NEW YORK (AP) — The NHL said Tuesday the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring were the most-watched on record in the U.S., with an average of 1.8 million viewers.
That surpassed the previous record of 1.56 million in 1996 and is up 68% over last year.
ESPN reported this was the most-watched Cup final since 2019. Carolina beat Vegas in six games in a final without some of the biggest hockey markets in the country.
Some of the increase across sports ratings can be attributed to a change in how Nielsen is counting viewers, but hockey is also enjoying a popularity spike, especially among women, after the 4 Nations Face-Off and the Olympics and in light of shows like “Heated Rivalry” and “Off Campus” putting it in front of a different audience.
After ending a decade-and-a-half playoff drought, the Buffalo Sabres came within one goal of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, losing to the Montreal Canadiens in overtime of Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They defeated the Boston Bruins in six games in the first round.
The Sabres now look ahead to the NHL Draft, which takes place on June 26-27 at the KeyBank Center. After being eliminated from the playoffs, the Sabres hold the 27th overall pick in the first round of the draft.