Canadian provinces without major sports teams

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Despite the popularity of professional sports in Canada, there are six provinces that do not have any major league sports teams (this includes the MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL, the traditional four major North American professional sports leagues).

The reasons for this are mixed. Often it is because of a lack of population density or size in a single city or even an entire province. No density hurts TV contracts, advertising, ticket sales, attendance, and city/state funds 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 sizeable amount 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.

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 Minnesota and Wisconsin teams can be found in Southern Manitoba and Western Ontario, Seattle and Portland, Oregon fans in Southern British Columbia, fans of teams from Midwestern or Northeastern states in Southern Ontario, and fans of teams from Northeastern states in Southern Quebec and Atlantic Canada.

As well, fans from a city or province that lost a team can support the city that the team moved to. For example, Phoenix Coyotes fans can be found in Manitoba, Colorado Avalanche and Washington Nationals fans can be found in Quebec, and Memphis Grizzlies fans can be found in British Columbia.

Manitoba is the largest province in terms of population without a major sports team. All of the provinces with larger populations have at least one major team. Manitoba fans tend to support teams from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ontario, and the Phoenix Coyotes, who used to be the Winnipeg Jets. 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 population (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 addition to this list is Manitoba, after the NHL's Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996. Though fan support for a return to Winnipeg is big, issues have risen over cash, and lack of interest from potential team owners. A new arena was built in Winnipeg in 2005, and hope from fans continues for a return to the NHL.

The latest removal from this list is 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 sixth 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.