Sophistication level has risen for California hockey fans

Veteran hockey writer Eric Duhatschek was on Sportsnet 960 Thursday morning, discussing a wide array of playoff-related subjects.

The conversation shifted toward Game 7 for the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings and he was eventually asked which building he prefers and which crowd is better.

"Both crowds are good," Duhatschek began. "San Jose has the best crowd of the three California teams. I like the Honda Center better, but they're both really good buildings for hockey...

"The fans here - that's the other thing Boom - the fans here have become more sophisticated. That's the one thing I've noticed in all the years I've been coming to California. I think it's because a lot of people play hockey down here now and the generation of people that are watching the games have grown up with the game.

"People used to make fun of the people here. 'They don't know anything about hockey.' That's changed. The people that go to the games, they get it the way people in Canada get it and they enjoy it I think the way people in Canada do. There's not as many of them as where we're from, but the ones that are here - they're just like regular hockey fans. They know when to boo at the right time, they know when to cheer at the right time."

Source: Sportsnet 960