Overwhelming support for moving Coyotes to Hamilton: new poll shows

Majority confident Balsillie can bring the team to Canada

TORONTO - The bid for a seventh Canadian NHL franchise continues to gather momentum, with a new survey showing overwhelming support across Canada for the proposal to re-locate the Phoenix Coyotes to Hamilton.

A nationally representative survey of 1,009 Canadians commissioned by PSE Sports & Entertainment (PSE) found a whopping 87% of respondents agree that Canada deserves another NHL team because Canadians are the best hockey fans and fully 72% support the bid by Jim Balsillie and PSE to buy the bankrupt Phoenix NHL franchise and move the club to Hamilton.

Further, the survey shows that support for the Balsillie bid to move the Coyotes to Hamilton is deep across the country including 86% in Atlantic Canada and Ontario, 83% in British Columbia and 70% in the Prairies. While familiarity with the bid is low in Quebec, where 29% say they have no opinion, a majority (54%) still support the bid.

From coast to coast, increasingly Canadians believe the bid will be successful. A majority of respondents (53%) expressed confidence in Balsillie's ability to move the Phoenix Coyotes to Canada.

"This shows, in quantifiable terms, the phenomenal degree of support for bringing a seventh NHL team to Canada," said Bill Walker, spokesperson for Balsillie's PSE Sports and Entertainment, which is mounting the bid. "Further it demonstrates that the support is nationwide to bring a team to southern Ontario - the biggest un-served hockey market in North America."

Elsewhere, the poll also found:

- 78% agree that the move would benefit the rest of the NHL, since a team in southern Ontario would be more successful than the Coyotes have been during their time in Phoenix. Only nine per cent disagreed.

- Similarly, 77% disagreed with the suggestion that the team should stay in Phoenix to help the NHL build popularity in the U.S.

The survey was conducted by leading public opinion research firm POLLARA Inc. The research was conducted among a nationally representative random sample by telephone between May 11-14, 2009. Results are accurate to within plus or minus 3.1%, nineteen times out of twenty.

BACKGROUNDER - POLLING QUESTIONS & RESPONSE BREAKDOWN

Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie has made an offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes, an NHL franchise facing bankruptcy. He has indicated he wants to move the team to Southern Ontario. Do you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose, or strongly oppose, Balsillie purchasing the Coyotes and moving them to Hamilton?

Total Support 72%
Strongly Support 44%
Somewhat Support 27%
Total Oppose 7%
Somewhat Oppose 3%
Strongly Oppose 4%
Don't Care/No Opinion 20%
Don't Know 1%
Refused (less than)1%

Now, I am going to read you some arguments people may make about this
proposed move. For each, please tell me if you strongly agree, somewhat agree,
somewhat disagree, or strongly disagree with the argument.

This move would be good for the NHL and other NHL teams, since a team in
Southern Ontario would be more successful than one in Phoenix?

Total Agree 78%
Strongly Agree 48%
Somewhat Agree 30%
Total Disagree 9%
Somewhat Disagree 6%
Strongly Disagree 3%
Don't Know 12%
Refused (less than)1%

For the NHL to succeed, it needs to have successful teams in the United
States, so they're better off staying in Phoenix?

Total Agree 12%
Strongly Agree 5%
Somewhat Agree 7%
Total Disagree 77%
Somewhat Disagree 29%
Strongly Disagree 48%
Don't Know 11%
Refused (less than)1%

Canada deserves another NHL team, since Canadians are the best hockey
fans?

Total Agree 87%
Strongly Agree 62%
Somewhat Agree 25%
Total Disagree 8%
Somewhat Disagree 5%
Strongly Disagree 3%
Don't Know 5%
Refused (less than)1%

Jim Balsillie will be successful with this bid and will succeed in moving
the Coyotes to Southern Ontario?

Total Agree 53%
Strongly Agree 17%
Somewhat Agree 36%
Total Disagree 20%
Somewhat Disagree 14%
Strongly Disagree 6%
Don't Know 27%
Refused 1%