Calgary tied for first place for the best Canadian cities to be a sports fan, according to a study conducted by OnlineGambling.ca (OGCA). .Calgary scored the top spot with a 4.7/10 score, according to the study..OGCA said it placed first because it is home to the Calgary Flames, Calgary Stampeders, the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Surge, the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Wranglers, and Cavalry FC. .Calgary’s teams boast a high win percentage of 58.4% and have won two championships in the past five years, including the Stampeders’ winning the 106th Grey Cup. With 0.7 sports bars per 100,000 people, it offers fans plenty of places to watch their favourite sports. .OGCA went on to say Toronto tied in first place (4.7/10). It added Toronto earned this title because it has eight professional teams, 0.3 sports bars per 100,000 people, and 13 stadiums and arenas. .Toronto has seen its fair share of recent success, with the Raptors winning the National Basketball Association Finals in 2019 and Toronto FC receiving the MLS Cup in 2017. .Winnipeg finished in third place (4.5/10). Since the Winnipeg Jets returned to the National Hockey League in 2011, it has not seen any championships, but it has made the playoffs in four of the last five years. .Its other teams — the American Association of Professional Baseball Goldeyes, the Blue Bombers, the AHL’s Manitoba Moose, and the Canadian Premier League’s Valour FC — have won two championships in the last five years with an average win percentage of 51%..Subsequent to Winnipeg in ranking was St. John’s, NL (4.4). This was followed by Hamilton (4.3), Edmonton (3.6), and St. Catharines, ON (3.5). .When it comes to the best Canadian cities to be a hockey fan, OGCA said Calgary came in second place with a 4.4/10 score. With the Flames and Wranglers calling Calgary home, it said city residents have the choice between major and minor league hockey. .While neither team has captured a championship in the last five years, the shared 62.3% win percentage, 10 stadiums and arenas, and 0.7 sports bars per 100,000 people make it a wonderful place for fans. .St. John’s was the best city to be a hockey fan (5.7/10). The East Coast Hockey League Newfoundland Growlers bested Canadian teams at the top level in 2019, winning the championship game against Toledo Walleye to receive the Kelly Cup. .The Growlers have averaged a 64% win percentage since its establishment five years ago. Looking wider, St. John’s offers 0.9 sports bars per 100,000 in population and three arenas. .Winnipeg finished in third place (3.8). The Winnipeg Jets are the standard bearer for hockey in the city, but it hosts the Moose. .The city has eight arenas and is home to 0.93 sports bars per 100,000 people. With the Jets and Moose winning an average of 52.2% of their games in the last five years, hockey fans have seen plenty of wins. .After Winnipeg was Toronto (3.6). This was followed by Belleville, ON (2.9), Trois-Rivieres, QC (2.4), and Edmonton (1.9). .The study looked at the major league teams in each Canadian city, the number of sports bars per 100,000, stadiums and arenas per 100,000, average teams’ win percentage, and the number of championships won over the past five years. After this data was compiled, each category was given a score out of two using a simple calculation, which was added together to give a final score out of 10.
