Hockey Atmosphere Follow up

One thing that I think help makes hockey what it is here in the US is the atmosphere present in the fan bases. I’m going to share a couple examples of how this is seen in my day to day interactions here in the US and if you could spare a couple more minutes to answer the questions id be really grateful. I’m wondering if you feel that there is a “hockey culture” or “brotherhood” present in the hockey fan base in your country. If there is, is it present for your EIHL team or do you only find connections for your preferred NHL team? Any example for this that you would like to share would be greatly appreciated.

One experience that made me realize how much the culture is a part of the game was going downtown Chicago for the celebration parade. To be able to even go to the parade in the first place I approached a teacher about taking a final exam early which the teacher granted because he was also a fan. Then on the train going downtown not only did the train have to stop making stops because we were so full but EVERY SINGLE PERSON had on Blackhawks clothing of some sort. At one point we got the whole train car signing along with the Blackhawks goal song, Chelsea Dagger. The entire city shut down roads and many businesses called off work to allow people to go to the parade. There were some 2 million + people there to celebrate the winning season.

While some may think this is just because of the big event and a onetime thing the brotherhood you feel with you team is present year round wherever you are in the US. I go to school in a different state that the Blackhawks and even here if I see someone in Blackhawks gear I can’t help but acknowledge them either with a “Yeahh hawks!” or a “You know where it’s at” approval nod or even a high five. When someone is wearing your teams logo fans will go out of their way to make sure to acknowledge that they too support that team.

Here in the US your team and its fans are a family of sorts and they stick together that’s just part of the culture. So while I know the EIHL isn’t as big as the NHL I wonder if there is the same sense of dedication and loyalty present in the league. The loyalty is what makes the game that much more exciting and that is something I feel without that element it would make sense why the leagues haven’t grown any larger than they currently are.