The Vegas Golden Knights haven’t been around for long, but they sure have made a lot of enemies.
A study by Rotowire found the Knights to be the most-hated team in the NHL as the franchise that 11 states’ core hockey fan bases loathe the most.
Why so much hate? It comes with the territory.
The study found that regional dominance was a major factor. The Knights have reigned over the Pacific Divison, winning six of the past nine division crowns since entering the league in 2017.
Fan territories have also been blurred for years but are beginning to take shape.
The NHL’s addition of the Knights, Seattle Kraken and Utah Mammoth over the past decade has made team loyalty in the region the Wild West. During the Knights-Mammoth first-round playoff series, the Mammoth held a jersey exchange that gave fans a new Mammoth jersey in exchange for a Golden Knights jersey.
It makes sense fans in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico would boo a little louder with the Knights’ shadow over the rest of the division. However, Alaska, Hawaii and Kansas hockey fans are surprising Knights haters from afar.
The consensus most-hated hockey team by Nevada-based fans proved to be the Edmonton Oilers, who eliminated the Knights in the second round of the playoffs a year ago.
Outside of Nevada, Arizona and Colorado were the only states west of the Great Plains where the Knights were not the most-hated team.
As disheartening it may be to be the most-hated, it’s a badge often worn by the best — and Vegas is in good company.
The NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche rank second as the most-hated team in eight different states, setting up a NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Western Conference Finals where hockey fans will have to pick their poison.
Contact Trevor Squire at tsquire@reviewjournal.com Follow him at @trevordsquire on X.
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