Canada’s game? Survey says yes, NHL outpaces all other pro leagues

The Florida Panthers team poses with the Stanley Cup trophy after defeating the Edmonton Oilers in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Final Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

More than three-quarters of Canadians consider themselves sports fans, and the NHL remains the most popular pro sports league.

The Strategic Counsel commissioned the survey by the Solutions Research Group.

The research was based on detailed interviews with 3,240 Canadians in all regions in both official languages.

Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said that they are sports fans, with 29 per cent describing themselves as “big fans.”

Forty-eight per cent are either casual followers of multiple leagues, or big fans of just one. Twenty-three percent were non-fans, and they did not follow any of the leagues, not even occasionally.

The NHL was the most popular league across Canada, with 58 per cent of respondents saying they follow the men’s professional hockey league.

The NFL came in next at 37 per cent, followed by MLB (34 per cent), CFL (32 per cent) and NBA (29 per cent), rounding out the top five nationally.

Formula 1 auto racing was sixth overall (24 per cent), followed by professional tennis (20 per cent). The PGA Tour and Major League Soccer were tied for eighth, with the Professional Women’s Hockey League and Ultimate Fighting Championship rounding out the top 10.

The survey was conducted between March 15 and 22. Online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.