Canadian provinces without major sports teams
Encyclopedia
Despite the popularity of professional sports in Canada, there are six provinces that do not have major league sports teams when defined as Major League Baseball
, the National Football League
, the National Basketball Association
, and the National Hockey League
, the traditional four major North American professional sports leagues). The Canadian Football League
is represented in two additional provinces, leaving four provinces with no major professional sports franchises. These are listed below.
The reasons for this are mixed. Small population densities hurt TV contracts, advertising, ticket sales, attendance, and government funding for the required facilities and salaries of the players. In some cases, provinces can be grouped together (though not in name). A good example would be the Montreal Canadiens
, who have a sizable number of fans in Atlantic Canada
. Similarly, fans of Alberta
teams can be found in Saskatchewan
, and fans of Ontario
teams can be found in Manitoba
.
The Toronto Blue Jays
and Toronto Raptors
, as the only current Canadian teams in their respective leagues, have at least the potential for nationwide support. The Jays' television blackout area includes all of Canada, although the Maritimes
and the four provinces of Western Canada
are shared with U.S.-based teams. The Raptors are the focal point of NBA TV Canada, which is owned by the team's parent company.
In many cases, American
teams can be met with support from areas in Canada where an American team is closer than a Canadian team. For example fans of teams in Minnesota
and Wisconsin
can be found in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario; teams in Seattle and Portland, Oregon
in southern British Columbia; teams in Midwestern and northeastern states in southern Ontario
, and fans of teams from northeastern states in southern Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Also, fans in a city or province that lost a team sometimes support the city that the team moved to. For example, Colorado Avalanche
and Washington Nationals
fans can be found in Quebec, and Memphis Grizzlies
fans can be found in British Columbia. Before the return of the NHL to Winnipeg in 2011, Phoenix Coyotes
fans could be found in Manitoba
.
Saskatchewan
is now the largest province in terms of population without a major sports team. The nearest such teams vary by location within the province. The closest teams in baseball, American football, and basketball are in Minnesota and Colorado, while the closest hockey teams are in Alberta and Manitoba. Nova Scotia
is the largest province without a bordering province with a team. As is the case with the other Maritimes
and Newfoundland and Labrador
, they tend to support teams from Quebec and the Northeastern US.
The three Canadian territories (Northwest Territories
, Nunavut
, and Yukon
) have never had a professional sports team. The reasons for this are mainly due to their sparse populations (the combined population of the territories is barely over 100,000), undersized arenas, and distance from Canada's major cities. The closest the territories ever had was the Dawson City Nuggets
, who unsuccessfully challenged for the Stanley Cup
in 1905. The territories are quite big, so the teams that their population supports can spread across the whole country.
In place of major league teams, Canadian Hockey League
teams enjoy quite a lot of attention, such as the London Knights
of the OHL
, the Halifax Mooseheads
of the QMJHL
, and the Kelowna Rockets
of the WHL
. College sports in Canada are not nearly as successful as their American counterparts, no matter what sport it happens to be, though high school teams do enjoy high levels of support depending on the location.
The latest removal from this list is Manitoba, after the Atlanta Thrashers
moved to Winnipeg after the to become the new version of the Winnipeg Jets
. The city had lost an earlier version of the Jets to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. During the league's absence from Winnipeg, fan support for a return to Winnipeg was high, but financial issues and lack of interest from potential team owners were obstacles for many years. While a new arena, MTS Centre
, opened in Winnipeg in 2005, it was small by NHL standards. However, poor home attendance in Atlanta led to the sale of the Thrashers in 2011. With the recent rise of the Canadian dollar
to essential parity with its U.S. counterpart
, Winnipeg became a much more viable franchise location.
The last prior removal was Alberta in 1979, after the Edmonton Oilers
moved to the NHL upon the merger of the NHL and the WHA
. The Oilers have since been joined by the Calgary Flames
. Though the Oilers have came under the threat of relocation in the past, the new salary cap
era of the NHL, plus the tremendous economic growth of the province in recent years, have helped to ensure they stay in Alberta for the foreseeable future.
Many Canadian fans consider the Canadian Football League
as a major sports league, especially considering the lack of Canadian teams in the NFL. Also, the per-game attendance in the CFL would place that league seventh among all professional leagues in the world; although well behind the NFL, its attendance is near that of MLB, and ahead of leagues such as Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, La Liga
in Spanish soccer
and Serie A
in Italian soccer
. If the CFL were counted, then only the Atlantic provinces and the territories would have no major sports teams. Of the remaining provinces, Nova Scotia
would be the largest in terms of population.
Counting CFL
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
, and the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
, the traditional four major North American professional sports leagues). The Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
is represented in two additional provinces, leaving four provinces with no major professional sports franchises. These are listed below.
The reasons for this are mixed. Small population densities hurt TV contracts, advertising, ticket sales, attendance, and government funding for the required facilities and salaries of the players. In some cases, provinces can be grouped together (though not in name). A good example would be the Montreal Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
, who have a sizable number of fans in Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
. Similarly, fans of Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
teams can be found in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, and fans of Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
teams can be found in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
The Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and Toronto Raptors
Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's re-expansion...
, as the only current Canadian teams in their respective leagues, have at least the potential for nationwide support. The Jays' television blackout area includes all of Canada, although the Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and the four provinces of Western Canada
Western Canada
Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces and commonly as the West, is a region of Canada that includes the four provinces west of the province of Ontario.- Provinces :...
are shared with U.S.-based teams. The Raptors are the focal point of NBA TV Canada, which is owned by the team's parent company.
