Some Canadian hockey fans want future partner to cheer for same team: survey
Posted September 30, 2023 2:47 pm.
Last Updated September 30, 2023 3:08 pm.
With puck drop on a new NHL season just around the corner, fans from coast to coast will begin dusting off their jerseys and reintroducing hockey habits into their daily lives.
Canadian hockey fans hope this is the year the decades-long drought ends, and a Stanley Cup comes north of the border.
As games get increasingly crucial during the season, relationships could be put to the test.
In fact, more than one-in-five Canadian sports fans (21 per cent) say they would rather watch a crucial game over spending a romantic date with their partner, a new study shows.
That’s according to research from sports platform The Grueling Truth, which explored the intersection of sports fandom and dating.
The survey also found one-in-three Canadians (34 per cent) would rather spend an evening out with their sports hero than their partner.
Graphic showing Canadian hockey fans’ willingness, by team, to date a person with the same allegiance. (Courtesy: The Grueling Truth)
A portion of Canadian hockey fans also expressed a desire for their partner or future partner to cheer for the same team as them.
More than one-in-five (22 per cent) Ottawa Senators fans, for instance, want their partner to have the same hockey allegiance. Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs fans were the most flexible among Canadian hockey fans, with 11 per cent hoping for a supporter on the same side.
Elsewhere in Canada: Vancouver Canucks (20 per cent), Edmonton Oilers (17 per cent), Calgary Flames (16 per cent) and Winnipeg Jets (15 per cent).
Some fans (nearly 10 per cent) said they would be uncomfortable attending a sporting event with a partner supporting the opposing team. Others (three per cent) went as far as saying they wouldn’t even consider going to the game.
The Grueling Truth surveyed 1,237 Canadian sports fans in September 2023.
