It was a good season for the Canucks and an even better season for the NHL

In its annual press release recapping the recently completed regular season, the NHL reported the final viewership totals both in the building and at home.

Chief among them was the fact that this regular season was the most viewed since the 2015-16 campaign and the most watched on cable in the US in more than 30 years. A total of over 58.6 million fans across North America tuned in to the 2624 games played over the last six months. While those numbers pale in comparison to what the NBA and NFL churned out this year, it is certainly an encouraging sign that the sport of hockey remains alive and well while seeing continued growth across the continent.

The records also carry over to in-arena attendance with the NHL reporting that 22,873,142 fans (97% capacity) took in games during the regular season. Even with all of the arena drama surrounding the Coyotes and attendance issues with the Jets, the total number is the highest the league has ever seen in its 106 years of existence. Those numbers are bound to increase even further once the new Utah team begins play next season at the Delta Center and the Jets get back on track with their attendance.

Additionally, the NHL saw the average viewership in the US and Canada increase this season. Hockey Night in Canada is up 7% YOY with an average viewership of 1.265 million while both the major American broadcasters and cable views have increased 8% YOY (504K and 410K average views respectively).

Anyway you slice it, this season was a major success for the league and it is only bound to get better with the postseason fast approaching. The on-product has never been more entertaining than it is right now and it is only going to improve as even more talented players join the league in the coming years. It is far from the most popular sports league in North America, but it is very much still relevant with plenty of room for further growth.

Suffice to say, the NHL is still kicking as the best hockey league in the world and the numbers from the regular season back that up.