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Boston Bruins
Overall: 93
Title track: 23
Ownership: 78
Coaching: 64
Players: 80
Fan relations: 71
Affordability: 115
Stadium experience: 90
Bang for the buck: 105
Change from last year: -54
Bruins fans have always been passionate about their team, but they've never been known for their patience. The team's missing the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons is certainly reflected in these rankings. And with significant changes to Boston's front office and roster, many questions remain heading into 2015-16.
What's good
The strong title track ranking of 23rd shows that it will take more than one bad season for Bruins fans to forget that 2011 championship and 2013 postseason run. Boston received its highest scores in a category asking whether the team "has won or will win at least one championship in my lifetime." And last season wasn't an abject failure: The Bruins still earned 96 points overall, and many players have described missing the playoffs as a blessing in disguise, because it will give the veteran core plenty of time to rest and recuperate. New general manager Don Sweeney is confident the Bruins will return to the postseason with a chance for a deep run once again.
What's bad
Boston fans pay the second-highest average ticket price by a wide margin, and with parking coming in at a league-high $42, it's a big investment for fans to make their way to the Garden. With these prices, fans expect success on the ice, which explains the large dip in bang for the buck. The Bruins dropped 72 places, to 105th. The average ticket price has gone up $15 since last year, with some sections seeing significantly higher jumps. "You can't plan for a 46 percent increase," said Heather Yunger, a season-ticket holder for 15 seasons. "You can't put that in your budget. Honestly, it makes me feel like my time and my loyalty aren't valued." Perhaps that explains the Bruins' huge drop in fan relations (43 places).
What's new
Fired GM Peter Chiarelli built a Cup winner in Boston, but it wasn't long before he was on the hot seat for the organization's lack of proficiency in the draft. There also seemed to be a rift between ownership and upper management; owner Jeremy Jacobs said during the summer that he should have made a change earlier than mid-April. That uncertainty is reflected in the team's ownership ranking, which dropped from 35th to 78th. The number for coach Claude Julien, who was kept in limbo during the GM search, fell 42 places, and the players ranking went from 21 to 80 in a season's time. The good news for the Bruins is that one bounce-back season will count for quite a bit with this fan base. By next year, all could be forgiven.
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