Eklund: ESPN Places Tampa and Nashville at the top for Ultimate Team Standings...

They're going soft over there at ESPN.

Leafs 118th. That's the highest they've ever ranked them.

This new found Leafs love is sickening.

Bizarre. I have been to games in Tampa, Raleigh, Sunrise, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto over the past 24 months. I like Pierre LeBrun but ESPN is not on my NHL reading list. Just this week I listened to Pierre Lebrun talk about the Montreal home opener and heard him say that there is nothing anywhere in hockey to match the home game experience of les glorlioux. I don't think the hockey people at ESPN had anything to do with the evaluation. Tampa being superior to Montreal as a fan event is absolute bonkers.

Bizarre. I have been to games in Tampa, Raleigh, Sunrise, Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto over the past 24 months. I like Pierre LeBrun but ESPN is not on my NHL reading list. Just this week I listened to Pierre Lebrun talk about the Montreal home opener and heard him say that there is nothing anywhere in hockey to match the home game experience of les glorlioux. I don't think the hockey people at ESPN had anything to do with the evaluation. Tampa being superior to Montreal as a fan event is absolute bonkers.
- spatso

Yeah. ESPN is to hockey what Phil Kessel is to Beach Body

Yeah. ESPN is to hockey what Phil Kessel is to Beach Body
- walshyleafsfan

I'd buy a ticket to see Kessel do P90X.

Toronto - DFL. Hilarious.

1) ESPN has no more business ranking anything to do with hockey as I do ranking college football.

2) Toronto last? Doubtful ESPN even knows who Auston Matthews is, but come on.

3) Nashville has no goalie and isn't doing anything until they can get one.

ESPN stinks Would not watch that idiot channel ever

Eklund: ESPN Places Tampa and Nashville at the top for Ultimate Team Standings...
- Eklund

- Tumbleweed

It's all rigged.

Grab her by the wussy

Toronto last, meh not that big of a deal considering the team the last few years.

Some of those other numbers are just ridiculous!

Montreal near the bottom?
Cubs 48
Florida 7
Blue Jays before Red Sox 68
Cleveland 21
Lakers,Knicks,49ers,bottom of list


I realize theres more to these ranks then favourites and points but again ridiculous!

Trumped up trickle down Bettmanomics.

What ESPN knows about hockey wouldn't fit on the face of a dime.

the city of tampa bay is a garbage dump with a hockey arena in the middle

the city of tampa bay is a garbage dump with a hockey arena in the middle
- gopherwildfan

Spot on!

the city of tampa bay is a garbage dump with a hockey arena in the middle
- gopherwildfan

I thought that was Buffalo.

the city of tampa bay is a garbage dump with a hockey arena in the middle
- gopherwildfan

Wow ... just Wow! at these rankings.

Are they on drugs at ESPN?

This is just a goofy ranking system, and not at all reflective of the best franchises.

27% of the criteria is basically about ticket prices, which eliminates teams who sell out their arena despite charging an arm and a leg, and rewards teams that basically give their tickets away to avoid playing before 15,000 empty seats.

The on ice/field product only counts for about 21% of their criteria.

Total fluff piece by ESPN.

This is just a goofy ranking system, and not at all reflective of the best franchises.

27% of the criteria is basically about ticket prices, which eliminates teams who sell out their arena despite charging an arm and a leg, and rewards teams that basically give their tickets away to avoid playing before 15,000 empty seats.

The on ice/field product only counts for about 21% of their criteria.

Total fluff piece by ESPN.
- Vanoxy

Gotta do something to get people to read. No one would talk about it if the 1-3 rankings were the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and Montreal Canadiens.

This is just a goofy ranking system, and not at all reflective of the best franchises.

27% of the criteria is basically about ticket prices, which eliminates teams who sell out their arena despite charging an arm and a leg, and rewards teams that basically give their tickets away to avoid playing before 15,000 empty seats.

The on ice/field product only counts for about 21% of their criteria.

Total fluff piece by ESPN.
- Vanoxy

agreed

This is just a goofy ranking system, and not at all reflective of the best franchises.

27% of the criteria is basically about ticket prices, which eliminates teams who sell out their arena despite charging an arm and a leg, and rewards teams that basically give their tickets away to avoid playing before 15,000 empty seats.

The on ice/field product only counts for about 21% of their criteria.

Total fluff piece by ESPN.

Good points ... some of these arenas are like (empty) funeral homes.

ESPN ? Who the F cares about ESPN ! Network of terrible talk shows and egomaniacal hosts

ESPN ? Who the F cares about ESPN ! Network of terrible talk shows and egomaniacal hosts
- twpguy

Sound like CNN.