Sorry Canucks fans, most Canadians believe the Leafs have a better chance at the Stanley Cup
Most Canadians believe the Leafs and Oilers have a better shot at the Cup than the Canucks, according to a new poll.
Perhaps it comes as no surprise, of all the Canadian teams vying for Lord Stanley’s Cup, most British Columbians believe the Vancouver Canucks have the greatest shot at winning it all.
Also not a shocker, the sentiment is not shared by the rest of the country.
When the Angus Reid Institute asked Canadians which team they believed was most likely to prevail, hockey fans were largely divided between the Toronto Maple Leafs (21 per cent) and the Edmonton Oilers (20 per cent).
Only 14 per cent of those surveyed across the country chose the Canucks, with the Jets coming in last, at five per cent.
“The Leafs are an original six team, there’s a lot of lore, and so there's still a lot of love for the Leafs, particularly Ontario (and) east,” said pollster Shachi Kurl.
institute conducted an online survey between April 9 and 11
Vancouver fans are likely to expect a lot of the team in this year’s playoffs.
After a shaky mid-season, the Canucks have been playing better of late, are expecting the return of starting goalie Thatcher Demko.
“I think the Canucks right now are very, very well positioned when you look at what your potential matchups are going to be in the first round,” said TSN’s Farhan Lalji.
“I’ve never seen this league enter a playoff with this level of parity. There’s probably 12 or 14 teams that believe they’ve got a legitimate shot to win the Cup,” he said.
Four of those teams are from Canadian cities and the survey found an increasing number of fans country said they will cheer for any team that could end the country's multi-decade drought.
"For many Canadians, the team to win has evidently become less important than the act of winning. In 2016, 57 per cent of Canadians said they didn’t care which team ended the drought, while 43 per cent said the team to win was important to them. Now, nearing two-thirds (64 per cent) say they’ll cheer for any team that calls Canada home," a news release form the Angus Reid Institute said.
The poll come from a two-day online survey that asked a representative sample of 1,615 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. A sample of that size has a margin error plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20, according to the institute.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada outlines national action plan to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Canucks' Brock Boeser out for decisive Game 7 vs. Oilers: coach
Canucks star Brock Boeser will miss Game 7 of Vancouver's second-round playoff series Monday against the Edmonton Oilers, according to reports.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.