Florida’s Most Hated NHL Team: It’s Not Who You Think

Hockey in Florida has evolved into a serious sport, shedding its novelty status and gaining traction among fans. With the Tampa Bay Lightning reaching the Stanley Cup Final for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022 and the Florida Panthers making their mark with a Final appearance in 2023, the state has become a hotbed for hockey excitement. While this season may break a six-year streak of Florida teams in the championship series, both the Panthers and Lightning remain strong contenders for future titles, fueling an intense in-state rivalry that has produced thrilling games over the past several seasons.

In a recent analysis by RotoWire.com, the focus shifted from the fierce rivalry to the broader question of which NHL team is most disliked by Floridians. Surprisingly, the data revealed that neither the Panthers nor the Lightning holds the title of the most hated team in the state. Instead, that dubious honor goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs, making Florida the only state to claim Toronto as its most disliked NHL franchise.

This revelation may seem counterintuitive, especially considering that a Florida team has eliminated the Maple Leafs from the playoffs in three of the last four seasons: Tampa Bay in 2022 and Florida in both 2023 and 2025. One might expect that such playoff history would breed animosity toward the in-state rivals rather than a team from Canada.

Interestingly, the Panthers and Lightning did not appear as the most hated teams in any other state either. This trend reflects a larger pattern observed in the data collection, where the Vegas Golden Knights emerged as the most disliked team across 11 states, including Hawaii and Alaska. Following them are the Colorado Avalanche, disliked in eight states, and the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens, each hated in five states.

In New York, the Boston Bruins reign as the most hated, while the New York Rangers take that title in Pennsylvania and the Canadiens in Massachusetts. Some results were particularly surprising, such as the Philadelphia Flyers being most disliked in West Virginia and the Edmonton Oilers in Nevada. As the debate rages on, fans are encouraged to share their thoughts: Do you agree that the Toronto Maple Leafs are the most hated NHL team in Florida, aside from the Panthers and Lightning?

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.