Most fans in Alberta? Oilers or Flames?

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Salt Water Cowboy #10

Way more Oiler fans. The proof is in the 50/50 numbers

What's that old saying about the lottery being a tax on stupid people?

[Big Erned Nevergivn]

Anecdotally I feel like there are way more oilers fans in AB and in Canada. Grew up in BC (3 hours from Calgary and 6+ hours from Edmonton) and their were Canucks fans, Oilers fans and then me and one other guy who cheered for the flames. I find the city of Calgary to be about 60-40 for the flames, but many of the flames fans are casual and most of the oilers fans are die hard idiots. Also I travel all across Alberta for work and its tough to find a flames fan North of Airdre lol.

I think this is due to the 80's dynasty and bunch of people in their 40's and 50's that jumped on that bandwagon and now have had kids that hey have indoctrinated. We have a lot of flames fans in their 30's due to the 04 run, but I think we are outnumbered by oilers fans in AB probably at a 2 to 1 ratio. I could be wrong.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by DiracSpike

The fight for who would have more fans was lost in the 80's, unfortunately. Best player ever + 5 cups put the oilers in basically yankee territory with the flames playing the Mets. Oilers are much more popular in the province and especially outside of it. Working for an Oil and Gas company there's a lot of people that grew up in small towns and they're basically all oiler fans, especially if it's Red Deer or north. I know one guy who's from GP and is a Flames fan, I was shocked. Calgary doesn't dominate large southern towns like Lethbridge and Med Hat the way you'd expect, and despite being the DMZ of the province every single person I've ever met from Red Deer is an Oilers fan. Plus you have the Roughrider effect of a lot of transplanted fans living in Calgary because as the superior city of the Prairies people move to here, not away from here. So the bad news is we're outnumbered and the Dome is probably gonna be at least 25% Oiler fans on wednesday. The good news is we have the better team and that's gonna make it so much better when we whoop their ass

I moved from Calgary to Lethbridge in the summer of '86. What a rude awakening to go from a city where 95%+ of the hockey fans were Flames fans to Lethbridge where Flames would be lucky if it was 50/50 split.

To this day I'm still surprised at all the Oiler fans around Lethbridge and the nearby towns.

[schteve_d]

I can tell you that in Fort McMurray, where I live, there are considerably more Oiler fans than there are Flames fans.

[rogermexico]

Hell, I'm in Okotoks, and I think it's 50/50 Flames and Oilers fans. Or maybe the Oilers fans are just more likely to wear their gear around town.

[DiracSpike]

Originally Posted by Buff

I moved from Calgary to Lethbridge in the summer of '86. What a rude awakening to go from a city where 95%+ of the hockey fans were Flames fans to Lethbridge where Flames would be lucky if it was 50/50 split.

To this day I'm still surprised at all the Oiler fans around Lethbridge and the nearby towns.

I think it's the deciding data point really. Calgary and Edmonton both somewhat similar size, so split on the numbers there, but it's the smaller cities and towns where it's just a comical imbalance. Nothern Alberta is Oilers cult 100%, and southern alberta barely breaks in the Flames favor, maybe even still leans Oilers.

[_Q_]

Edmonton is just a crappy, overgrown prairie town, but Calgary is Calgary. Naturally, if you live in any of the prairie towns more than 30 km away from Calgary, then you're going to identify more with the Oilers. The further East you go, maybe you identify with the Jets more.

Who cares though. Comparing the Oilers to the Flames is like comparing Subway to a 5 star steak dinner. One is more popular, the other is just better in every way.

[KTrain]

Winning grows a fanbase. The 80s brought in a lot of fans of Gretzky and the Oilers. Especially internationally. Many of those fans passed it on to their kids.

Just look at the Patriots. There are a crazy amount of Patriots fans in Calgary that have zero personal connection to the team, other than them winning all the time so they adopted them as "their NFL team".

[Elkyiv]

I can't speak for the rest of the province, but I have noticed that the Okanagan is way more red than orange. And I've spoken to enough people to know that it's not Calgarians vacationing there as most of them were British Columbians who cheer for the Flames. Could simply be the proximity to the city.

[#-3]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

I find it hard to believe the Oilers would be more popular than the Canucks. There are more people in BC than Alberta and that entire province is Canucks fans.

Oilers will have more fans because of McDavid but I think they would rank 4th. I think the Flames outrank the Jets who have less people in Manitoba than all of Calgary

On another note I wonder who most of the people in Saskatchewan cheer for? Flames, Oilers, Jets?

I think the Oilers have a pretty solid 70-30 hold on Rural Alberta, really the only places Calgary makes a lot of inroads are towns where Calgary locals spend their weekends.

But the Okanagan region is probably ~60 Van - 30 Cgy - 10 Edm. I think the number of Calgary weekend commuters there and their conservative bent steers some people away from Van.

I don't know how Winnipeg factors into the mix now, but think Sask was pretty Even Leafs/Flames country with the Oilers in a close 3rd but certainly not even.

To my experience Manitoba was solid Habs territory prior to the Jets return.

While the Oilers are certainly the most Popular team in Alberta. The Flames, Oilers and Canucks are all a probably pretty even 3rd for national popularity. (you also have to factor the number of people in Van that don't give a crap about any sports).

[Bankai]

It's because the identity of Edmonton is the Oilers. They have nothing else.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Bankai

It's because the identity of Edmonton is the Oilers. They have nothing else.

Pish posh. They have dumpster fires and urine.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

What's that old saying about the lottery being a tax on stupid people?

Every time the Oiler's 50/50 comes up this is exactly my thought process. Nothing like bragging about it too.

[Boreal]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I think there's more Oiler fans in the province. As far as passion goes, just because of the 80s the Oilers have a more cement head base of die hards.

Fixed it for you.

[FlamesAddiction]

When I was working in Cranbrook, it seemed like most people I met were Flames fans. It's always hard to tell if it is a good representation though, because nobody usually mentions it unless they find out you are also a fan. It kind of makes sense because Cranbrook is closer to Calgary's gravity than Vancouver's despite being in BC.

When I was in NEBC though, mostly Oiler fans followed by Canuck fans, but not too unusual to run into Flames fans as well.

[iggyloob12]

I've lived in Calgary, near Red Deer and in the Edmonton area. It's the Oilers and it's not even close, even in the so-called dividing line of Red Deer. Winning five cups and having the best player ever on your team will do that.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by rogermexico

Hell, I'm in Okotoks, and I think it's 50/50 Flames and Oilers fans. Or maybe the Oilers fans are just more likely to wear their gear around town.

There are definitely more Oiler fans, however, I think this is also a big factor. Oiler fans, like Roughrider fans, feel the need to where their colours everywhere, at all times. I have always felt it was a bit of an insecurity, attention-seeking thing.

Like that couple that went to the games in Dallas in Oiler jerseys, pretty much every Flames game I have been to in other cities, there were Oiler jerseys present. Roughrider jerseys as well.

What goes through your head that leaves you thinking your Oiler/Roughrider jersey is the way to go for a Knights/Flames game in Vegas?

[Bankai]

Error

[Bankai]

Originally Posted by Shazam

Pish posh. They have dumpster fires and urine.

A very accurate description of the Oilers.

I stand by my point.

[GioforPM]

Quality, not quantity. That’s what counts.