As the NHL creeps closer to the Stanley Cup Finals fans in every city but two are already thinking about next season. They are counting down the days until October, perhaps putting down deposits on season tickets or at least planning out how many games they want to go to. Hockey is one of the best sports to see at the rink and we love going to games. But there are people there that drive you crazy.
They are at every arena supporting every team. They are annoying and you have to put up with them to watch the game you love in person. Even watching from home, on TV, you are subjected to some of them.
We present the ten most annoying hockey fans. If you recognize yourself as one of these then perhaps this may serve as a public service article. An intervention can be organized, for the right price of course, to help cure you of annoying fandom. Hockey is a big tent and all are welcome, just do your best to not ruin the experience for the people sitting around you. Is that asking for too much?
People Banging on the Glass
This is a fan who annoys both the in person crowd and those watching at home on TV. This is a fan that has scored some great tickets to sit right up against the glass. Instead of marveling at how big, fast and skilled the players are he/she decides to repeatedly bang the glass whenever the play is near them. Why? What are you hoping to accomplish here? Do you really think Nick Lidstrom is going to be taken off his game because you are slapping the glass right behind him? We’ve checked with the NHL official statisticians (not really) and they have told us that there have been zero turn overs caused by banging on the glass. We get that making loud noises can be fun but all you are accomplishing is annoying the rest of us, it’s distracting, knock it off.
The Guy Trying to Get on TV
A distant cousin to the glass banger is the guy who has seats in the corner. He’s watched enough hockey on television to know that the camera will capture part of the crowd while the play is in his corner. So instead of watching guys battle for a loose puck he chooses to stand up, turn around and wave. Often you can see this guy with a cell phone to his ear. You can only imagine the conversation he is having with his dudes at home. “Hey man, can you totally see me? What about now? I’m waiving! Sweet!” Not only does this annoy the people sitting behind you but those of us watching at home are now distracted by your genuflections. Sit down, your anonymous moment of fame is not impressive.
People That Boo the Defenseman Holding the Puck
Once or twice during a game a team will be making a line change and one of their defensemen will hold the puck behind their own net. For some reason there is a faction of fans that find this abhorrent. They will boo him, as if the five seconds he took to wait for his teammates to set up their break out was akin to clubbing baby seals. This is akin to booing a pitcher in baseball for throwing over to first base. What’s worse is that these fans sit quietly when the home team does the same thing. You do realize these guys are trying to win a game right? These fans are overly abundant in San Jose for some reason.
Loud ‘Expert’ Who Doesn’t Understand the Rules
The more seasoned hockey fan welcomes newbies with open arms but if you don’t have all the rules down yet please refrain from loudly commenting on the game. We’ve all sat in front of this guy as he explains to his even newer fan friend what is happening on the ice. That’s annoying in its own right but when he starts berating a player for skating “right past the puck” on a delayed off-sides he has crossed a line. Why are these people always the loudest?
The Guy Yelling ‘Skate’ All Game Long
Some times the excitement and intensity of the game can get the best of well meaning people. As the tension builds up this fan wants to encourage his team so much that all he can think of is to yell “Skate!” over and over at the home team. It may go without saying that the players all realize they need to skate, but there are enough of these people to make you think otherwise. 
Blood Thirsty Fight Fans
Fighting has always been a part of hockey and most likely will always play some role. But there are a group of fans who want blood all game long. Every time two players even glance at each other they are on their feet, blocking your view, and yelling for a fight. These are the same guys that you hear after a thrilling 4-3 double overtime playoff game complain that there weren’t any fights. If fighting is all you want go watch the MMA. The fights will be better and a tad more plentiful. You can find these fans in droves at WHL games.
Overly Homer Fan
Having a passion for your favorite team is a great thing. For many hockey fans they live and die with each line change as their team makes its way through a season. These fans are there every second and can be loud and mostly fun to be around. But when they see every check as a penalty against their team and every penalty as a dive it gets to be too much. Somehow their love for their team has blinded them from the rules of hockey (it should be noted that in some cases this also affects a team’s media – we’re looking in your direction Boston). It is possible for your team to commit a penalty. It happens, deal with it.
Guy Who Mispronounces Names…Loudly
It’s always fun to come up with a clever and snarky comment to yell at a player from the opposing team. But if you’re going to do it, learn how to pronounce the guys name first. Nothing makes you look more like a moron then this. For a great example of this check out any episode of Coach’s Corner on CBC where Don Cherry butchers name’s left and right.
