[3rd liner]

Not to turn this thread into a different discussion, but somebody earlier mentioned affordability of going to games could be a factor in US uptake. Further to that, what about affordability of playing the sport compared to others? Not that every hockey fan plays or played hockey, but obviously many canadian kids play hockey in some form growing up (street hockey, ice hockey), which gives you an appreciation of the sport. It's a lot easier in many US cities (especially southern climates) to hit the basketball court or throw a football around in a field rather than than get involved in hockey- both cost and convenience. If you aren't exposed to the sport growing up, I'd argue it's less likely (though not impossible) that you're going to get into it as an adult, unless you're in the colder northern areas where there is more hockey culture (Boston, Minnesota etc).