WATCH: A new survey suggests Vancouver has some of the most fairweather fans in hockey. Ted Chernecki reports
The Vancouver Canucks are one step closer to the playoffs after their shootout win over the Los Angeles Kings Monday night. And, according to a new survey, the Canucks bandwagon may be getting busier if and when the team makes the playoffs.
A City of Vancouver survey found that more than half of Vancouverites–55 per cent–says they like the Canucks only when they’re winning, reinforcing the notion that Vancouver hockey fans are among the most fickle in the NHL.
Some Canucks faithful admit that their fellow fans may not the most loyal. “I think a lot of people here in Vancouver are not long-term fans,” one Canucks die-hard told Global News. “They haven’t been fans for 20 years, 30 years. Everyone wants to be part of a winner.”
Canucks fans started the 2014-15 season with low expectations, and tickets sales have lagged. Near the start of the regular season, the Canucks announced an end to their 474-game home sellout streak. Ticket broker Kingsley Bailey has noted that demand for Canucks tickets has been down this year.
“It’s got a lot to do with management,” says Bailey. “A lot of mismangement on their part. When the fans see a lot of mismanagement, they don’t care.”
The fact that the Canucks have among the priciest tickets in the NHL may be another factor.
Now that they won–dealing a serious blow to the playoff hopes of the defending Stanley Cup champions–the bandwagon may not be big enough to accommodate everyone.
WATCH: Canucks inch closer to playoff spot
-with files from Ted Chernecki and Jeremy Hunka
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