Where NHL Fans' Playoff Loyalties Lie, in 1 Map

What's This?

San Jose Sharks' Martin Havlat, right, celebrates his third goal of the game against the Colorado Avalanche with teammates Logan Couture (39) and Matt Irwin (52) during the third period of an NHL hockey game on Friday, April 11, 2014, in San Jose, Calif.

Image: Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

By Sam Laird2014-04-16 21:05:00 UTC

Ready for two months of body-checks, fisticuffs and — oh, yeah — world-class hockey? The NHL's Stanley Cup playoffs start Wednesday, with eight first-round match-ups that will eventually lead up to mid-June's Stanley Cup finals.

Who will win the battle for the coolest-looking trophy in sports? That remains to be seen. But we can gain some insight into which playoff teams are winning the battle for fandom right here, right now, thanks to the following data map from Facebook. The United States and Canadian provinces are all color-coded, below, according to which team has the most Facebook fans in a given territory (click the map to enlarge).

FacebookNHLmap

The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks are the only two teams in the playoff field that don't have a fan majority in any state. Could this be because they split loyalties in Southern California? Perhaps, but the San Jose Sharks — located a few hundred miles north — rule both California and Oregon.

The Colorado Avalanche pretty much run the middle of the country.

The Chicago Blackhawks own the most territories, with a majority in 10 states. The Pittsburgh Penguins are next, with nine territories made up of six states and three Canadian provinces.