More Canadians endorse Edmonton Oilers in Stanley Cup rematch against Panthers: poll
Global News
The Ipsos poll found that 52 per cent of respondents said they have been following the NHL playoffs closely this year, up from 48 per cent in 2024.
New polling suggests more Canadians are choosing to throw their support behind the Edmonton Oilers in this year’s Stanley Cup final, as the Alberta-based team prepares to once again face off against the Florida Panthers for hockey’s most prized trophy.
According to the results of a recent Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of Global News, 63 per cent of respondents said they are cheering for the Oilers, up six percentage points from polling done ahead of last year’s Stanley Cup final.
In a year that saw Canadian patriotism surge amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs on goods from Canada and his calls to make the country the 51st U.S. state, the data from the recent Ipsos poll hints at Canadians’ national pride playing a role in their support for the hockey team led by superstar centre Connor McDavid.
The survey found 85 per cent of respondents agreed the Oilers winning the Stanley Cup would be a significant triumph for Canada, symbolizing national spirit and resilience; 83 per cent agreed it is especially important this year for a Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup; 82 per cent agreed that the Stanley Cup final is more than just a hockey game — it’s an important show of Canadian pride and identity; and 56 per cent agreed that they will pay more attention to the Stanley Cup final this year than in the past.
Earlier this year, the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament exposed political tensions between Canada and the U.S. At the tournament’s championship game between the two nations in February, Canadian singer Chantal Kreviazuk — who sang O Canada before the puck dropped — changed a lyric in Canada’s national anthem from “in all of us command” to “that only us command” and later confirmed Trump’s 51st state comments were the reason why.
Canada went on to win the 4 Nations Face-Off championship game 3-2 in overtime over the U.S. and McDavid scored the game-winning goal.
After the Oilers’ attempted to mount a comeback for the ages in the 2024 Stanley Cup final, rebounding from a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7, the team lost the championship game to the Panthers. This year’s championship series, which marks Florida’s third-straight trip to the final, gets underway with Game 1 in Alberta’s capital on Wednesday night.
The Ipsos poll found that 52 per cent of respondents said they have been following the NHL playoffs closely this year, up from 48 per cent in 2024.
