4-in-10
in Toronto are hockey fans
Majority have high hopes for the Leafs
TORONTO DECEMBER
18th, 2014 - In
a random sampling of public opinion taken by the Forum Poll ™ among 1001
Torontonians 18 years of age and older, just more than 4-in-10 are NHL hockey
fans (42%), and this is 11 points less than the proportion which says this
nationally (53%). Thus, enthusiasm for hockey is more likely to be a rural than
an urban phenomenon. NHL fans are most commonly Boomers (55 to 64 - 46%), males
(49%), wealthier ($80K to $100K - 48%), in Etobicoke (48%) and Scarborough
(47%), among those who drive rather than take transit (46%), the least educated
(48%) and in neighbourhoods seen by their residents to be more wealthy than
others 46%).
Three quarters root for the Leafs, one eighth for the Habs
Almost
three quarters of Toronto hockey fans root for the hometown team (73%),
followed distantly by the Montreal Canadiens (13%). No other team, including
the Ottawa Senators, is mentioned by as many as one in 30. More than a
twentieth root for a non-Canadian team (7%). Leafs fans are most commonly
Boomers (83%), the less wealthy ($20K to $40K - 81%), in North York and
Etobicoke (80% each), those with some college (80%), provincial PC voters
(82%), among those who don't celebrate Christmas (84%) and in neighbourhoods
seen by their residents to be less wealthy than others (80%).
Majority have high hopes for the Leafs
More
than half of Toronto NHL fans say the Leafs will make the playoffs this season
(54%) and this especially the case among male (65%) Boomers (61%). At the same
time, one half also thinks the Leafs will win the Stanley Cup in he next five
years (52%) and one tenth say, optimistically, that it will happen this season
(11%). One fifth say this will occur between 5 and 10 years from now (20%) and
less than this say it will take longer (15%). One sixth say the Leafs will
never win the Cup (7%).
"Hockey is less likely to be a
pastime in Toronto, with its ethnic mix, than it is in smaller centres and
rural areas. The ability of Toronto Maple Leafs fans to maintain hope in the
face of experience is truly remarkable," said Forum Research President, Dr. Lorne
Bozinoff.
Lorne Bozinoff, Ph.D. is the president and founder of Forum
Research. He can be reached at lbozinoff@forumresearch.com or at (416)
960-9603.
