Go for it. I guess Fantasy Hockey sort of counts as hockey. Just realize that there are always some ultra-competitive geeks out there that will do nothing but overanalyze stats so that they can become the God of Fantasy Hockey. Local sports fans are so accustomed to having their college teams compete for Top 25 status that they have become spoiled. A team that is not an instant and perennial contender is flatly ignored until 'rivalry games' are played.
Bandwagon fans are the average fan, especially in hockey.
You consistently see large contingents of Detroit, Philly and Boston fans when they come to town. I contend that if you go anywhere else in the league you will have more home team fans than here. ESPN analyst Barry Melrose remarked on how quickly Nashville, TN and Atlanta, GA have embraced their new teams, even with the limited success they've realized, so you can't pin it on the 'Southerners don't want to learn hockey' idea. An area like Raleigh, with deep, long-running athletic pride and tradition should be MORE possessive and supportive of a home team than the average franchise city. To date, this isn't true.