by Chris Ilitch), which continues to own the club.
The Red Wings were given low scores in every department in our survey, but the fact 66 percent of fans said they had lower confidence in ownership than a year ago stands out as the worst mark in that category in the NHL. There were plenty of complaints about the organization’s inability to finish the new arena district, along with its perceived apathy over the team’s struggles on the ice.
Detroit has a lot of good young talent coming, but it’s clear the Red Wings desperately need to get back in the playoffs to give their fans more hope.
Fan perspective: “Not sure he cares about the fan/entertainment side of things; we’ve heard about the ‘Detroit District’ for a decade now and everything is still a parking lot.”
“His stewardship of both the Red Wings and the Tigers has been driven by squeezing the fan base for every nickel possible. Preaching for patience during a rebuild while charging top dollar is a shame.”
Hope has finally arrived in Columbus with the Blue Jackets surprising rise up the standings this year. They have a roster filled with young stars and a good chance at making the playoffs for the first time since 2020 (and only the seventh time in their 24-year history).
But the fans are still lukewarm on the McConnell family’s ownership, given all of the ugly twists and turns they’ve been through since the franchise was founded as an expansion team at the turn of the millennium. Fans ranked the Blue Jackets second last for organizational stability, ahead of only the Sabres, although 54 percent of fans said their confidence in ownership was higher than a year ago.
Many fans complained ownership is too hands-off when the organization has been struggling, which unfortunately has been much of the team’s tenure.
Fan perspective: “While having an owner who doesn’t meddle is a strength, it often comes across as apathy. The hiring of Mike Babcock should have been vetoed by ownership, and when it blew up in their face, the GM should have been fired immediately. The owner may be patient to a fault as the team has lacked identity and vision. Are they rebuilding with young players? If so, quit bringing in so many vets and high-priced free agents.”
“The McConnells are notoriously hands-off owners, which is a blessing and a curse. They’ve shown they’re committed to winning and aren’t agonizingly cheap to the extent of some other small market owners, but tend to leave all the details to hockey ops. … They’ve shown they’re willing to spend to the cap to make it happen and won’t interfere in the decision making. The problem is hockey ops have made some questionable, if not at times horrible, decisions that did not get questioned or overruled. … The fan base has deserved better than being the league’s punchline for the better part of two decades.”
Once the toast of the league — they won three titles in six years (2010, 2013 and 2015), creating a mini-dynasty — the Blackhawks have fallen on hard times due to scandals, cover-ups and mismanagement. Their current rebuild has them bottomed out in the standings, and the fan base remains unhappy with the direction from the top.
Fifty-five percent of fans said their confidence in ownership was lower than a year ago, partly because the fan base is incredibly unhappy with the team’s TV broadcast setup.
Fan perspective: “Low payroll, shrinking crowds, irrelevant in the city? He hit the triple crown. Danny (Wirtz) has done one thing his grandfather could only dream of — he found a way to not televise the home AND road games.”
“Hawks fan and former longtime season ticketholder. The Wirtz family’s handling of the Kyle Beach situation was one of the most disappointing responses I have ever seen in pro sport. Completely classless. Not sure where we go from here.”
The Flames have lost a lot of hockey games over the past 30 years. Other than their surprise run to the Final in 2004, Calgary has made it further than the first round only twice in the past 35 years and missed the playoffs entirely 10 of the past 15 seasons.
A new building is finally coming and the team appears to be trending up on the ice thanks to the play of rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, but the fan base is clearly disgruntled after so many years in the wilderness.
Fans ranked the Flames near the league basement in every ownership category we surveyed — including third last in treatment of the fan base and franchise vision.
Fan perspective: “Edwards needs to let (GM Craig) Conroy rebuild the way he wants without nixing trades, otherwise the Flames will be in mediocrity territory forever. Not good enough for the playoffs but not bad enough for a good pick.”
“Embrace the tank. Flames have been mediocre for the last 30-plus years, with the odd one-off season of doing well in the regular season to failing in the playoffs. Embrace the rebuild Edwards, take a few years of revenue losses and go younger. Let the new rink get built, then sell off the team to someone who wants to win at all costs and is not worried about being a profitable organization instead of a championship-caliber organization.”
One of the most intense fan bases in all of pro sports, Canucks supporters have had to deal with a lot in recent years. Vancouver has missed the playoffs in seven of the past nine years, and the GM tenure of Jim Benning (2014-21) was one of the most disastrous in NHL history.
Even with more stability in place now and the front office cleaning up a lot of the mess, the fan base hasn’t forgiven or forgotten, ranking ownership 30th in franchise stability and 31st in treatment of the fan base. It’s likely going to take a period of sustained success for Aquilini to win over the market.
Fan perspective: “He’s a fine owner when the team is winning but needs to stop meddling and let his GMs work when the team is rebuilding. Or at least let them rebuild instead of retool.”
“If I could erase the eight years of Benning hell that Aquilini directly caused, this would be a very different survey, as (former GM) Mike Gillis took us to the finals and (new president) Jim Rutherford is killing it. But alas, those scars run too deep.”
It’s a sad state of affairs in Buffalo right now. This season is the franchise’s 14th consecutive out of the playoffs, the NHL’s longest drought in history and one that doesn’t appear to be ending any time soon.
The Sabres were voted dead last in every category in our survey by a large margin and 61 percent of fans said their confidence in ownership was lower than a year ago. Buffalo fans filled our survey en masse, with more entries than every franchise except Minnesota, and the hundreds of responses were filled with vitriol. Many were pleas for the owner to sell the team.
Things are about as bad as they can get in Buffalo.
Fan perspective: “He seems averse to hiring GMs and coaches with actual NHL experience and makes abrupt hiring and firing decisions. The franchise still appears to have a haphazard plan for putting together a winning roster. Part of this is that there is no team president or other executive with NHL experience to guide these decisions.”
“His entire ownership tenure has been a disaster. He used to have competition as the worst owner in the league in Eugene Melnyk and Alex Meruelo, now he is the last one of those remaining.”
“Hockey Heaven he said. Instead, Terry Pegula’s ownership has put Buffalo in Hockey Hell.”
The Rankings and Tiers series is sponsored by E*Trade from Morgan Stanley. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; Photo of Ryan Smith: Jamie Sabau / Getty Images; Photo of Terry Pegula: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images; Photo of Jeff Vinik courtesy the Tampa Bay Lightning)
