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Stanley Cup ratings show that NHL’s popularity is at an all-time high

By Bruin Belisle

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after his team defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals won the series four games to one. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: Alex Ovechkin #8 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with the Stanley Cup after his team defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Capitals won the series four games to one. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final on Thursday night was the most watched Game 5 in history. Hockey’s stock is at an all-time high and people are taking notice.

If you missed Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final on Thursday night, it would seem that you were in the minority. Record numbers turned up or tuned in to watch the Washington Capitals defeat the Vegas Golden Knights to win their first Stanley cup ever.

A takeaway from the game, the series and these NHL playoffs was that just about every single game was fantastic. Even though this series only went five games, each game was fast-paced, exciting and packed with interesting subplots.

In the past, the NHL was always viewed as the youngest sibling of the big-four major sport leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL). The NHL is starting to turn this around.

At a 4.98 overnight rating, Game 5 was up 30 percent from the average of Games 1 through 4 (3.82). Game 5 was also the highest-rated hockey game ever in the local Washington area. It is estimated that at one point nearly 50 percent of televisions in the region were tuned in to the game.

If these numbers aren’t doing it for you, we’ll provide a visual instead. On Thursday, over 70,000 fans attempted to get tickets to the Capital One Arena watch party for the game. Approximately 20,000 lucky fans were inside and the rest packed the streets of Washington to watch on the outdoor screens.

This was easily the biggest crowd Washington D.C. has seen since President Obama’s inauguration in 2013.

The game was in Vegas. Tens of thousands of people showed up to an arena 2,400 miles away from where the game was being played so they could celebrate a win together. Hockey’s popularity is at an all-time high and we’re already excited for next season.

Next: 25 most insane things people have ever done with the Stanley Cup

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