I follow the stars mainly because I follow sports in general. And they're in the play-offs every year, although they usually go out in the first round. They aren't terribly popular around here though.

Kelly, yeah, I think in general outside the cooler latitudes the NHL's popularity is directly proportional to the local team's success. Think Carolina and the Kings during the Years of Gretzky.

Wish they showed some games in the So Hemisphere tho -- it's a great sport to watch, especially if you have good reception.

I guess I can chime in for Dallas, although I wasn't living here in '99 when they won the cup.

Sports heirarchy in the Metroplex is basically whoever is winning with the Cowboys getting some extra slack and the Rangers getting some extra crap.

Don't get me wrong: There are a bunch of hardcore Stars fans here. Their games are very nearly always sold out and the percentage of people wearing jerseys at the games is awfully impressive. That said, given the Mavericks' success this season and the fact that Eric Lindros brought the wrath of the never-ending injury to the AAC (and spread it around the squad like an STD) I think they've been a bit tougher sell this season. Plus, let's face it, they've lost in the first round for three straight years.

I'm definitly more of a Mavs fan, and have been since I moved here. My buddy and I get a 10 game package and playoff tickets every year, good or bad (although, admittedly, there really haven't been any bad seasons since I moved here, but they had some karma to rebalance). That said, I'm a sucker for playoff hockey, especially any game that goes into overtime. Just not four overtimes when it's on the west coast. I gave up after OT #2, but it was only game 1.

Here in Arkansas, I see a fair amount of people with clothing from St. Louis, Texas and New Orleans teams (there aren't any major-league teams in AR), but I don't think I've ever seen anybody wearing St. Louis Blues or Dallas Stars merchandise.

(And, before weretable or lilywing pops in to point this out, the University of Arkansas Razorbacks are more popular than Jesus around here, let alone any other sports teams.)

You wouldn't even believe the venom people in Buffalo still have for Dallas after 1999, it's surreal.

Atlanta sold a fair amount of tickets, but for the most part the fans were yankee transplants. If the Carolina team is based in Charlotte, I suspect the same is true there also since Charlotte has its own share of carpetbagging scumba..., err I mean, former northern folk.

I've lived in four cities with hockey teams.... I grew in Buffalo, moved to L.A., then to Dallas area, then Detroit, then back to Dallas (Fort Worth, actually).

Buffalo: Love their Sabres, the whole city is rabid fans.

Detroit: The only thing that makes Buffalo's fans more devoted to their hockey team is the fact that Detroit has NBA in town as well, but they are a big hockey city.

Dallas: When the Stars ripped my heart out in 1999, I don't think the fans were worthy of a Cup. In the time since then, though, they have really grown as a hockey city. There is getting to be a lot of youth hockey. It's not quite up to par with a northern city, but they try. Very devoted fans fill a niche, but the rest of the city is so-so.

LA: Kings? What Kings? Honestly, they were barely covered when I lived there. LA is one of those cities where there are so many things going on, hockey gets lost in the mix.

I'm a Phoenix Coyotes season ticket holder. Phoenix fans tend to be pretty fair-weather in general, though we still manage to do a good job of filling up Suns games when they suck. Since we have so many east coast transplants, a lot of hockey fans come out to support the visiting team (for example, we sold out the Red Wings and Penguins games this year but the crowds were mostly rooting for the visiting team). But when the Coyotes manage to make the playoffs, we sell those games out.

I grew up a Red Wings fan since both sides of my family are from Detroit, but I became a Coyotes fan once they moved here from Winnipeg. Since the Coyotes didn't make the playoffs this year, I'm rooting for the Sabres. Briere was my favorite Coyote and I was incredibly disappointed when we traded him, but I've been ecstatic to see how well he's done with Buffalo. If the Ducks and the Sabres manage to make the finals, I think my friend and I may try to get some tickets for a game in Anaheim.

Briere was my favorite Coyote and I was incredibly disappointed when we traded him, but I've been ecstatic to see how well he's done with Buffalo.

Who knows? He could be your favorite Coyote again. It's been kind of a weird year for the Sabres; we really, REALLY hope this is finally the year. But the team has co-captains, Briere and Chris Drury, both of whom are unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Short of the two of them getting together to agree to less-than-market salaries to keep the team together, one or both will likely be gone after this season.

Buffalo sports fans understand this is part of the "New NHL" and the salary cap is part of the dynamic that enables a small market team like the Sabres to compete at such a high level, but still, it's weird to be lovin' these guys when you know they'll be leaving soon.

I love Briere to death as a player, but my guess is he's the one that will go. He may end up in Phoenix; who knows? If he does, I bet you won't here Buffalo fans booing him when the Coyotes play in Buffalo. He's a fan favorite.