Guy With Own Last Name on Team Sweater
Yahoo’s Puck Daddy has done a great job chronicling jersey fouls over the years but putting on your own name takes the cake every time. This is forgivable when it is a child wearing the sweater as he has dreams of one day playing in the NHL. But the 40 year old guy with the bulging beer belly, stretching the sweater to its limits simply can not be allowed to put his last name on the back of his Sidney Crosby 87 sweater. The NHL shop should rethink this whole ‘customization’ concept.
People Who Taunt Players in the Penalty Box
Without question it is fun when the other team takes a penalty. It results in a power play and usually it is committed by some annoying player on the other team. While it might seem like fun to hurl insults at someone like Sean Avery we wonder how tough you’d be if there wasn’t five feet of plexi-glass between you and them? On top of that, whatever clever insult you’ve come up with is going to sound like a bunch of undecipherable yelling as you scream it through a seam in the glass. If you want to mock them go the route of Vancouver’s Green Men. Make signs, bring props and be creative with it.
There you have our list of the ten most annoying fans. Did we miss anyone? Feel free to mention them in the comments.
Remember those rats?
My drunk-ex had a drunk friend come over who got mentally ill after beers and yelled “pull the goalie” non-stop during a Chi-Phi finals game. It was either that or spend time with her.
In Halifax, my local pub told me they would show the finals game and had every one sitting in a circle to a band. I took four buses to get to the Dartmouth Mall sports bar to watch Chi blow a playoff spot to Dal. I think everyone just @#$%s on pogey in that city…walked into Cole Harbour to alone watch Det Chi; thank god for B.Pizza.
During the Red Mile they wouldn’t let me in a bar with my clean construction jersey (no jerseys), but all the Flamers got in. A girl in Banff freaked out seeing my Detroit Jersey and really freaked out looking at my Canucks t-shirt on underneath. Was a white-supremicist on the mile and someone yelling: Draper is a pedophile.
…the whiny guy living downtown on one of many rock-alternative radio stations in Vancouver was hilarious, yelling at everyone the morning after Blues were dispatched. My roommate’s horn went dead and swapped a flag for a sweet jersey with fans. The Flames fans that sat in my seat that year were awesome. at 1st intermission got my scalped money back and better seats. Flames beat Vancouver 5-4 that reg season game…
There was this weirdo talking to himself and pissing his pants at a Jets game earlier this year. I remember him from the old games.
This article is stupid!
I once put my own name on a jersey.. But I get away with it because it was the 67 vintage jersey and the name on it was “Stewart”, so I could claim it was Leafs forward Ron Stewart’s jersey if anyone berated me. ;)
My ex used to yell, “ICE IT!” at random times. Though, I admittedly coached her in this because I found humor in it.
She’d also scream, “Give it to ‘Pommer!” at Sabres games, but this was in an openly mocking context of the Buffalonians who scream the same ever second of his shift. She’d do it intentionally when he was on the bench.
She’s also a Godless whore.
How bout fans that make signals like the jaws of a shark whenever their team goes on the powerplay? Enough sharks fans! Enough!
Hey, it’s what we do, nothing wrong with that. I agree with all the above peeves. The glass-pounders are the worst! Idiots!
Sharks fans are entertaining for all the wrong reasons.
love this article
The guy who’s at his first hockey game, and yells “fight” when the teams get into a scrum after every whistle (especially when they are players who won’t fight, and it wouldn’t even be an enjoyable one to watch).
How about Canadians who think the sport revolves around them?
What’s so annoying about people being honest?
The only reason Canadians are like that is because its generally the only sport…with the exception of Toronto with baseball…and of course the Cfl (lol) and lets be honest…Basketball and soccer are not real sports..zzzzzzzz…..
Salt Lake 2002: Canada 5, US 2
Vancouver 2010: Canada 3, US 2 (OT)
U mad bro?
:)
Maybe because we invented the game, grow up playing it on outdoor rinks, often in our backyards and schoolyards, and more than 50% of NHL players are Canadian. So, yeah, it’s our sport. Americans have baseball and football, the rest of the world has soccer or rugby. But hockey belongs to Canada.
Notice how annoyed everyone around her looks in that picture, good one.
Best/worst “loud ‘expert’ who doesn’t understand the rules” ever: one time, during a delayed penalty call, the guy behind me flipped out to his friend, ranting that the other team had NO respect for us because they were pulling their goalie in the middle of the game as a “trick play”. Yes, this really happened. *facepalm*
I would have said puck bunnies but then I remembered that they’re not hockey fans. Great article, Andy.
