No Parade Planned (Yet), But Canucks Fans Believe Team is a Contender

Two-in-Ten (21%) Think Canucks Will Win Roberto Luongo Chosen as Regular Season MVP and Fan Favourite Team Gets Overall “B” Grade for Performance this Season

Vancouver, BC, April 14, 2009 – With the puck about to drop on the 2009 Stanley Cup , a new Ipsos Reid poll among fans in British Columbia (defined as those who follow the Vancouver Canucks either “very closely” or “somewhat closely”) reveals that fans believe their team is a contender. While there is no parade planned yet, two-in-ten (21%) think the Canucks will win the 2009 Stanley Cup, more than any other NHL team. Other teams picked by Canucks fans to lift Lord Stanley’s cup this year include the (17%), the (15%), the (10%), and the (7%). No other team is selected by more than 2% of Canucks fans to contend for the Stanley Cup this year.

While 21% of fans believe the Vancouver Canucks the will go “all the way” another 7% think they’ll make it to the Stanley Cup final, but finish in second. Fully one-third (35%) think they’ll make it to the conference final, another 28% think they’ll make it to the conference semi- final, and only 9% think they won’t make it past the first round.

How far do you think the Vancouver Canucks will go in this year’s playoffs? The first round, conference quarter-final 9%

The second round, conference semi-final 28%

The third round, conference final 35%

The final round, finish second 7%

The final round, win the Stanley Cup 21%

Nearly half (45%) of Vancouver Canucks fans chose Roberto Luongo as the team’s most valuable player for the 2008.09 regular season, with Alexandre Burrows clinching second place as fully one-quarter (25%) of fans think he should be named MVP. And with the retirement of Trevor Linden, Roberto Luongo wins the favourite Canuck award (27%) with Alexandre Burrows (20%) not too far behind. In fact, among “avid” Canucks fans (defined as those who follow the Vancouver Canucks “very closely”), Burrows is named as the “fan favourite” ahead of Luongo (31% vs. 24%, respectively).

In terms of the Canucks performance in the 2008/09 regular season, fans give the team an overall “B” grade. The Vancouver Canucks goaltending gets the highest grade – an “A-“ – for the ’ performance between the pipes. The Canucks forwards get a “B” grade, while both the Canucks defence and coaching staff receive a “B-“ for their performance this year.

These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll fielded from April 8 to April 12, 2009. This online survey of 1,071 Canuck fans in British Columbia (fans = follow Canucks either “very closely”

1285 West Pender Street, Suite 200 Vancouver BC V6E 4B1 Tel: 778.373.5000 Fax: 604.688.9568 www.ipsos.com or “somewhat closely”) was conducted using Ipsos Reid’s proprietary “Voice of the West Interactive Forum” – an online panel of more than 5,000 British Columbians who have been randomly recruited to match the overall characteristics of the adult residents of . Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online polls, however, an unweighted probability sample of this size, with a 100% response rate, would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

For information about this press release, please contact: Steve Mossop President Market Research Canada West Ipsos Reid [email protected] (778) 373-5001

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada’s market intelligence leader, the country’s leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid’s marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, health and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group. To learn more, visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

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