NHL playoffs: Leafs, Oilers lead the way in Angus Reid poll, Canucks third

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Go … someone. Anyone?

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As always, regionalism remains a key factor in determining which Canadian team hockey fans hope to see lift the Stanley Cup after a three-decade drought. But support for any team north of the border taking home the prize has grown as the country grapples with its wounded pride over our NHL franchises’ shared futility in the national game.

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The latest Angus Reid Institute poll shows strong local support for the Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets or Toronto Maple Leafs to win it all as the NHL playoffs are set to begin.

Countrywide, fans give the Leafs, at 21 per cent, and Oilers, at 20 per cent, the best chance to win it all in June. That drops to 14 per cent support for the Canucks and only five per cent counting on the Jets.

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But frustrated fans are increasingly willing to cheer for any squad that can bring the Cup back to Canada for the first time since the Montreal Canadiens won it all in 1993. Back in 2016, 57 per cent said they didn’t care who did it, as long as it happened. Now, that’s jumped to two-thirds (64 per cent) who will cheer for any team in Canada.

Still, the east-west divide persists. In Ontario (73 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (52 per cent), it’s all about Toronto. In B.C., 83 per cent hope to see the Canucks finally win it all, similar to Manitoba where Winnipeg is the top choice (86 per cent). Not quite two-thirds (64 per cent) in Alberta, meanwhile, are rooting for Edmonton. Hello, Calgarians!

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As for which team the country’s hockey fans expect to break the “curse” first, times have changed. In 2016, the Canadiens were the choice of most (26 per cent). By 2019, it was all about the Leafs (31 per cent), but that’s dropped steadily since, and now just 21 per cent think Toronto has what it takes. Repeated early playoff ousters and not making the Eastern Conference final since 2002 will do that.

The NHL, in general, has pretty widespread support, with two in five Canadians saying they’re fans of the league. That’s the highest of any poll since 2016, even if there’s a perception commissioner Gary Bettman and the game’s stewards are too keen to see U.S. teams succeed.

Nevertheless, at least two in five Canadian hockey fans in every region say they’re excited for the playoffs to begin. Which makes sense, given how close teams have come during the drought. The Canucks, twice (1994 and 2011), Flames (2004) and Oilers (2006) have all come within a game of hoisting the Stanley Cup since 1993, while both the Ottawa Senators (2007) and Montreal Canadiens (2020) have made the finals.

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So something’s gotta give, right? Go … someone? Anyone!

The Angus Reid Institute online survey was conducted April 9 to 11 among a randomized sample of 1,615 Canadian adults who are part of the Angus Reid forum. It has a margin of error of plus/minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

jruttle@postmedia.com

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