Most fans in Alberta? Oilers or Flames?

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

Way more Oiler fans. The proof is in the 50/50 numbers

That's not proof.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

While I do agree there are more Edmonton fans in AB than Calgary fans, let's not pretend the Oilers didn't have worse attendance problems and were way closer than Calgary to moving.

I thought the Oilers' attendence numbers were better in the dark days?

Regardless, it was pretty bad for the Flames. I went to a few games in the day - $11 for nosebleeds, and sometimes scalpers would give us tickets for free - and about 2/3 full at worst.

[TheIronMaiden]

The Oilers aren't just the most popular team in AB, but they are one of the most popular teams in the Country. Tor and MTL are likely more popular, but the Oilers are not far behind.

It is probably

TOR
MTL
EDM
VAN
CGY/WPG ( hard to say really)
OTT

[Barnet Flame]

The Flames are more popular to me.

The Oilers can suck a bag of dicks.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The Oilers aren't just the most popular team in AB, but they are one of the most popular teams in the Country. Tor and MTL are likely more popular, but the Oilers are not far behind.

It is probably

TOR
MTL
EDM
VAN
CGY/WPG ( hard to say really)
OTT

I find it hard to believe the Oilers would be more popular than the Canucks. There are more people in BC than Alberta and that entire province is Canucks fans.

Oilers will have more fans because of McDavid but I think they would rank 4th. I think the Flames outrank the Jets who have less people in Manitoba than all of Calgary

On another note I wonder who most of the people in Saskatchewan cheer for? Flames, Oilers, Jets?

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I find it hard to believe the Oilers would be more popular than the Canucks. There are more people in BC than Alberta and that entire province is Canucks fans.

Oilers will have more fans because of McDavid but I think they would rank 4th. I think the Flames outrank the Jets who have less people in Manitoba than all of Calgary

On another note I wonder who most of the people in Saskatchewan cheer for? Flames, Oilers, Jets?

The Oilers are an older franchise with more success. Likewise, they are the furthest north team, so they have heaps of fans in North Sask, BC, WPG and the territories.

EDIT:

I could be wrong, this article suggests as much https://www.actionnetwork.com/genera...e-most-popular Indeed it argues the Flames are the least popular NHL franchise in Canada.

[Jay Random]

Saskatchewan is odd. Full of Leafs and Habs fans who never got the bulletin about the NHL expanding. A fair number of Oilers and Jets fans, and I believe there is one Flames fan in Yorkton, if he hasn't moved (or passed) away.

And then there are all those goofs who wear Roughriders jerseys no matter which teams are playing or what sport is being played.

[Infinit47]

Originally Posted by Shazam

I thought the Oilers' attendence numbers were better in the dark days?

Regardless, it was pretty bad for the Flames. I went to a few games in the day - $11 for nosebleeds, and sometimes scalpers would give us tickets for free - and about 2/3 full at worst.

Hockeydb has the numbers, which are interesting to peruse. If I recall correctly there is only 1 (maybe 2) years where the Oilers had more attendance.

Oilers fans have always said it's just the suits in Calgary who bought tickets, but to me support is support. Anecdotal "who was in the seats" info is just misdirection.

I'd also suggest many of the "Oilers fans" outside of Alberta are just McDavid fans who are forced to buy a blue and orange jersey.

[PepsiFree]

I think the number of fans thing isn’t even meaningful anyway. Calgary to me has always been more of a “locals only” kind of vibe. More of a club. The Oilers (thanks to the Gretzky years) are like Toronto. They get hyped so the fans are more corny and casual. The long stretches of suck don’t matter because people are Oiler fans just to say they’re a fan of something. Like cheering for the Yankees outside NY. It’s cheesy and takes no effort. Flames though? Nothing trendy about it outside Calgary. A little closer to the heart for a lot of people.

EDIT: put another way, in a situation where one of the two teams made the finals against an American team, you’d have a lot more “Oilers fans” cheering for the Flames as “Canada’s team” to win than Flames fans cheering for the Oilers as “Canada’s team” to win.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The Oilers are an older franchise with more success. Likewise, they are the furthest north team, so they have heaps of fans in North Sask, BC, WPG and the territories.

EDIT:

I could be wrong, this article suggests as much https://www.actionnetwork.com/genera...e-most-popular Indeed it argues the Flames are the least popular NHL franchise in Canada.

