Referees get in the way of Vancouver Canucks head coach John Tortorella as he screams at the Calgary Flames bench during an NHL hockey game.JONATHAN HAYWARD/The Canadian Press
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Rogers Communications Inc. is working hard to expand its National Hockey League audience (and make good on its $5.2-billion investment for national NHL broadcast rights) by appealing to younger viewers and new Canadians. One research firm sought insight into Canadian hockey viewership, including demographics that advertisers might take into account.
Some findings from Solutions Research Group's survey of 1,000 Canadians aged 12 and up:
56 per cent follow the NHL in Canada on TV or online, more than any other sports league
48 per cent of respondents born outside Canada follow the league, compared to 59 per cent of people born here
42.1 Average age of Canadian NHL fans (younger than Major League Baseball and the Canadian Football League, but older than Major League Soccer and the National Basketball Association)
46.7 Average age of those who follow the NHL on television
36.1 average age of those following the league online or through social media