2007 NHL fan map

Commoncensus.org is an open source mapping project using user input to generate interactive maps on a local, regional and national level. The reliability of the data hinges on the amount of participation from the public, but there are a few interesting "sphere of influence" trends that can be examined as the project builds a userbase.

The Common Census projects measures the sports sphere of influence with data from 25270 NFL fans, 25099 MLB fans, 19144 NBA fans, and 17412 NHL fans. Looking at the 2007 NHL Fan Map geographically, the Dallas Stars (1260) have the largest sphere of influence drawing fans from 9 states, with Colorado (886) and San Jose (622) coming in second and third. Numerically, the Detroit Red Wings (1491), Boston Bruins (1332), and Dallas Stars (1260) have the most data to draw from with this project.

With 622 entries from San Jose fans, 307 from Los Angeles, 229 from Anaheim, and 157 from Phoenix, it is possible to draw an early map of fan support for different NHL teams in the Southwest. The Sharks have large blobs of support in the SF Bay Area, Lake Tahoe, and northern Oregon regions. Allegiences are a little mixed between the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings in southern California, Phoenix holds sway over Arizona, Las Vegas appears to be conflicted.

Cross-posted on Sharkspage.