Vancouver Canucks hockey fans have already reached a fervor greater than the excitement about the 2010 Olympic Winter Games that gripped B.C. last year – even though the puck hasn't even dropped yet.
An Ipsos Reid online poll released Tuesday found that eight out of 10 British Columbians are excited to see the Canucks play in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Steve Mossop, Canada West president of Ipsos Reid, was surprised by the results because the final has yet to begin.
"The Olympics, we thought, was the biggest moment in the sporting history of our country and yet the power of hockey has surpassed it," he told ctvbc.ca on Tuesday.
More than half – 53 per cent – of British Columbians said they are "very excited" about the Cup. Another 29 per cent considered themselves "somewhat excited."
That compares with only 53 per cent, total, of people who were eagerly anticipating the 2010 Olympics.
"We have the same level of support now that we had after the Olympics were finished," Mossop said.
But unlike the Olympic zeal, Canucks fever is more universal, Mossop said. The boys in blue and green have consistent support across age groups, genders and regions. Olympic support, on the other hand, was higher in the Lower Mainland than elsewhere in the province.
The results also represent a dramatic spike in followers – what diehard fans often refer to as "bandwagon jumpers."
The Canucks have a typical season following of more than 50 per cent of the provincial population. Almost 30 per cent of non-followers have been converted into fans, Mossop says.
Not surprisingly, given the high level of team support, nearly three-quarters of the province believe the Canucks are going to bring the Cup home, while only 10 per cent think the Boston Bruins will win the day.
A CTV.ca poll of more than 500 online visitors found that more than 60 per cent of respondents are cheering on the Canucks as Canada's team.
Ipsos Reid polled 1,661 adult British Columbian panelists online from May 26 to 30. The company statistically weighted the data to represent the province's age and gender composition according to 2006 Census data. The findings have a margin of error plus or minus 2.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20.
