When it comes to stirring the pot, NY Rangers fans are the best in the NHL. Fans in New York are not shy to rub it in their rivals’ faces, especially when it’s a big win.
A recent study published by Casino.org looked into a fun metric called the Rage-Bait Index. Yes, the metric is exactly what it sounds like.
The metric looked into behaviors that qualify as rage-baiting, such as:
- Bragging after beating a rival
- Posting memes to mock another team
- Celebrating a rival’s loss online or directly in front of opposing fans
- Booing opposing fans
- Replying to a rival to annoy them
- Start an argument with a rival fan
Naturally, NY Rangers fans do not engage in destructive or hurtful behaviors. Let’s just say this type of rage-baiting is about magnifying the opposition’s sense of defeat.
Based on those criteria, the Blueshirts racked up a score of 81.7 of 100, taking into account a sample size of over 4,000 fans across all four major North American sports. The study showed that NY Rangers fans are not shy about plastering their team’s wins across media.
“More than half (57.1%) have intentionally posted online to upset rival fans, while supporters showcase an average of 3.42 different rage-baiting behaviors – the highest of any fan base across all four major sports leagues. Their favorite ways to stir the pot include bragging after beating a rival (71.4%), celebrating a team’s loss directly in front of them (57.1%), and posting memes to mock another team (57%).”
In short, the study concluded that NY Rangers fans equally get under opponents’ skin inside and outside of Madison Square Garden.
NY Rangers Have One of NHL’s Most Passionate Fanbases
It should be no surprise that the NY Rangers have one of the NHL’s most passionate fanbases. As an Original Six team, the Blueshirts have a long-standing tradition in the city. But it’s more than just hockey.
That’s why NY Rangers fans are fourth among all North American sports in rage-baiting behaviors.
New York City sports fans are passionate about all of their local teams. The energy that goes into supporting teams like the New York Knicks was palpable last spring during the NBA title run.
Incidentally, Knicks fans ranked eighth with a 77.4 rage-bait score.
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Blueshirts Will Be Looking to Give Fans Something to Brag About in 2026-27
Unfortunately for NY Rangers fans, the last couple of seasons haven’t been overly successful. But that’s something the team wants to change. The Blueshirts hope to give their fans something to brag about in 2026-27, by getting back to their winning ways.
The expectation will be for the club to get back into the playoff picture following a busy offseason. A solid start to the season could be just the catalyst to get the NY Rangers back into the postseason. Once there, the team can go on a run and cause some serious damage.
Who knows, this might be the season in which the NY Rangers bring back the Stanley Cup. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be surprising to see New York fans top the rage-baiting index.
NY Rangers Fans Pros at Stirring the Pot, the Numbers Show It