Hockey fans take to Twitter as top Canadian teams return to the Stanley

With five Canadian @NHL teams heading to the postseason in 2017, this was one of the most talked about seasons in recent memory north of the border.

Here is a snapshot of the five teams bound for the #StanleyCup playoffs and how they stacked up during the 2016/2017 regular season on Twitter.

Most Twitter mentions:

1. Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs)
3. Edmonton Oilers (@edmontonoilers)
4. Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames)
5. Ottawa Senators (@Senators)

Most new Twitter followers:

1. Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL)
2. Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs)
3. Edmonton Oilers (@edmontonoilers)
4. Ottawa Senators (@Senators)
5. Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames)

For players on those five teams, here is a look at the 10 NHLers who had the most regular season mentions on Twitter.

1. Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (@AM34)
2. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (@cmcdavid97)
3. Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (@CP0031)
4. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs (@Marner93)
5. Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
6. Max Pacioretty, Montreal Canadiens
7. Alex Galchenyuk, Montreal Canadiens (@AGally94)
8. William Nylander, Toronto Maple Leafs (@wmnylander)
9. Erik Karlsson, Ottawa Senators (@ErikKarlsson65)
10. Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames (@johngaudreau03)

Who were the most mentioned players on Canada’s non-#StanleyCup playoff teams?

• Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks
• Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets

To start the #StanleyCup playoffs in style, our team at Twitter Canada will be launching a new fan campaign to showcase top hockey hashtags in support of Canada’s five postseason NHL teams. Both on Twitter and in digital and outdoor billboards across the country, top trending hashtags for the game matchups will be showcased, inviting fans to join or follow the conversation.

Twitter content will be updated on a regular basis based on what’s happening on and off the ice. Canadian fans can join the conversation by Tweeting using the features hashtags and keeping an eye on Twitter and digital signages in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. The campaign starts on April 12, 2017 and will run through the entirety of the #StanleyCup playoffs.

The Battle of Alberta

The #BattleOfAlberta reignited this season, resulting in return of both the @edmontonoilers and the @NHLFlames to the #StanleyCup playoffs.

Here’s a snapshot of who’s winning the #BattleOfAlberta on Twitter:

• The @edmontonoilers have more than 1.2x more followers than the @NHLFlames on Twitter and they also gained 1.4x more followers during the 2016/2017 regular season
• In terms of Twitter mentions, the Oilers had 1.5x more mentions than the Flames during the 2016/2017 regular season
• The Oilers’ most followed player, centre Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97), has 2.1x more followers than the Flames’ most followed player, goaltender Brian Elliott (@KidElls1)
• The Oilers’ January 14th shootout win over the Flames was the most Tweeted about #BattleOfAlberta match-up of the 2016/2017 regular season

These were the top five Oilers with the most 2016/2017 regular season mentions:

1. Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97)
2. Cam Talbot (@ctalbot33)
3. Milan Lucic (@27MilanLucic)
4. Patrick Maroon
5. Jordan Eberle (@ebs_14)

These were the top five Flames with the most 2016/2017 regular season mentions:

1. Johnny Gaudreau (@johngaudreau03)
2. Matthew Tkachuk (@TKACHUKycheese_)
3. Brian Elliott (@KidElls1)
4. Sean Monahan (@Monahan20)
5. Mikael Backlund (@mbacklund11)

#OriginalSix Rivals

Tensions rose between #OriginalSix rivals the Montreal Canadiens (@MTL) and the Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) during the regular season as the teams did battle in the @NHL Atlantic Division.

Here’s a snapshot of who’s winning this #OriginalSix rivalry on Twitter:

• The @MapleLeafs have 1.1x more followers than the @canadiensMTL on Twitter although the Canadiens gained 1.2x more followers during the 2016/2017 regular season
• In terms of Twitter mentions, the Canadiens had 1.9x more mentions than the Leafs during the 2016/2017 regular season
• The Canadiens’ most followed player, goaltender Carey Price (@CP0031), has 1.7x more followers than the Leafs’ most followed player, forward Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri)

These were the top five Canadiens with the most 2016/2017 regular season mentions:

1. Carey Price (@CP0031)
2. Shea Weber
3. Max Pacioretty
4. Alex Galchenyuk (@AGally94)
5. Brendan Gallagher (@BGALLY17)

These were the top five Maple Leafs with the most 2016/2017 regular season mentions:

1. Auston Matthews (@AM34)
2. Mitch Marner (@Marner93)
3. William Nylander (@wmnylander)
4. Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri)
5. Frederik Andersen (@f_andersen30)