Utica is Ranked Where Among Top Hockey Cities?!?

Every year financial services website WalletHub puts together a ranking of U.S. towns and cities by specific sports. Recently it unveiled 2019's Best Cities for Hockey Fans.

WalletHub "ranked 73 U.S. cities based on 21 key indicators of a good hockey city," with "data set ranges from ticket prices to stadium capacity to the performance level of each city’s teams." Boston and St. Louis, this year's representatives in the NHL Stanley Cup Finals, both finished high (1st and 11th) in the rankings. Plus, no fewer than 11 New York state markets showed up.

However, Utica and Syracuse were both absent from the list.

How can that be? Both cities in Central New York have thriving hockey fan bases and very competitive and entertaining products. The Utica Comets hold the American Hockey League record for consecutive home attendance sellouts at the Adirondack Bank Center.

Let's get this straight: Empire State communities like Ithaca and Potsdam and Schenectady made the list of top hockey cities? And Utica didn't?

Also, the New York college teams in Lewiston, Canton and Troy were among the Worst Performing NCAA Division 1 Men's Teams in the entire country. Yet, they all scored spots on the list of "best" hockey towns. So, what's THAT takeaway? That there's an abundance of tickets available in those communities to go watch a lousy team?

What gives, WalletHub? Utica doesn't show up? But Huntsville, Alabama DOES? For ice hockey?!? Who conducted the research? SpongeBob SquarePants?