|
October 14, 2005
Canadian Press
OTTAWA (CP) - Fans are giving the new-look NHL an early thumbs-up, according
to a poll.
The survey by Decima Research and the National Hockey League Fans'
Association, provided to The Canadian Press, suggests fans are back and
digging it.
"People are neither dismissive nor cynical," Decima CEO Bruce Anderson said
Friday. "They believe that the changes will matter and some of the early
evidence, such as the rate of goal-scoring, bears out their expectations."
Decima contacted 1,500 Canadians during a seven-day period from Sept. 30
through Oct. 6, a stretch that covered the end of the pre-season and two
days of the regular season.
The poll found 600 respondents - or 40 per cent - who regarded themselves as
typical fans of the game. Among those fans, 67 per cent said the new rules
will make the NHL more exciting to watch and 81 per cent said their
curiosity has been piqued to see how the rules play out over the course of a
full season.
In addition to Decima's random poll, the same survey went to the
28,000-member base of the independently run NHLFA. Among the association's
1,900 online replies, the responses from what Decima describes as the
"hardcore fan" were equally favourable.
Bernadette Mansur, the NHL's vice-president of communications in New York,
said the poll coincides with running monthly surveys the league has
conducted over the past year.
She said the internal polls found little difference between the perceptions
of Canadian and American fans.
"It's funny. We quite honestly expected there to be a marked difference,"
said Mansur. "And there wasn't."
Among the most popular changes in the Decima survey: 80 per cent of random
respondents - and 82 per cent of the NHLFA's core - like the stiff new
penalties for diving; 74 per cent (86 per cent hard core) like the two-line
passes which are now allowed; 68 per cent (85 per cent hard core) like the
smaller goalie equipment; and 60 per cent (78 per cent hard core) like the
larger offensive zones.
Random respondents were more likely than the NHLFA core to approve of the
shootouts following tie games, 60 per cent to 54 per cent. And the hard core
wasn't nearly as receptive to new instigator rules for fighting, with just
43 per cent approval compared to 65 per cent among typical Canadian fans.
The only rule change among the 10 surveyed that didn't win a positive review
is the one limiting the area where goaltenders can handle the puck.
The Decima survey also asked for fans' perceptions of the labour dispute and
its resolution, and fans came down overwhelmingly on the side of NHL owners.
About 80 per cent of both the random sample and the NHLFA group support the
new salary cap, three quarters like the revenue sharing and more than two
thirds believe the new collective bargaining agreement benefits the league
overall.
Only about a third think the new deal is good for the players.
| 
