The NHL Teams Each Province and State Hates the Most

Key Findings (Canada)

• The Montreal Canadiens emerge as the most “hated” team in seven provinces and territories — concentrated across Eastern Canada.
• The Calgary Flames show up most often across the West, appearing as the top “most hated” team in five western provinces and territories — consistent with Prairie and Northern rivalry patterns.
• The Minnesota Wild appear as the most “hated” team in Manitoba, reflecting a strong cross-border rivalry signal in the data.
• Compared with the U.S., there are fewer “surprise” outcomes — the results cluster around a small set of long-running, well-defined rivals.

Overall, Canada’s results suggest a fan culture where rivalry is more often inherited than adopted — and once a team becomes “the enemy,” it tends to stay there.

The Most “Hated” NHL Teams in Canada

• Montreal Canadiens – 7 provinces & territories
• Calgary Flames – 5 provinces & territories
• Minnesota Wild – 1 province

Note: “Most hated” is inferred by pairing each region’s most-followed team (by search interest) with its primary historical rival.

Most Hated NHL Team by Province & Territory (Canada)

Why Canada’s Hate Map Is So Consistent

In Canada, NHL loyalty is rarely fluid. Fans don’t bounce between teams based on stars or recent success — they align with regional identity and stay there. That tends to produce fewer “most hated” teams overall, but stronger concentration around the rivalries that do exist.

The East’s opposition to Montreal aligns with decades of prominence and visibility, while Calgary absorbs much of the West’s rivalry signal through Prairie proximity and familiar matchups. Manitoba’s outlier result highlights that proximity matters just as much as nationality when it comes to hockey rivalries.

In short: Canada’s rivalry patterns are traditional — and the map reflects that.

Key Findings (United States)

• The Colorado Avalanche appear as the inferred “most hated” team in 12 states — the largest footprint in the dataset.
• The Detroit Red Wings follow, showing up in 10 states, particularly across the Plains and Mountain regions.
• The Chicago Blackhawks remain a frequent “villain” outcome in parts of the Midwest, consistent with long-standing divisional rivalries.
• In coastal and non-NHL states, patterns appear less about proximity and more about national visibility and repeated playoff narratives.

As in Canada, “most hated” is inferred via rivalry mapping from the most-followed team in each state (based on search interest).

The Most “Hated” NHL Teams in the U.S.

• Colorado Avalanche – 12 states
• Detroit Red Wings – 10 states
• Montreal Canadiens – 6 states
• Pittsburgh Penguins – 4 states
• St. Louis Blues – 3 states
• Chicago Blackhawks – 2 states
• Philadelphia Flyers – 2 states
• Tampa Bay Lightning – 2 states
• Vancouver Canucks – 2 states
• Washington Capitals – 2 states
• Anaheim Ducks – 1 state
• San Jose Sharks – 1 state
• Toronto Maple Leafs – 1 state
• Vegas Golden Knights – 1 state

Why the U.S. Hate Map Looks Messier

In many U.S. states, fans don’t dislike a team because it’s nearby — they dislike it because it’s the rival of the team they follow most. Even in places without a local NHL presence, fans can pick up rivalries through playoff matchups, national broadcasts, and social media.

Simply put, U.S. NHL hate often spreads by association, not inheritance.

Most Hated NHL Team by State (United States)

Expert Comment

“This data shows how NHL rivalries can spread differently in Canada and the U.S. In Canada, rivalries are more inherited and regional, which is why the map looks cleaner. In the U.S., fans often pick up rivalries through the teams they follow most — even if those teams aren’t local — creating wider and less predictable patterns.”

From a betting perspective, that matters. Games involving widely disliked teams can attract more emotional wagers and heavier public action, especially during rivalry matchups.

“Knowing who fans are most likely to root against can be just as useful as knowing who they support when interpreting betting behavior.”

Conclusion

Rivalry is the NHL’s most reliable ingredient — and this map suggests the pattern isn’t random. In Canada, “hate” clusters around geography and history, producing cleaner, more predictable rivalries. In the United States, it appears to spread through exposure, media, and affiliation, creating a wider and less intuitive footprint.

Different dynamics, same outcome: fans care more when there’s someone to root against. And whether that animosity is inherited or adopted, it still shapes how fans watch, talk about, and bet on the game.

Methodology

We analyzed Google search behavior across all 50 U.S. states and every Canadian province and territory, using Google Keyword Planner to capture average monthly search volume for all 32 NHL teams (December 2021 – November 2025).

1. The team with the highest search volume in each region was identified as that region’s most followed NHL team.
2. That team was matched to its primary historical rival using an internal rivalry dataset.
3. The rival was labeled the region’s “most hated” team — meaning the team fans are most likely rooting against, based on this pairing.

Search interest is used as a proxy for fan engagement: more searches generally indicate more attention and emotional investment, but this approach infers “hate” rather than measuring it directly.

Sources

• Google Keyword Planner: Average monthly search volume for all 32 NHL teams by region (Dec 2021 – Nov 2025).
• National Hockey League (NHL): Team listings, divisional alignments, and rivalry context.
• NHL media coverage and rivalry histories: Used to validate primary rival pairings.
• Secondary research on sports fandom and wagering behavior: Used for interpretation of rivalry-driven public betting patterns.

Read more research at Canada sports betting. If you’re comparing betting apps, or checking a specific book like our bet365 review, our guides break down what matters. For province-specific rules, see Ontario sports betting.

Full dataset: view here.