Bring Back the NHL Fact Sheet, Short Version, Feb. 6, 2026

Written By HWBC

PREPARED BY: PETER R. DEMALLIE, URBAN PLANNER & HWBC MEMBER

https://www.hartfordwhalersbc.com/knowledge-corridor-blog/bring-back-nhl-fact-sheet-short-version

  • New England’s Knowledge Corridor (AKA Metro Hartford, Springfield, New Haven)

  • Nation’s 20th largest market with a population of 2,884, 112 between #19 Denver and #21 St. Louis.

  • The NEKC market has a workforce of 1,532,920.

  • The NEKC has 220,447 college students in 42 colleges & universities (e.g., main campuses of UMass, UConn & Yale). It also heralds some of the nation’s best prep schools and public school systems.

  • Home to many corporations with major operations, including ESPN, Stanley Black & Decker, MassMutual, SS&C, The Hartford, CRRC MA, AETNA, Cigna, Pratt & Whitney, Lego, Trumpf, Otis, Voya, & Travelers.

  • Second largest market in New England, after No. 11 Greater Boston.

  • NEKC’s population is 59.18% of Greater Boston (4,873,019).

  • The NEKC has 164 communities, with 2,185,771 residents in Connecticut and 698,341 in Western Massachusetts. Household incomes are relatively high for an NHL market (comparable to Raleigh/Durham, albeit with a much larger number of households than The Research Triangle).

  • Area: 4,413 square miles (653 residents/square mile).

  • Larger than 30 of the nation’s top 50 markets, including St. Louis, Baltimore, Charlotte, Pittsburgh, Orlando, Portland, and Las Vegas.2

  • Of the ten largest markets in Canada, only Toronto and Montreal are larger.

  • Larger than sixteen current NHL markets.

  • We define the region as the 3 counties around Springfield, 3 around Hartford, & New Haven County, plus 12 communities in the immediate Hartford Metro area which are in three abutting counties.

  • The nation’s largest market without a major pro sports team (NHL, MLS, NBA, MLB, or NFL).

  • Served by Bradley International Airport (BDL), the 2nd largest & “most convenient” in New England, with $453 million in recent improvements.

  • Since the NHL’s departure in 1997, transit improvements include the 62 mile “Hartford Line” commuter rail system (800,000 passengers annually), and the “CTfastrak” 9.3-mile/11 station bus rapid transit line into Hartford (2.5 million passengers annually).

  • Major expressways are Interstates 84,90,91 & 95.

  • Ten county tv market serves population of 3,348,461 with 1,117,490 TV households (nation’s 22nd largest).

  • Attractions: Basketball Hall of Fame/Yale/Wadsworth Atheneum

    For further information, contact Peter DeMallie at pdemallie@designprofessionalsinc.com or 860-922-0920

HWBC https://www.hartfordwhalersbc.com
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Bring Back the NHL Fact Sheet, Long Version, Feb. 6, 2026