The 2016-17 NHL season is finally underway. We are quickly seeing the strengths that some teams bring to the table, including off-season acquisitions or draft picks, but we’re also seeing the shortcomings that many teams have as well.
One of the biggest surprises thus far was the opening night performance from top overall draft pick Auston Matthews. In his first NHL game, not only did the young star tally his first goal, he managed to bury an incredible four goals against the Ottawa Senators. This incredible number also included goals on his first three shots as an NHL player.
With the NHL season already a few games in, you might wonder what kind of following different players and teams have on Twitter. Thanks to our friends at Twitter Canada, we’re able to share with you the leaders for many different categories.
Starting things out, here is a list of the 5 @NHL teams with the most Twitter followers:
- Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks)
- Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs)
- Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL)
- Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins)
- Pittsburgh Penguins (@Penguins)
Moving on, the most followed NHL players on Twitter may come as a bit of a surprise. They are Alexander Ovechkin (@ovi8), Evgeni Malkin (@malkin71_), P.K. Subban (@PKSubban1), and Roberto Luongo (@strombone1).
The most followed forwards on Twitter includes Ovechkin and Malkin leading the way:
- Alexander Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (@ovi8)
- Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins (@malkin71_)
- Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks (88PKane)
- Claude Giroux, Philadelphia Flyers (@28CGiroux)
- Steven Stamkos, Tampa Bay Lightning (@RealStamkos91)
Kevin Bieksa being the third most followed defenseman may come as a surprise. Here are the top five:
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators (@PKSubban1)
- Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators (@ErikKarlsson65)
- Kevin Bieksa, Anaheim Ducks (@KBieksa3)
- Brent Burns, San Jose Sharks (@Burnzie88)
- Duncan Keith, Chicago Blackhawks (@DuncanKeith)
It’s really not a surprise that Roberto Luongo is the most followed goaltender. He always has funny tweets, even if it involves poking fun at himself. Here are the rest of the top five most followed goaltenders:
- Roberto Luongo, Florida Panthers (@strombone1)
- Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers (@HLundqvist30)
- Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (@CP0031)
- Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (@JonathanQuick32)
- Ryan Miller, Vancouver Canucks (@RyanMiller3039)
The most mentioned NHL players all make sense when you consider the activities of this past off-season. All three of the most mentioned players were involved in highly controversial trades. Here they are:
- P.K. Subban, Nashville Predators (@PKSubban1)
- Taylor Hall, New Jersey Devils (@Hallsy04)
- Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
The young guys are also getting plenty of attention on Twitter. Here are the top three most followed players who are rookies or are entering their sophomore campaign:
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (@CMcDavid97)
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (@AM34)
- William Nylander (@WMNylander)
