Popularity of hockey varies between provinces
A survey revealed that Alberta was the province in which hockey proved to be most popular, with almost 45 percent of respondents from Alberta following the sport. This figure fell to under one quarter for residents of British Columbia, despite the fact that the Vancouver Canucks are based in the province. Overall, hockey was the most popular sport in Canada in terms of general interest, but dropped to fourth in the ranking in terms of participation. This may be explained by the fact that hockey was traditionally seen as a male-dominated sport and has elements which make it dangerous and expensive to play, thereby limiting its accessibility to the wider public.National Hockey League: created in Canada
The National Hockey League (NHL), arguably the most prestigious professional ice hockey league worldwide, was founded in Montreal, Canada in 1917. The league, which initially began with just four teams from Canada, evolved into a major competition comprising 32 teams from the United States and Canada. Every year, teams in the NHL compete for the Stanley Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the playoff round culminating in the Stanley Cup Finals. Canadian teams have historically achieved great success in this competition. The Montreal Canadiens have emerged as champions of the Stanley Cup Finals 24 times throughout the history of the league, making them the team with the most number of Stanley Cup wins. In 2023, despite the fact that no Canadian franchise was competing for the trophy, Stanley Cup viewership in Canada still reached into the millions.
