Jets fans are optimistic the Canadiens believe the Lifters could end their bowl drought

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Canada's Stanley Cup drought hurts hockey fans across the country — it was last won by the Montreal Canadiens north of the border in 1993 — less about who wins than ending a winless streak.

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Angus Reid poll released on Monday iIn 2016, 57% of Canadians said it didn't matter which team ended the drought, while 43% said winning was important to them. Now nearly two-thirds (64%) say they support any team that calls Canada home.

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As for who respondents want to see come out on top, There is a significant east-west divide.

In eastern Ontario, the Leafs are an easy choice for hockey fans, with three-quarters (73%) in Ontario and half (52%) in Atlantic Canada following Auston Matthews and Co.

In British Columbia, it's basically Canucks or bust, with 83% of NHL followers in the province rooting for Norris' favorite Quinn Hughes and his team.

It's the same story in Manitoba, where 86% of hockey fans hope the Jets can make the Cup final in June.

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Two-thirds of Albertans (64%) will root for last year's MVP Connor McDavid and the Oilers.

The majority of Saskatchewan loyalists support the Jets at 23% and the Oilers at 45%. The Leafs (19%) and Canucks (14%) also have some followers.

When asked which team they believe is Canada's best chance, Canadian hockey fans are evenly split between the Toronto Maple Leafs (21%) and the Edmonton Oilers (20%). Fewer, but still, 14% say the Vancouver Canucks will be the team to break the drought, while just 5% think the Winnipeg Jets have what it takes.

SURVEY RESULTS:

– Among hockey fans – 70% of the aforementioned population – about half say they are excited about playoff hockey. The excitement has surged in BC, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario, where provincial teams are involved, and has bottomed out in Quebec, where the rebuilding of the Montreal Canadiens continues.

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– The Toronto Maple Leafs were Canada's top hopes to win the Stanley Cup in the 2019 and 2021 polls, but haven't reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2002.

– Seven in ten Canadians say they pay at least some attention to the NHL (70%), and two-fifths can be considered active fans (40%). That's the highest ARI has noted in a decade of asking Canadians about the league.

Perhaps due to the greater availability of games through streaming and sports betting, this is the highest participation since ARI started the survey 10 years ago.

The survey was conducted April 9-11 with 1,615 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

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