One of the best things about Canada's obsession with hockey is the odd behavioral studies it produces during championship tournaments. Seriously: The "Water Consumption in Edmonton During Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Game" infographic, chronicling toilet usage during Canada's victory in Vancouver, is the stuff of legend.
In honor of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Match.com added another nuanced scientific study to the data pool: Canadian men and women go on fewer dates during the NHL postseason.
The survey found women are almost as likely as men to choose a night cheering for the big, brawny men on the ice over a cozy candlelight dinner for two - at least between April and June. Ten percent of single women say they date less during hockey season, compared to 14 percent of Canadian men.
… Despite not having hometown teams to cheer for, singles from Newfoundland and Labrador and New Brunswick are the most likely to put off dating during the playoffs. A full quarter of Newfoundland and Labrador singles admit to dating less during playoffs, while the same is true for 19 per cent of singles from New Brunswick.
While this survey seeks to reveal how playoff intensity is more alluring to Canadians than potential sexual gratification, what it actually validates, indirectly, is the futility of the regular season.
Please recall a Dec. 2011 survey that found Canadians more likely to have sex on Saturday nights, despite the generational tradition that is Hockey Night in Canada.
Then again, this could simply be confirmation of our own pet theory, which is that Don Cherry's suits are, in fact, an aphrodisiac.