Stanley Cup Fever Grips British Columbia
Vancouver, BC - Just one day before the puck drops for the first game of the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals and the first finals appearance for the Vancouver Canucks in 17 years, the anticipation and excitement in British Columbia is almost too much to handle. When asked, 8 in 10 British Columbians said they are excited (53% very excited, 29% somewhat excited) about the performance of the Vancouver Canucks in this year's NHL playoffs. These are the key findings of a recent Ipsos Reid poll conducted online with residents of British Columbia.
Compare that to the pre-Olympic excitement of 2010, and you'll find that British Columbia is an even more exciting place to be in 2011. On the eve of the Opening Ceremony for the 2010 Games, just over half (53%) of BC residents told Ipsos that they were excited for the Olympics to begin. Although the level of excitement escalated as the Games began, the fact remains that pre-Cup excitement for the Vancouver Canucks is already matching the heights of Olympic excitement reached during the final days of the 2010 Games.
"With Stanley Cup excitement outweighing that for the 2010 Olympics, it is clear that Canucks-mania has reached a fevered pitch across British Columbia," says Steve Mossop, President with Ipsos Reid in Western Canada. "With the team heading into a Stanley Cup showdown against the Boston Bruins, the Vancouver Canucks have the overwhelming support of fans all across the province. There is every indication that once the first puck drops, the celebratory atmosphere and level of excitement across the province will only increase."
What's further is that Canucks fans are convinced that 2011 is their year. The poll revealed that close to three quarters of the province believe that the Vancouver Canucks will bring the trophy home - an overwhelming 73% believe that the Canucks will defeat the Boston Bruins.
"Montreal and Calgary both hosted the Olympics and then both cities' NHL teams went on to hoist the Stanley Cup the following year," adds Mossop. "It looks like Vancouver Canucks fans want to make that a bona fide Canadian tradition."
Canucks fans are sometimes accused of jumping on and off the fan bandwagon, depending on the fortunes and performance of the team. The poll results show that this year, the team's exceptional performance and build up to the NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup Final has truly reeled in the fans, with more following each day. Prior to the start of the playoffs, just over half of respondents said they followed the Canucks closely (26% very closely, 28% somewhat closely). With the Canucks now in the Stanley Cup Final, that has spiked to over three quarters of the population, with nearly half of respondents (49%) following the team's performance very closely and just over a quarter (27%) following them somewhat closely.
These are the findings of an online Ipsos Reid poll of 1,661 adult British Columbians conducted using Ipsos Reid's online household panel between May 26 and 30, 2011. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of this size and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of 1772.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error would be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were statistically weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/sex composition reflects that of the actual BC population according to 2006 Census data.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Steve Mossop
President
Ipsos Reid
(778) 373-5001
[email protected]
About Ipsos Reid
Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey- based market research group.
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About Ipsos
Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals. Ipsos helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world.
Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media. They measure public opinion around the globe.
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