Canada breathes hockey. The NHL isn’t just a professional league here; it’s part of the national DNA. But when you look past the clichés and actually measure which Canadian clubs command the largest, most committed followings, you start to see a layered picture.
Fanbases are not only about raw numbers, but also about loyalty, staying power, and how a team can capture the nation’s attention when the stakes are high.
Using polling, attendance figures, franchise valuations, and TV audience data, here’s a ranking of Canada’s seven NHL teams based on both size and loyalty.
Each section blends the scale of the fanbase with signals of intensity to give a clear view of where every club stands in 2025.
The 2025 Ranking at a Glance
| Rank | Club | Fanbase Size Snapshot | Loyalty Snapshot | Why They Place Here |
| 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Most valuable NHL franchise, massive national following | Long waitlist, near full capacity every season, record-breaking TV audiences | Scale plus consistency |
| 2 | Montreal Canadiens | League attendance leader, coast-to-coast base | Every home game sold out, multi-generational loyalty | Huge in-arena footprint, slightly behind Leafs in market economics |
| 3 | Edmonton Oilers | Massive national pull when contending | 100% capacity, record TV audiences in 2024 Final | National magnetism plus local sellouts |
| 4 | Vancouver Canucks | Big market, steady high attendance | Near-100% capacity, city-wide engagement during playoff pushes | Strong market with loyal turnout |
| 5 | Calgary Flames | Strong regional following | Low-90s capacity in downturns, consistent core support | Reliable regional loyalty |
| 6 | Ottawa Senators | Mid-sized market with growth | Avg. 17.3k attendance, spikes for big games | A growing, loyal base with new ownership momentum |
| 7 | Winnipeg Jets | Smallest market | Attendance softness post-pandemic, intense per capita | Community passion, but ticket erosion places them last |
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto sits at the top of the NHL when it comes to valuations, with Forbes consistently ranking the Leafs as the most valuable franchise in hockey.
The Maple Leafs benefit from a massive urban base, a wealthy corporate sector, and an extensive coast-to-coast following.
National polling regularly shows them among the two most supported Canadian clubs, cementing their reach far beyond Ontario.
Fan Loyalty
Leafs Nation has patience tested every spring, but their loyalty doesn’t falter. Season-ticket memberships are essentially locked, with a long waitlist that new fans can’t realistically hope to crack anytime soon.
In-arena attendance trends near full every year, regardless of playoff disappointment. When the team hits big moments, TV audiences surge: Game 7 against Boston in 2024 set a North American record for first-round viewership.
2. Montreal Canadiens
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The Canadiens led the entire NHL in attendance in 2024-25, topping over 21,000 fans per game at Bell Centre. No team in hockey matches their regular-season building footprint.
National polling continues to show the Habs as a giant across Canada, with a particularly strong foothold in Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Fan Loyalty
Every single home game in 2024-25 sold out, which says everything you need to know about demand. Montreal’s fanbase is built on deep generational identity.
Families pass the allegiance down, so the loyalty pool never dries up. The team maintains a formal season-ticket waitlist, and even in lean years, the building stays packed.
3. Edmonton Oilers
When the Oilers are competitive, they turn into a national magnet. In the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, Game 7 averaged 7.55 million Canadian viewers and reached 15 million across the country.
That broadcast was Sportsnet’s most-watched program in history. Edmonton doesn’t just play to Alberta when they go deep; they become a storyline across the entire nation.
Record-breaking numbers are always eye-catching, much like a list by Bonusfinder in CA is for Canadian gaming fans.
Fan Loyalty
Locally, Rogers Place operates at full or near-full capacity. Even in regular seasons, Oilers games are a tough ticket when McDavid and Draisaitl are on the ice. Edmonton fans show consistent loyalty in the building, and when the playoffs arrive, they rally the entire country.
4. Vancouver Canucks
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The Canucks consistently pack Rogers Arena. In 2023-24, capacity ran at 99.6 percent, and the numbers stayed near the top tier through 2024-25.
Vancouver is Canada’s third-largest metropolitan area, giving the club a natural scale advantage.
Fan Loyalty
When the team is in contention, the city turns electric. Large outdoor viewing parties spill across downtown Vancouver, with thousands gathering to watch playoff games together. Even in down years, the Canucks maintain strong ticket demand.
5. Calgary Flames
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The Flames are a regional powerhouse. Even through economic uncertainty, attendance in 2024-25 rose slightly to over 17,600 on average.
Their reach is strongest across Alberta and into the Prairies, where hockey identity runs deep.
Fan Loyalty
During down years, capacity remains in the low 90s, which is a sign of a stable, resilient core.
When the team is competitive, the Saddledome fills to the brim and generates one of the loudest playoff atmospheres in the NHL.
6. Ottawa Senators
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Ottawa averaged about 17,306 per game in 2024-25, a healthy number for a mid-sized market that has historically struggled with arena location challenges.
The capital’s fanbase has been energized by new ownership, and attendance is showing growth potential.
Fan Loyalty
The fanbase turns out in force when the stakes are higher. Big rivalry games and playoff pushes see attendance jump to over 19,000.
While not always sold out in transitional years, the enthusiasm is genuine and strengthening.
7. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg is the smallest market in the NHL, and the numbers reflect that. After years of automatic sellouts post-relocation, early 2024-25 attendance dipped to around 13,000 before stabilizing.
Nationally, the Jets have respect, but their reach is modest compared to larger Canadian clubs.
Fan Loyalty
Per capita, Jets fans are among the most committed anywhere in sports. But the reality is that the season-ticket base has eroded since the pandemic, and the club has publicly acknowledged the need to rebuild. The energy is still there, but the numbers put them seventh.
Supporting Trends That Shaped the List
The NHL set an all-time regular-season attendance record in 2024-25 with over 23 million total fans across the league. Montreal led the way, topping every franchise in total attendance.
TV audiences that reveal real reach
- Oilers 2024 Final: Game 7 was the most-watched Sportsnet program ever, reaching 15 million Canadians.
- Leafs 2024 Round 1: Game 7 vs Boston broke records for first-round North American playoff audiences.
These moments show which teams pull in casual and national viewers, beyond the local season-ticket holders.
Franchise valuations
Valuations measure overall demand, corporate strength, and brand power. The Leafs lead the NHL, while the Canadiens remain in the top global tier.
Edmonton and Vancouver are climbing due to recent on-ice performance and market strength.
What Could Change Next Year?
- Playoff runs: Deep postseason pushes elevate national attention quickly, especially for Edmonton and Vancouver.
- Arena plans: Calgary and Ottawa have projects underway that could boost both attendance and fan engagement.
- Winnipeg’s ticket rebuild: Stabilizing the season-ticket base is critical if the Jets want to move up.
Final Words
Every Canadian NHL club has a passionate following, but the scale and intensity vary. The Maple Leafs and Canadiens sit atop for their size and staying power, Edmonton owns the spotlight in June, Vancouver thrives when the city rallies, Calgary and Ottawa are steady and loyal, and Winnipeg remains fiercely dedicated per capita despite ticket challenges.
Hockey in Canada isn’t just a sport. It’s a marker of identity, community, and pride, and every one of these seven fanbases reflects that in their own way.
