from Emily Sadler of Sportsnet,

The results of an online survey conducted as part of The Canada Project to mark our nation’s 150th year revealed that 76 per cent of Canadians said they would cheer for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup even if it’s not the team they typically cheer for. Seven per cent said they would not root for a Canadian team that wasn’t their own, while 17 per cent said they were not hockey fans at all.

These results were fairly consistent throughout all age groups as well as regions of Canada. Ontario residents were listed as most likely to root for a Canadian team different than their own (81 per cent) while Quebecers were least likely (68 per cent).

The NHL is at once both dominated by Canadian hockey players and located primarily in the United States with 23 American-based teams (24 now that the Vegas Golden Knights have landed) compared to Canada’s seven, and there’s no denying our country’s Cup-starved status in the league these days.

It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since a Canadian team hoisted Lord Stanley’s trophy. Yes, the Stanley Cup makes several trips to the Great White North every off-season as Canadians playing on U.S.-based teams bring the prize home to celebrate with family and friends — but seeing the Cup won on Canadian ice would be a whole other story.

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