The Montreal Canadiens have managed to instantly transform a last-place team into a club ready to battle the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.
As a result, many other franchises are beginning to look to Montreal as a model worth emulating. Toronto Maple Leafs president Keith Pelley admitted that he underestimated the Canadiens, and was 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 way.
Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire are the states that Canadians hate the most, although there’s a good chance that some other states rank second or third.
Such is life when your fan base is much larger than everyone else’s.
nhl results
The Vegas Golden Knights were the most hated team in the NHL, with 11 states within their jurisdiction. The Colorado Avalanche finished second with eight states, while the Pittsburgh Penguins joined the Habs in third place with five states.
To be completely honest, the methodology is a bit strange. Rotowire didn’t ask real fans about their most hated rival. Instead, they based results on the most popular team in the area, proximity to other teams, and a few other factors.
The states Canadians list as ‘hating’ are Boston Bruins strongholds.
“We first identified the dominant fan base in each state based on market proximity, broadcast reach and where the real hockey culture lives. From there, we chose the team that draws the most condemnation using divisional rivalries, recent playoff history (2020 to 2025), the Original Six tradition and the universal-villain narratives that follow expansion success and dynasty fatigue. We ran this for all 50 states because hockey hatred in pro sports varies most regionally, and the answer says as much about hockey culture as it does the standings.“
The last time anyone actually polled fans, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished as the most hated organization by a wide margin, while the Canadiens were third.

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