I know they explained their methodology, but not sure I buy the other Toronto franchises higher than the Leafs. I guess it's possible given there would be plenty of non-Leaf fans for the Raptors and Blue Jays.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Infinit47

Hockeydb has the numbers, which are interesting to peruse. If I recall correctly there is only 1 (maybe 2) years where the Oilers had more attendance.

Oilers fans have always said it's just the suits in Calgary who bought tickets, but to me support is support. Anecdotal "who was in the seats" info is just misdirection.

I'd also suggest many of the "Oilers fans" outside of Alberta are just McDavid fans who are forced to buy a blue and orange jersey.

Wow yeah, the Oilers did have some putrid attendance numbers back in the day. They really are no good.

[foshizzle11]

Originally Posted by troutman

The Oilers only entered the NHL one year before the Flames moved from Atlanta. I don't know any native Calgarians that cheered for the Oilers then. I was an Islanders fan before the Flames.

yes, exactly this, I have lived in Calgary since 1985, I'm 40, I don't know a single Calgarian who cheers for the oilers, ie people who were born and raised here. If someone cheers for the oilers and lives here, it is likely the immigrated from stinkerville up north.

The only people i know who are born in Calgary that cheer for the oilers at all, are kids who like McDavid, and I don't count kids, they don't know yet that E = NG.

[DionTheDman]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

Way more Oiler fans. The proof is in the 50/50 numbers

That's not proof. That's just proof that Oilers' fans are used to winning lotteries and therefore put a lot more money into them.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

The Oilers are an older franchise with more success. Likewise, they are the furthest north team, so they have heaps of fans in North Sask, BC, WPG and the territories.

EDIT:

I could be wrong, this article suggests as much https://www.actionnetwork.com/genera...e-most-popular Indeed it argues the Flames are the least popular NHL franchise in Canada.

That is basing everything on social media searches which is a poor metric. When the Oilers are doing bad I search out articles on their doom and gloom all the time. When I see the Riders listed as the 4th most popular CFL team I know that methodology is bunk.

Canucks have been in the NHL a decade longer than the Oilers but yes Edmonton had more success 35 years ago and have been the biggest joke in the league for near 15 years until they finally made the playoffs in back to back years.

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

That is basing everything on social media searches which is a poor metric. When the Oilers are doing bad I search out articles on their doom and gloom all the time. When I see the Riders listed as the 4th most popular CFL team I know that methodology is bunk.

Canucks have been in the NHL a decade longer than the Oilers but yes Edmonton had more success 35 years ago and have been the biggest joke in the league for near 15 years until they finally made the playoffs in back to back years.

Exactly. Do they take into account the searches "how to get the Oilers' stink out of your hair and clothes"? Never mind those including the tag #urine

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by the2bears

Exactly. Do they take into account the searches "how to get the Oilers' stink out of your hair and clothes"? Never mind those including the tag #urine

Not to mention searches to find a certain thread on a certain message board about a certain team being No Good!

[DiracSpike]

The fight for who would have more fans was lost in the 80's, unfortunately. Best player ever + 5 cups put the oilers in basically yankee territory with the flames playing the Mets. Oilers are much more popular in the province and especially outside of it. Working for an Oil and Gas company there's a lot of people that grew up in small towns and they're basically all oiler fans, especially if it's Red Deer or north. I know one guy who's from GP and is a Flames fan, I was shocked. Calgary doesn't dominate large southern towns like Lethbridge and Med Hat the way you'd expect, and despite being the DMZ of the province every single person I've ever met from Red Deer is an Oilers fan. Plus you have the Roughrider effect of a lot of transplanted fans living in Calgary because as the superior city of the Prairies people move to here, not away from here. So the bad news is we're outnumbered and the Dome is probably gonna be at least 25% Oiler fans on wednesday. The good news is we have the better team and that's gonna make it so much better when we whoop their ass

[Alpha_Q]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

Way more Oiler fans. The proof is in the 50/50 numbers

When explaining why he bought 250 dollars worth of 50/50 tickets, the Edmonton born husband of my wife's best friend said "Anything to help the team afford McDavid." Everytime I see their 50/50 numbers I laugh because I believe that a good portion of Edmonton fans buying 50/50s think they are supporting the Oiler payroll.

[Erick Estrada]

I like that there are more Oilers fans. The more crushed souls when the Oilers lose, the merrier for me.

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by Jordan!

Calgary was a deeply Oilers town until 2004

Wall of Shame Hall of Fame.