Canadians are coming together Edmonton Oilers be ahead of Stanley Cup Finalbut according to a new poll, some are voting at higher rates than others.
The survey, conducted exclusively for Global News by Ipsos, shows that 57% of Canadians support Connor McDavid’s team as they prepare for Florida Panthers.
By comparison, only 9 percent backed the Sunshine State team.
Additionally, 68% of respondents, including 72% of fans of rival Canadian teams, said they believe Edmonton is now “Canada’s Team.”
Rival fans also rooted for the Oilers to win the championship.
The poll found that 68 percent of rival team fans supported the Oilers, compared to just 13 percent for the Panthers.
Among them, the Winnipeg Jets (78%) and Calgary Flames (74%) have the highest fan support, followed by the Ottawa Senators (72%) and Toronto Maple Leafs (71%).
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Kyle Braid, vice-president of public affairs at Ipsos, said there could be several reasons why Canadians want Edmonton to win.
“The positive thing about this is that Canadians are generous and selfless and they will put aside their loyalties to support another Canadian team,” he said.
“But it's also possible that Canadians are so tired of hearing about the 30-year drought that they will accept any winner to fix that problem.”
Overall, nearly half of Canadians (49%) said they believe Edmonton will lift hockey's most prestigious trophy. By comparison, only 18% believe the Panthers will win.
“Edmonton might be the underdog in Las Vegas, but Canadians are very optimistic,” Breed added. “Canadians think Edmonton will win three to one.”
While the team has majority support in every province and among fans of every team surveyed, support is lower west of the Rockies.
The Oilers eliminated the Vancouver Canucks in a hotly contested Game 7, but it looks like some fans won’t forgive them that easily.
The poll found that 62 per cent of Canucks fans would root for the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final, the lowest level of support among Canadian fan groups. Montreal Canadiens fans were a close second at 64 per cent.
By comparison, nearly a quarter of Vancouver Canucks fans (23%) intend to support the Florida Panthers, while only 16% of Vancouver Canucks fans support Florida. The Vancouver Canucks do have a connection to the Panthers, with former fan favorite goalie Roberto Luongo now working in Florida's front office.
Canucks fans were also the least likely to refer to Edmonton as “Canada’s Team,” with only 63 percent agreeing with the designation.
British Columbians and Quebecers are also the least likely, overall, to back the Oilers for a title.
Only 46 per cent of Quebec respondents and 50 per cent of British Columbians said they would cheer for Edmonton.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
