Toronto Maple Leafs fans are a little blue after a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Washington Capitals in Game 6 of the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. However, if the playoffs left you more anxious than usual this year, you’re not alone.
According to a new survey from StubHub of 3,021 Canadians, 33 per cent of Canadians find watching the Stanley Cup playoffs stressful, and one in four Canadians feels depressed when their team is eliminated from the post-season. In Toronto especially, the number of fans experiencing post-elimination blues sits at 31 per cent.
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“The survey reminds us just how much Canadians love hockey and live experiences,” says Cameron Papp, communications manager for StubHub Canada, in a statement. “The impact of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Canadians’ health is real, and we want to ensure fans are equipped to deal with the potential stress the playoffs bring,” she continued.
Over half of Canadians said they’d feel stressed about their team competing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. However, stress isn’t the only health impact of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Canadian fans.
One in five Ottawa residents consume more alcohol than normal as their team competes in the playoffs, and one in seven Edmonton residents do the same, the survey suggests. One in eight Canadians lose sleep during the playoffs, and this number is even higher in Toronto at 19 per cent.
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The impact continues into the work day as three out of 10 Canadians check score updates regularly during work hours while their team is playing, and a fifth of Ottawa residents have cancelled plans with family or friends to watch the playoffs.
“First and foremost, hockey fans need to try to accept that there are events you can’t control,” said Dr. David Greenberg of the St. Joseph’s Health Centre in Toronto. “However, stress can be managed by eating well, getting enough sleep, and engaging in regular exercise,” he continued in a statement.
One of the tips offered in the report to help combat these effects is to take deep breaths and visualize your team scoring the game-winning goal. Then, whatever happens, hold your head up high, because as Pittsburgh Penguins owner — and former star player, Mario Lemieux — put it: “Every day is a good day for hockey.”
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This survey was conducted online, by MARU/Matchbox, between April 19 and April 21, 2017. The estimated margin of error for the total sample is +/- 1.8%. The estimated margin of error for the sample in each of the cities with teams competing in the playoffs are as follows: Montreal (+/- 4.7%), Toronto (+/- 4.8%), Edmonton (+/- 9.0%), Calgary (+/- 9.7%), and Ottawa (+/- 9.7%).
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