That's starting to change, in the new "Multicultural" Canada, where more and more hockey is dismissed as the sport of "White Rednecks", as opposed to more inclusive basketball, especially with the recent success of the Raptors.
Doesn’t help that no Canadian team has won the Cup in... what close to 30 years now. And I think only 3 or 4 trips to the finals in that stretch. Hard to have success in the seats without success on the ice.
Funny because Basketball players hate Toronto.