Marc Dumont
The Montreal Canadiens have managed to quickly turn a last-place team into a club ready to battle the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
Consequently, many other franchises are starting to look at Montreal as a model worth emulating. Toronto Maple Leafs president Keith Pelley admitted that he underestimated the Canadiens, and they were one of the driving forces behind Toronto’s decision to fire their general manager and head coach.
However, not every organization is a fan of what’s happening in Montreal.
According to Rotowire, the Canadiens are the most hated team in the United States, with several Northeastern States leading the charge.
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire are the states who hate the Canadiens the most, though there’s a decent chance they were ranked second or third in a few other states.
Such is life when your fanbase is much larger than most.
NHL Results
The Vegas Golden Knights were the most hated team in the NHL, with 11 states falling within their angst jurisdiction. The Colorado Avalanche finished second, with eight states, whereas the Pittsburgh Penguins joined the Habs in a tie for third, with five states.
To be perfectly honest, the methodology is a little odd. Rotowire did not ask actual fans about their most hated rival. Instead, they based the results on the most popular team in the area, proximity to other teams, and a few other factors.
The states listed as ‘hating’ the Canadiens are Boston Bruins strongholds.
“We first identified the dominant fanbase in each state based on market proximity, broadcast reach and where actual hockey culture lives. From there, we picked the team that fanbase most reviles using divisional rivalries, recent playoff history (2020 through 2025), Original Six tradition and the kind of universal-villain narratives that follow expansion success and dynasty fatigue. We ran this for all 50 states because hockey hatred is the most regionally distinct in pro sports, and the answer says as much about hockey culture as it does about the standings.”
The last time someone actually polled fans, the Toronto Maple Leafs ended up as the most hated organization by a wide margin, while the Canadiens finished third.
