Hockey’s biggest series has arrived.
As the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning battle it out for the right to hoist the Stanley Cup, hockey fans around the world watch in awe as the NHL champion is decided.
As with any championship in sports, it’s imperative that it’s enjoyed to the best possible effect. Here are five ways to make the most of the Stanley Cup:
Place a bet
One of the best ways to celebrate the Stanley Cup Finals is to get in on the action yourself.
With sports betting platforms and offers like the FanDuel Promo Code NY active in multiple states, hockey fans across the country can place bets on the Avalanche vs. Lightning.
Though sports betting isn’t yet legal in Florida, the market is going steadily in Colorado after bettors placed more than $1.1 billion during the state’s first year of legalized sports gambling.
“Hitting the $1 billion mark is a milestone event for the department, leading us to believe that the trust and competition in the industry are leading bettors from the black market to the regulated market,” Colorado Division of Gaming Director Dan Hartman said in early 2021.
“We believe the legal marketplace is having and will continue to have a positive impact on Colorado.”
Plus, multiple other states, including New York, which has produced a record-breaking market, allows sports betting, many with both online and in-person options. Though hockey may not hold the same type of widespread fandom, and thus betting numbers, as football and basketball, there are still plenty of hockey fans around, and many of them will spend the Stanley Cup Finals putting money down on their preferred team and players.
Learn about the game
While tons of sports fans populate the world, many don’t understand the ins and outs of hockey, a game that is celebrated in multiple countries.
The Stanley Cup may just be the opportunity for them to learn more about, and maybe even become a fan of, the sport and the league that plays it in the United States. And the NHL is only growing, as it reportedly will generate more than $5.2 billion in revenue, a record, this season as it rebounds from the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“What we've done is we've (continued to operate), we've done the fundamentals of our business,” NHL Commissioner Gery Bettman said, according to ESPN. "We had a major increase in our national media revenues in the United States. Our buildings are back to basically where they were (with attendance), and maybe a little better. Our playoffs this year, the first two rounds generated 88% of the revenues that we did in the first two rounds the last time we had normal playoffs (in 2019).
“We continued to put on NHL hockey under the most difficult of times. ... We were able to stabilize the business and power through.”
Go out on the town
One of the best ways to enjoy any sporting event is to take it in with friends, or even friendly strangers, at a bar and/or restaurant.
Comradery is one of the positives of being a sports fan, and there’s nowhere that’s better to revel in that comradery than in a sports bar. And if you’re in Denver, where the Finals are being played, you’re especially in luck, as local businesses have been more than ready to accommodate Stanley Cup fever.
“With the Avalanche making the Stanley Cup and recognizing the fact that many bars and restaurants were negatively impacted by the pandemic, we’ve been looking for any way we can help those businesses continue to recover and make up for any lost income,” Denver Excise and Licenses Department spokesperson Eric Escudero said, according to The Denver Gazette.
“Stanley Cup finals watch parties are getting a lot of interest, and it’s a golden opportunity for some of the bars and restaurants.”
Splurge on top gear
As with those of any sport, hockey fans can’t get enough gear, and that’s especially true during the Stanley Cup Finals.
Whether you’re looking to buy the latest Avalanche or Lightning jersey, or you’re waiting for that commemorative Stanley Cup champions swag to come out, the Finals are the perfect time to stock up on official NHL gear. Both teams are sure to offer special, new products sure to please their fanbase.
After all, what’s the point of being a fan if you can’t flaunt it?
Get pumped for next season
It may seem premature, but it’s really never too early to get excited for the next season.
If you’re not a fan of the Avalanche or Lightning, it’s surely more fun to envision your team making it to the Stanley Cup next season as opposed to simply focusing on the two franchises in it now.
Indulge your fantasies by reading up on the latest news for your team, debating which prospect it will select in the upcoming draft and putting money back for tickets for next year’s big matches.
Who knows? Your hopes could just become reality.
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