Leger poll reports 80 percent of Canadians are cheering for the Habs

The Montreal Canadiens have taken the role of Canada’s team this summer.

According to a poll from Leger, the largest Canadian-owned research and analytics company, 80 percent of Canadians are cheering for the Habs to win the Stanley Cup Final.

The poll was taken between July 2 and 4 and featured 1,518 respondents. The largest pro-Habs regions of Canada were Quebec, Atlantic Canada, and British Columbia. The first two aren’t overly surprising based on geography but Pacific Canada might boil down to the presence of B.C.’s Carey Price as the Habs’ star goaltender.

Unsurprisingly, Montreal’s lowest level of support comes from Manitoba, as only 66 percent of respondents from the province are rooting for the Habs. Montreal swept the Winnipeg Jets aside in the second round of the playoffs, so there’s obviously still some bitterness there.

On the other side, a poll conducted with 1,003 Americans determined that only 60 percent of the United States are rooting for the Lightning. That means 40 percent of Americans are on board with Montreal’s underdog story.