NHL: Dissecting the Concept of the True Hockey Fan

What makes someone a "true" NHL fan more so than another?

As NHL fans, we constantly hear this phrase tossed around, usually in the form of an accusation from one who considers himself to be that "true" fan to one who has not earned that prestigious title.

Following some recent events, I decided to further investigate why some fans make it a point to call themselves more pure in their love of hockey than others and break down the factors that come into play when deciding a fan's legitimacy as a "true" fan.

The concept of the "true" NHL fan has been around since hockey came into existence but has especially come into play following the NHL lockout in 2005. This was the time when the NHL developed new strategies to promote the game and thought success would come by marketing certain players.

With the NHL going above and beyond to promote itself, many kinds of fans began to take interest in the sport. Some of these were fans of teams seeing the most success at the time, some were girls looking for another notch on their belts, and others only tuned in when the gloves dropped.

Many so-called "true" fans were disgusted by this behavior. They felt they were above these fans and wanted to separate themselves from them to avoid any kind of association.

Looking at many different examples, I've concluded that are three things that factor in to the behavior of all NHL fans:

1) The Reason for Becoming a Fan

"True" fans love the game of hockey for what it is, a fast-paced sport that required stamina, mental and physical toughness, agility and strength.

To them, it's all about hockey at its purest.

However, there are plenty of people who watch for different reasons. Here we include the puck bunnies, the corporate businessmen who use games as an extension of their business and the people who only care when two players are dropping the gloves.

"True" fans have such a burning love for hockey that showing interest in the sport for any other reason is a disrespect to the game. They understand the amount of time hockey players put into training their bodies and minds for the long 82+ game season along with being a skilled craftsmen.

They also stick by their team regardless of success or failures. A string of losses in a season or a string of losing season won't stop these fans from wearing their team's colors and cheering them on at home games or from their TV.

Many times, the "true" fans will see the girls in glittery pink jerseys, wearing too much make up and not enough clothing for the chilly arena and think, "You're missing out on one of the greatest games in the world. If only you could learn more about the game, you could see that."

However, depending on the "true" fan, it may not always come out in the most polite manner.

Becoming a student of the game and constantly growing in hockey knowledge is what drives these fans. They want to eat, sleep and talk hockey and grow as if they were the ones lacing the skates 82 times a year.

2) How Long Has the "Fan" Been a Fan?

Many seem to think that loyalty can be measured by how long a fan has been cheering on his team.

Especially after the 2005 lockout, many "true" fans have been reluctant to believe that newer fans have become fans for the right reasons, especially teams that benefited after the lockout such as the Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins and Chicago Blackhawks.

They may feel more reluctant if the "fan's" reasons for becoming a hockey fan look fishy as well (see point 1).

However, a look into the less popular markets can completely trump this myth.

It's easy to call a new Pens or Blackhawks fan a bandwagoner because their interest in the game is new and they have massive talents to boast. But what about those smaller markets like Nashville or Phoenix?

While they aren't the booming fanbases that boast consecutive sellouts, there are fans that become curious about the sport and, with their $40 tickets, can attend games and feed the interest. Are these people any less of a fan because they were introduced to the game later?

Of course not.

Fans of the bigger markets tend to be in bigger hole because it's easy to be pegged a bandwagon fan when Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin were the reason you started watching hockey.

The trick in convincing people otherwise is in the final point.

3) The Attitude Toward Hockey and Its Fans

No matter how new a fan is to hockey or why they like the sport in the first place, a good attitude will get someone a long way. 

Simply put, a bandwagon Caps fan will gain more respect from a seasoned Pens fan if they can engage in hockey talk rather than the Caps fan smack talking how the Pens can't seem to beat the Caps in regulation during the season.

Similar to how hockey players enter the NHL at the bottom and have to work their way up, it seems that fans have to earn the right to smack talk other teams. More knowledge equals more power. Even then, too much smack talk of other people's team can earn you a beer spilled conveniently on your brand new jersey, regardless of age.

The best way to remedy this is to remember the following: Hockey, in the end, is just a fun sport that we were given to enjoy. Act accordingly and you will make life so much easier.

This can be applied to so many aspects of hockey fandom.

If your team is on a losing streak, don't panic and be patient with your team instead of pretending like you know that trading away your second line center for a first line winger is best for the team. If your watching your team get killed in another team's arena, don't start hashing out at the fans, but rather, be able to laugh at yourself and your team and show that you're still enjoying yourself. If you're a new fan, don't expect to gain respect by smack talking to more knowledgeable fans.

But these are just suggestions, of course.

Overall, an attitude that isn't destructive and is all about enjoying the game of hockey is far more telling of a fan rather than how long he's been a fan or for what reason.

In short, the idea of the "true" NHL fan comes from a mirage of issues some fans have with other fans. Those differences are sometimes used to make some fans seem less legitimate than others.

There is an argument for both sides.

On one hand, people who claim to be "true" NHL fans have every right to be upset with fans they feel kill the image of hockey in the United States, a country that hasn't embraced hockey as it has embraced other sports. But on the other hand, who are they to make those judgments in the first place, rather than simply worry about themselves and their reasons?

As for whether either behavior is acceptable, that is entirely up for us to decide.

What do you think?

Laura Falcon is a Featured Columnist for the Pittsburgh Penguins and a college writing intern for Bleacher Report. Follow her on Twitter or email her at [e-mail] with any comments.

A special thanks to Zach Vanderberg and Kevin Miller for their opinions and input.