NHL teams rank high on ESPN's "Ultimate Standings"

Business Wire is passing along the results of the latest ESPN "Ultimate Standings" (thanks to the pointer from Kukla's Korner), which rank professional sports teams in the NHL as well as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. The 122 teams were rated in terms of on-field accomplishments, the "bang for the buck" paid by the fan, stadium experience, and a host of other factors.

Follow after the jump to see how all the NHL teams, including the Nashville Predators, landed...

Out of 122 total teams ranked, the Nashville Predators finished 29th overall, and 9th among NHL teams (up from 37th last year). Their local competition, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, fell from 15th last year to 37th. The following table splits out the various hockey franchises:

The Toronto Maple Leafs barely avoided the bottom rung overall (which went to the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers), despite ranking last in a number of areas (Price of tickets, Bang for the Buck). Another bottom feeder was Nassau Coliseum, home to the New York Islanders and named as the worst venue in sports for the second year in a row. On the opposite end, the Pittsburgh Penguins ranked #1 in Fan Relations, and the Detroit Red Wings topped the Ownership category.

With a league-wide average ranking of 57.2, the NHL teams ranked, as a group, slightly higher than the competition from the other 3 major sports (61.5 would have been average). The overall champion was the NFL champion New Orleans Saints,

You can also view the complete rankings over at ESPN.