In many cases, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
teams can be met with support from areas in Canada where an American team is closer than a Canadian team. For example fans of teams in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
can be found in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario; teams in Seattle and Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in southern British Columbia; teams in Midwestern and northeastern states in southern Ontario
Southern Ontario
Southern Ontario is a region of the province of Ontario, Canada that lies south of the French River and Algonquin Park. Depending on the inclusion of the Parry Sound and Muskoka districts, its surface area would cover between 14 to 15% of the province. It is the southernmost region of...
, and fans of teams from northeastern states in southern Quebec and Atlantic Canada.
Also, fans in a city or province that lost a team sometimes support the city that the team moved to. For example, Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
and Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
fans can be found in Quebec, and Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. The team is part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Along with the Toronto Raptors, the Grizzlies were established in 1995 as part of the NBA's...
fans can be found in British Columbia. Before the return of the NHL to Winnipeg in 2011, Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
fans could be found in Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
is now the largest province in terms of population without a major sports team. The nearest such teams vary by location within the province. The closest teams in baseball, American football, and basketball are in Minnesota and Colorado, while the closest hockey teams are in Alberta and Manitoba. Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
is the largest province without a bordering province with a team. As is the case with the other Maritimes
Maritimes
The Maritime provinces, also called the Maritimes or the Canadian Maritimes, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. On the Atlantic coast, the Maritimes are a subregion of Atlantic Canada, which also includes the...
and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
, they tend to support teams from Quebec and the Northeastern US.
The three Canadian territories (Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
, Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
, and Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
) have never had a professional sports team. The reasons for this are mainly due to their sparse populations (the combined population of the territories is barely over 100,000), undersized arenas, and distance from Canada's major cities. The closest the territories ever had was the Dawson City Nuggets
Dawson City Nuggets
The Dawson City Nuggets were a hockey team from Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada that challenged the reigning champion Ottawa Hockey Club, aka "The Silver Seven," in January 1905, for the Stanley Cup. They suffered the most lopsided single-game defeat in the history of Stanley Cup...
, who unsuccessfully challenged for the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
in 1905. The territories are quite big, so the teams that their population supports can spread across the whole country.
In place of major league teams, Canadian Hockey League
Canadian Hockey League
The Canadian Hockey League is an umbrella organization that represents the three Canadian-based major junior ice hockey leagues for players 16 to 20 years of age. The CHL was founded in 1975 as the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League, and is composed of its three member leagues, the Western Hockey...
teams enjoy quite a lot of attention, such as the London Knights
London Knights
The London Knights are a junior ice hockey team from London, Ontario, Canada, playing in the Ontario Hockey League, one of the leagues of the Canadian Hockey League.-Early days–1968:...
of the OHL
Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is one of the three Major Junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 15-20.The OHL also operates under the Ontario Hockey Federation of Hockey Canada....
, the Halifax Mooseheads
Halifax Mooseheads
The Halifax Mooseheads are a CHL ice hockey club in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The team was founded in 1994 and began play in the Dilio division of the QMJHL for the 1994-1995 season. While the franchise has never won a league championship, they have...
of the QMJHL
Quebec Major Junior Hockey League
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League...
, and the Kelowna Rockets
Kelowna Rockets
The Kelowna Rockets are a major junior ice hockey team based in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Rockets play in the Western Hockey League , out of the Canadian Hockey League . They play their home games at Prospera Place....
of the WHL
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada...
. College sports in Canada are not nearly as successful as their American counterparts, no matter what sport it happens to be, though high school teams do enjoy high levels of support depending on the location.
The latest removal from this list is Manitoba, after the Atlanta Thrashers
Atlanta Thrashers
The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League on June 25, 1997, and became the league's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 NHL season...
moved to Winnipeg after the to become the new version of the Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. They began play in the World Hockey Association in 1972, moving to the National Hockey League in 1979 following the collapse of the WHA...
. The city had lost an earlier version of the Jets to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. During the league's absence from Winnipeg, fan support for a return to Winnipeg was high, but financial issues and lack of interest from potential team owners were obstacles for many years. While a new arena, MTS Centre
MTS Centre
The MTS Centre is an indoor sports arena and entertainment venue in downtown Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and home of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. It is located on the former Eaton's site and is owned and operated by True North Sports & Entertainment. The 440,000 square feet ...
, opened in Winnipeg in 2005, it was small by NHL standards. However, poor home attendance in Atlanta led to the sale of the Thrashers in 2011. With the recent rise of the Canadian dollar
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
to essential parity with its U.S. counterpart
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
, Winnipeg became a much more viable franchise location.
The last prior removal was Alberta in 1979, after the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
moved to the NHL upon the merger of the NHL and the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
. The Oilers have since been joined by the Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
. Though the Oilers have came under the threat of relocation in the past, the new salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
era of the NHL, plus the tremendous economic growth of the province in recent years, have helped to ensure they stay in Alberta for the foreseeable future.
Many Canadian fans consider the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
as a major sports league, especially considering the lack of Canadian teams in the NFL. Also, the per-game attendance in the CFL would place that league seventh among all professional leagues in the world; although well behind the NFL, its attendance is near that of MLB, and ahead of leagues such as Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
in Spanish soccer
Football in Spain
Football is the most popular sport in Spain. The Royal Spanish Football Federation is the national governing body and it organizes La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Spain national football team, current champion of the FIFA World Cup...
and Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
in Italian soccer
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
. If the CFL were counted, then only the Atlantic provinces and the territories would have no major sports teams. Of the remaining provinces, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
would be the largest in terms of population.
List of Canadian provinces & territories without major sports teams
Not counting CFL- SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
- Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
- New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
- Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
- Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
Counting CFL
- Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
- New BrunswickNew BrunswickNew Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
- Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
- Prince Edward IslandPrince Edward IslandPrince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...