Former Senator Mark Stone tosses a stick to a young fan after being named first star following a game against the Montreal Canadiens. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photography/Getty Images)

Chicago Blackhawks fans have proven they are undoubtably loyal after tallying a third consecutive year as the leader in NHL attendance, despite missing the playoffs the past two seasons.

United Center recorded 932,098 total fans this year, equalling an average of 107.2 percent sold each home game. They increased their total attendance by almost 50,000 this year.

The 2018-19 NHL attendance leaders! pic.twitter.com/H9xcqqHbog — NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) June 27, 2019

Analyzing attendance numbers over one season shows which fan bases are growing the fastest.

Colorado: The most impressive single season growth goes to the Avalanche with a whopping 8.0 percent growth from 87.1 to 95.1. This season exposed the fire of their young talent, taking down first-place Calgary and almost ousting the San Jose Sharks in the playoffs. Expect Colorado’s attendance to keep climbing Rocky Mountain high.

Carolina: The Bunch of Jerks storm-surged their way out of last place with 5.4 percent growth over one season. Even if you didn’t like the Jerks, not naming any names, you have to acknowledge the innovation and excitement they brought to their fanbase this year.

View photos NHL attendance rankings (2017-2018) More

View photos NHL attendance rankings (2018-2019) More

On the other side of the spectrum, some situations just seem to keep getting worse.

Ottawa: The Senators went from 85.3 percent attendance to 76.0 percent. They had the biggest drop of 9.3 percent, putting them last place in the league in both points and attendance. They have the biggest potential for improvement next season, they just need to create their own Sens Surge, and making the playoffs might help as well.

St. Louis: The Stanley Cup Champions dropped 5.2 percent in attendance this season. This is undoubtably due to the fact they were in last place in January — did you ever hear that story? These numbers are skewed with an entire season sample size, which is sure to improve when the Blues defend their championship next year. Play Gloria!

Other honourable mentions:

Montreal: The Canadiens were very close to having the most total fans last season with 862,914, only 69,184 away from matching the huge numbers Chicago put up, along with the second highest average.

Toronto: The Leafs jump from 6th to 4th could be due to the offseason acquisition of their hometown boy, John Tavares, and the promise of ending their 51-year drought.

Vegas: The Golden Knights secured second place after the success of their inaugural season, proving all the haters wrong who said hockey couldn’t work in the desert. They’re only 1.7 percent in growth away from taking over the top spot next season.

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