Report: Dallas Stars are 2nd-most disliked team in North American sports

According to analysis compiled by Linkfluence, the Dallas Stars are the second-most disliked team in North American sports.

Only the Las Vegas Raiders are disliked more than the Dallas Stars, according to social media activity from July 2020 to July 2021. The Stars received 9.86% of all negative impressions involving North American sports teams. The Arizona Coyotes ranked third on Linkfluence’s list with 9.33% of all negative impressions.

Consumer insights platform Linkfluence complied and analyzed the social media activity that supports the “most disliked” rankings. Linkfluence is a consumer insights platform engineered to scour through countless hours of social media posts in search of specific topics or trends. Linkfluence’s service is most commonly used by marketing departments seeking to maximize their organization’s social media presence.

NHL fans jealous of Dallas’s run through the 2020 playoff bubble also contributed to Linkfluence’s findings

There is plenty of evidence on Twitter to support the idea that Dallas Stars fans are often publicly negative. One might conclude Stars fans’ disappointment during the 2020-21 season routinely spilled onto social multiple media outlets. It is also likely NHL fans jealous of Dallas’s run through the 2020 playoff bubble also contributed to Linkfluence’s findings.

Yes, we are looking at you, fans of the Colorado Avalanche, Nashville Predators, and St. Louis Blues.

It is interesting that 5 NHL teams appear in Linkfluence’s top 10 “most disliked” teams in North American sports. Joining the Stars and Coyotes are the Toronto Maple Leafs (8.85%), Vancouver Canucks (8.57%), and Buffalo Sabres (8.29%).

One might have guessed the Leafs and Canucks would headline any “most disliked” NHL team lists using social media interactions. Both fan bases are extremely passionate, but often negative due to the clash of high expectations and disappointing finishes. The same can be said of Sabres fans dealing with years of underperforming lineups and the Jack Eichel drama.

If there is a silver lining to Linkfluence’s “most disliked” analysis it is that NHL fans are present. The social media attention teams like the Dallas Stars are receiving can be largely negative, but it is attention nevertheless. One cannot disregard the importance of such attention and how it weighs on the NHL’s ability to market their product.

It was not long ago when the league suffered major setback in the aftermath of the 2012-13 lockout. -J.G.