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Penguins rank high, Maple Leafs in the doghouse of ESPN’s fan treatment polls

Mario Lemieux

Pittsburgh Penguins owner and hockey Hall-of-Famer Mario Lemieux (66) takes part in a pregame ceremony to commemorate the final regular season NHL hockey game played in the 41-year-old Mellon Arena between the Penguins and the New York Islanders in Pittsburgh, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

AP

The Chicago Blackhawks may have won the Stanley Cup this year, but an ESPN The Magazine poll found that the Pittsburgh Penguins are the gold standard in fan relations - not just among NHL teams, but in all of sports. Here’s more from the team’s site.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are ranked No. 1 in Fan Relations in all of professional sports, according to the 2010 “Ultimate Standings” compiled by ESPN The Magazine.

The publication rates all 122 teams in the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB in eight different categories - Fan Relations, Bang for the Buck, Ownership, Affordability, Stadium Experience, Players, Coaching and Title Track. The standings were assembled via research and fan feedback.

ESPN describes the Fan Relations category as “Openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management.”

The Penguins also rated No. 5 overall in the magazine’s “ultimate standings.” I dug around my copy of the magazine a little bit more to find some other interesting tidbits regarding where the sports network ranked different NHL teams when it comes to value, fan relations and so on. Here are a few nuggets that I found interesting.
  • The Detroit Red Wings were the other NHL team to make the top 10, placing eighth in the ultimate standings. The Washington Capitals (11th), San Jose Sharks (12th), Chicago Blackhawks (16th) and - stunningly - the Phoenix Coyotes (18th) rounded out the top 20.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs were considered the lowest of the low for NHL teams and were close to being the worst overall. They ranked 121st out of 122 sports franchises in the ultimate rankings while placing dead last in both affordability and “bang for the buck.”
  • The Red Wings ranked first in “ownership,” with the deciding qualities being “Honesty; loyalty to core players and local community.”
  • The Edmonton Oilers were the second lowest ranked hockey team (111th overall) while the Florida Panthers (106th), New York Rangers (104) and New York Islanders (103) were listed at 100 or below.
  • Nassau Coliseum, home of the Islanders, was ranked the worst venue in sports.
  • Apparently, the Shark Tank might own the best seat in sports. ESPN spotlighted Section 113, Row 17, Seat 16 as the “Ultimate Seat” thanks to its proximity to concession stands, bathrooms and the Sharks’ attack zone.