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Dallas Stars Fans Consume 1,203 Extra Calories on Gamedays

Ana Kieu
Bob Goodenow, Dallas Stars

Are you looking for a lighthearted article early in the 2026-27 NHL season? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

The Lines, a sports platform, surveyed 3,000 American and Canadian NHL fans to uncover how game days affect their eating and drinking habits. They found that Dallas Stars fans could gain 30 pounds by the end of the professional hockey season.

Stars fans consume an extra 1,203 calories on game days, which ranks them among the NHL’s biggest game day snackers. Read on for the full survey.

Key Findings
Did you know? After getting a taste of MLB fans’ snacking habits earlier this year, The Lines now put NHL fans to the (taste) test. The brand-new NHL season is underway. The hunger for professional hockey action might be satisfied, but the craving for sweet and savory game day snacks is hard to ignore.

NHL fans consume an extra 865 calories on gamedays compared to non-gamedays. Watching an average of 3.1 games a week, professional hockey fans could face a potential 21-lb weight gain by the end of the NHL regular season.

Calgary Flames fans topped the list, averaging 1,504 extra calories and positioning themselves for a potential 42-lb weight gain by the end of the regular season.

Vegas Golden Knights fans sat at the bottom of the list, averaging 254 extra calories on gamedays and equating to just six pounds over the course of the regular season. 

Dallas Stars Fans’ Snack Rate Finishes Sixth
Dallas Stars fans ranked sixth in snacking on gamedays. Whether the Stars are winning or losing, fans of the victory green and black continue to snack more to participate in shared traditions, cultural rituals, and “fun” factors. The Stars’ gameday experience primarily drives the fans’ snacking habits, and not the team’s performance on the ice.

Stars fans trailed the Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Florida Panthers fans. Flames fans topped the list with 1,504 extra calories, Predators fans consumed 1,440, Lightning fans ate 1,439, Blue Jackets fans devoured 1,374, and Panthers fans polished off 1,276.

Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, and Anaheim Ducks fans rounded out the top 10. Bruins fans continued the list with 1,181 extra calories, Canadiens fans consumed 1,139, Senators fans ate 1,093, and Ducks fans devoured 1,084.

Calgary Flames Fans Snack the Most
Of all the NHL fanbases, Calgary Flames fans consumed the most extra calories on gamedays, averaging 1,504 extra calories and equating to 4-plus hot dogs’ worth of extra calories. Flames fans watch an average of 3.5 games a week, which can lead to a potential 42-lb weight gain by the end of the professional hockey season.

That stands in stark contrast to fans of the Vegas Golden Knights, who consume an average of just 254 extra calories on gamedays — less than 75% of a hot dog and achieving the lowest snack intake among all the NHL fanbases.

Canadian NHL fans Snack More Than American Counterparts
Canadian NHL fans emerge as the biggest snackers compared with American NHL fans. On average, fans of Canadian teams consume 982 extra calories on gamedays, while fans of American teams eat 832 additional calories.

Methodology
In the NHL edition of the “Weight of Game Day” study, The Lines explored how many extra calories professional hockey fans consume on gamedays compared to non-gamedays.

In September 2026, The Lines conducted a survey of 3,000 NHL fans across the United States and Canada. Of all respondents, 52% identified as male, 47% as female, and 1% as non-binary. The average age was 41.3 years.

Respondents were asked about their favorite NHL team and how many NHL games they watch on average each week.

Respondents were presented with a list of popular gameday snacks, food, and beverages, and asked to indicate how many servings they typically consume on gamedays vs. non-gamedays. The list included fries, pizza slices, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, poutine, soda, and beer.

Respondents self-reported the average number of servings they consumed each item on gamedays and non-gamedays.

An accomplished journalist, Ana Kieu has been working as a sportswriter for a decade. Ana's sportswriting experience includes both national and local media outlets, such as USA Today, SB Nation, Inside Hockey, SFBay.ca, and Sports Radio Service.