(TORONTO, 9 October 2024) – Most Canadians do not think a Canadian team will win this year despite the Edmonton Oilers getting so close to winning the Stanley Cup last year, a new Pallas Data survey has found.
“One would think that Canadians would be a little more positive about a Canadian team winning the Stanley Cup this year given that the Oilers were one game away from winning it all last year, but that’s not the case,” said Dr. Joseph Angolano, founder and CEO of Pallas Data.
38% of respondents do not think a Canadian team will lift the Cup this year, while 18% think a Canadian team will win the Stanley Cup. 43% said that they were unsure.
“When we did this survey last year, 21% thought that a Canadian team would win the Cup, so Canadians are feeling less optimistic about the Cup coming home,” continued Angolano.
The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian NHL team to win the Stanley Cup in 1993, beating the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
Pallas surveyed 1304 Canadian adults 18 years or older and eligible to vote through Interactive Voice Recording (IVR) technology on October 5th, 2024. The margin of error is +/- 2.7% at the 95% confidence level.
Oilers Seen As Having Best Chance To End Cup Drought
When asked which Canadian team has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup this season, 37% said the Edmonton Oilers, 15% said the Edmonton Oilers, and 18% said the Montreal Canadiens.
“Last year, 21% thought that the Oilers were Canada’s best hope of winning the Cup,” continued Angolano. “The fact that the Oilers got so close last year has led people to think they are the best hope to win the Cup.”
Among frequent NHL followers, there is more confidence that the Cup will come home. 43% of respondents who said they follow the NHL very closely and watch a lot of games thought a Canadian team would win the Cup.
“Many NHL pundits pick the Oilers to win the Stanley Cup this year, so it is no surprise that the Oilers are picked to win the Cup this year by Canadians who watch the NHL closely,” continued Angolano.
Most Canadians Say They Don’t Follow The NHL
Despite hockey being Canada’s national pastime, Most Canadians don’t follow the NHL closely. 16% said that they follow the NHL very closely, and 21% said that they follow the NHL fairly closely.
32% said that they don’t follow the NHL that closely and only watch one or two games a year, and 31% said that they don’t watch the NHL at all.
“These aren’t strong numbers for the NHL if over half of the hockey’s base market of Canada say that they only watch one or two games a year, if any,” said Dr. Angolano.
The Montreal Canadiens: Canada’s Favourite Hockey Team–Again
The survey also found that the Montreal Canadiens are Canada’s most popular NHL team for the second straight year.
23% of those surveyed said the Habs were their favourite NHL team, followed by the Leafs with 20%. The Oilers were next with 12%, followed by the Vancouver Canucks with 9%, the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets are tied with 7%, while the Ottawa Senators have 5%.
Methodology:
The analysis in this report is based on results of a survey conducted on October 5th, 2024 among a sample of 1304 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in Canada and are eligible to vote in federal elections. The survey was conducted using automated telephone interviews using Interactive Voice Recording technology (IVR). Respondents were interviewed on landlines and cellular phones. The sample was weighted by age, gender, and region according to the 2021 Census. The survey is intended to represent the adult population in Canada.
The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7%, at the 95% confidence level. Margins of error
are higher in each subsample.
Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
