The 2025-26 season was a huge year for the league in more ways than one.Â
The league seems to be as popular as ever from an anecdotal perspective and the hockey at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics was an amazing showcase for the league’s biggest stars.
Attendance is a major factor in that, too. The 2025-26 season was another record year for attendance, with 23.16 million people attending an NHL game this season. It’s the fourth season in a row where the league has set a new record.Â
Here’s a look at where each team ranks for average attendance during that record-breaking year.Â
Best and Worst NHL Attendance For 2025-26 Season
| Rank | Team | Attendance |
| 1 | Montreal Canadiens | 20,962 |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Lightning | 20,203 |
| 3 | Florida Panthers | 19,822 |
| 4 | Detroit Red Wings | 19,319 |
| 5 | Chicago Blackhawks | 18,949 |
| 6 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 18,667 |
| 7 | Vancouver Canucks | 18,662 |
| 8 | Dallas Stars | 18,532 |
| 9 | Philadelphia Flyers | 18,485 |
| 10 | Carolina Hurricanes | 18,373 |
| 11 | Edmonton Oilers | 18,308 |
| 12 | Colorado Avalanche | 18,120 |
| 13 | Minnesota Wild | 18,023 |
| 14 | Washington Capitals | 17,990 |
| 15 | Vegas Golden Knights | 17,929 |
| 16 | Buffalo Sabres | 17,853 |
| 17 | Boston Bruins | 17,850 |
| 18 | St. Louis Blues | 17,847 |
| 19 | New York Rangers | 17,576 |
| 20 | Calgary Flames | 17,549 |
| 21 | Los Angeles Kings | 17,435 |
| 22 | Seattle Kraken | 17,151 |
| 23 | Nashville Predators | 17,128 |
| 24 | Ottawa Senators | 17,123 |
| 25 | Pittsburgh Penguins | 16,975 |
| 26 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 16,878 |
| 27 | New York Islanders | 16,439 |
| 28 | San Jose Sharks | 16,173 |
| 29 | New Jersey Devils | 16,145 |
| 30 | Anaheim Ducks | 15,670 |
| 31 | Winnipeg Kets | 14,228 |
| 32 | Utah Mammoth | 12,478 |
NHL’s Best Attendance
Montreal Canadiens, 20,962 fans
Once again, Montreal had the best attendance numbers in the league at almost 21,000 a night.Â
The Canadiens’ numbers are boosted by the fact that their stadium, the Centre Bell, has the highest capacity in the league at 20,962. But what’s impressive is that they sell out every night.
Chicago has the second-highest capacity stadium at 19,717, but their average attendance shows that roughly 1,000 seats are empty each night.Â
Montreal’s attendance was boosted by a resurgent season for the team. They finished with a 48-24-10 record that landed them third in the Atlantic Division. In the playoffs, they reached the Conference Finals, where they fell to Carolina in five games.Â
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