NHL, Blackhawks climb in ultimate standings poll

Posted July 01, 2009 11:00 pm

From Daily Herald News Services

NEW YORK - Five NHL teams are among the Top 10 professional sports franchises when it comes to paying fans back for their investment of time, money and passion, according to ESPN the Magazine's Ultimate Standings report.

And the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that made the worst franchise list just two seasons ago, now clocks in at 21 on the magazine's list.

The Carolina Hurricanes are the top ranked NHL franchise and second overall among all professional sports teams, followed by the Detroit Red Wings (No. 4), Washington Capitals (No. 6), Pittsburgh Penguins (No. 8) and St. Louis Blues (No. 10).

The five NHL teams are the most ever represented among the Top 10 in the report's seven-year history.

The report is the result of analysis by ESPN The Magazine and the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center, combined with fan feedback data gathered by the consulting firm Maddock Douglas, ESPN.com and GMI NetReflector. More than 50,000 responses were collected, and the analysis is used to determine how franchises establish and maintain the greatest overall reward for their fans.

The 2009 Western Conference champion Detroit Red Wings topped or tied all professional sports franchises in three categories, including fan relations, ownership and title track. The Capitals ranked No. 1 in responsiveness to fan feedback.

Ultimate Standings

1. Los Angeles Angels, MLB

2. Carolina Hurricanes, NHL

3. Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL

4. Detroit Red Wings, NHL

5. Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

6. Washington Capitals, NHL

7. Milwaukee Brewers, MLB

8. Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL

9. San Antonio Spurs, NBA

10. St. Louis Blues, NHL

11. Anaheim Ducks, NHL

12. New Orleans Hornets, NBA

13. Green Bay Packers, NFL

14. Indianapolis Colts, NFL

15. Tennessee Titans, NFL

16. Tampa Bay Rays, MLB

17. Houston Rockets, NBA

18. Orlando Magic, NBA

19. New England Patriots, NFL

20. Boston Celtics, NBA

21. BLACKHAWKS, NHL

22. Dallas Stars, NHL

23. Minnesota Twins, MLB

24. Philadelphia Phillies, MLB

25. Portland Trail Blazers, NBA

Source: ESPN The Magazine

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