Just like that, the NHL Final Four is upon us.  Thrilling.  Around this part of town, hockey has been over since...well, 2004, really.  Playoff hockey has hit the rest of the league, and it seems we're down to four teams: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Dallas.

Our fan hunters thought it was appropriate to peruse down the information super highway and take a gander at each one of these major sports cities had to offer inside the hockey arena.

Let's just say we were impressed.  And, all cities are non-Canadian.  Double bonus.

Western Conference Finals (Detroit Red Wings vs. Dallas Stars)

Detroit Red Wings
We know a little about the Detroit Red Wings fans.  We know about the self-proclaimed "Hockey Town" title.  We also know about the projectile octopuses.

But, we didn't know that the love of mullets spanned as far North as Detroit.  Hailing from St. Louis, where the mullet grows proudly, our fan hunters raise our Busch Lights to the following Detroit superfan.

Dallas Stars
So as to avoid hate mail from Mr. Bissinger, we won't be making any official hockey picks or predictions based on the following photo - but we're guessing a fan base that owns the following member doesn't rate too highly on the "dedication scale", and their team should ultimately be negatively affected.

One thing confuses us, though.  The Stars moved to Dallas in 1993, so an entire generation of the Dallas fan base probably had prior allegiance to other teams around the league.  No big deal.  But, an Edmonton fan in Dallas, Texas?  Strange.

[Hat tip: Kaz and Daz]

Eastern Conference Finals (Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Philadelphia Flyers)

Philadelphia Flyers
Over the past years, our fan hunters have developed a nice set of rules and guidelines that establish a general hierarchy of fan loyalty.  9 out of 10 of our senior fan hunters agree that "permanent skull inking with associated mullet" is in the top 5 list of "fan loyalty" attributes.

Pittsburgh Penguins
Through our copious PIttsburgh fan search, we found 50% of Penguins fans wearing camouflage or Steelers gear...and 50% of fans holding some sort of cutesy penguin stuffed animal.

I guess that's the advantage of playing for host city that has a hockey mascot that actually means something.  Although a bit childish for a grown man to tote around a stuffed animal, it actually makes sense.

That said, a "penguin" fan dressed in a freaking monkey suit makes absolutely no sense...and this column is officially over.  Look for the Penguins to lose handedly in the next round.  Or something like that.