I don’t see anything wrong with having your own name on your jersey, certainly looks alot better than that same 40 year old sitting there in his cheapo replica jersey with some other dude’s name on it who’s almost half his age. Chances are the guy with his own name on his jersey also uses it for beer league and/or pickup. Wearing somebody else’s name and number is the same as the chick who wears her BF’s letter jacket to school.
Let me guess, you probably have your own name on your jersey. Congrats douchey.
Thanks for the “Queer eye for the straight guy” update on the latest fashion trends in hockey. Is this Cali’s contribution to the sport???
A lot is 2 words.
You so forgot the newbies who get up during the game and keep getting in and out of their seats. Sit down!!!!!
The people who cannot hold their alcohol is a big one……should have made this list somehow. Thanks for the blast from the past by the way Jes.
”
For a great example of this check out any episode of Coach’s Corner on CBC where Don Cherry butchers name’s left and right.” Cherry’s bad, but P.J. Stock is worse. Much, much worse. He once called Taylor Pyatt “Taller Peot”. I’m not kidding.
I don’t know why this bothered me so much, but I was at a Senators game a few years ago and this guy behind me (he must have been at least 40) said “come on, Alfie!” about every fifteen seconds. I don’t think he used a single one of the players’ actual names the whole night.
another time, I was watching a game on TV, and someone in the crowd suddenly shouted “NO ICING!!!!!”. that wasn’t annoying, it was just hilarious. But I’m sure none of the people sitting around him thanked him for that (it was really loud).
in closing, I think the Green Men definitely should have made this list (rather than just being mentioned in one sentence right at the end). They at least qualify as the “The Guy Trying to Get on TV” category.
Yes, Stock does not know what he’s talking about. He calls Milan Lucic “loo-sick.”
I can at least understand a north american mispronouncing Lucic (even though just about every single media person except Stock says it the same way) given that it’s a ( I believe, though I’m likely wrong) Balkan-region name. Taylor is just about the most Anglophone name in existence. There’s no excuse for a white north american mispronouncing Taylor.
P.J. Stock is something else. When I find out, I will surely tell you. (You are right, though; Lucic is a Balkan name. It’s Serbian.)
Pierre McGuire is along those same lines, as he likes to emphasize the WRONG syllable in players’ names.
Or call them by their full names. Christopher Pronger, Steven Mason and Jonathan Tavares come to mind.
At least P.J., Don, and Pierre know what they’re talking about. Who cares how they pronounce a guy’s name. I’d rather watch them than some idiot American who’s introduction to hockey came with the Fox-puck All Star game, and thinks Tim Thomas is the greatest goalie of all time.
Agreed with everything, especially the glass-bangers (agh!) And the loud “experts,” but as a longtime Bruins fans, I’m puzzled at your media comment. Nobody pisses on the Bruins more than the Boston media.
Jack Edwards is the Bruins #1 fan.
As someone who more than once nearly plunked down good money for a player’s jersey weeks before they were trade away, I’m willing to let the own-last-name sweater thing slide (though a blank jersey would be preferable). The others on this list, however, are spot on. The first two in particular fill me with a rage that can’t even be described, because no matter whether you attend the game or watch it on tv, you can’t escape these dolts.
No no no no no no no!! As you said blank is okay. If you’re so worried about a player being traded go blank. NEVER put your own name on the back of a pro sports jersey!
Northcal23…still rolls with his Brett Lebda Jersey…old school!!!
you missed the guy related to the fight fans, the Guy Who Always Yells “Hit Somebody!” No Matter Which Team Has The Puck.
I also vote for fans who need to get fresh beer every 6.4 minutes. If you want to drink, go to a bar.
Sounds similar to something I wrote years ago (Yeah, not the most original of ideas).
http://jesgolbez.blogspot.ca/2005/11/worst-types-of-nhl-fans.html
the beer leaguer who swears his buddy’s and him are better than the nhlers
The 30 to 40-something year-old beer leaguer who hasn’t given up on making it to “the show” yet.
How about the ones who are drunk before the game has already started!
great article!
Similar to the people who yell “skate”, how about the people who yell “shoot” when clearly there is no shooting lane open. This is usually on a powerplay.
Other than cell phone guy, the people that yell shoot every second of a power play are the worst
The one and only time a games was completely ruined for me was due to one of these douche nozzles.