Flames playoff games to impact election campaigns, says Alberta pollster

The recent election call may have irritated some Albertans, but one pollster believes the Calgary Flames' appearance in the NHL playoffs may have softened some of that anger. 

"The thing that we picked up in the first week of the campaign was a level of crankiness that I don't think the PCs had anticipated, and that crankiness was related to some of the budget measures as well as the timing of the election." said Bruce Cameron with Return On Insight.

People took to Twitter to lament the lack of options in Alberta's politics, which has seen the PC party in power since 1971. People were also not happy that an election was called this year, and not in 2016 as mandated in fixed-election legislation.

"Nothing cures crankiness like getting into the playoffs, so I think everybody in Calgary and probably Red Deer south has a real jump in their step about watching a playoff game."  

Cameron believes Progressive Conservative Leader Jim Prentice's campaign has the most to gain. 

• Are the Flames playoff chances giving Prentice a hockey halo? Let us know in the comment section below.

"I think the PCs have a very strong base in Calgary, so the base will be quite happy," he said. "You know if the Oilers were in it I could see the NDP jumping on it and wrapping themselves in the orange and blue."

Advertising during games

Parties are also using playoff games to maximize advertising.

The PC party ran ads during Calgary's win over the L.A. Kings that clinched the team's playoff spot.

"We'll see a lot of people trying to piggyback on the Flames success, if they have success," said Cameron. 

The NDP also plans to launch its largest ad campaign ever Wednesday night during the Flames game.

"Albertans are angry at the PCs, they're looking for an alternative and so we're doing everything we can to connect with those people and let them know that we are here," said campaign director Brian Stokes.

Bruce Cameron believes if the Flames go past the first round, then there will be a big impact on the election because it will overlap with playoff games. He believes voter apathy will increase.

"Albertans will see it as it is — it's basically a lot of fun," said Cameron.

A distraction from politics

"But it distracts people from the issue of voting. And they are already not really paying a lot of attention, so I think a lot of the focus will shift to hockey and not politics."

Political strategist Susan Elliott told CBC's Alberta Votes political panel Tuesday night that a low voter turnout is typically beneficial for the governing party.

"I think that's probably because they have a better ground game, they have more money to spend and they have loyalists — particularly older people — who will come out and vote inevitably," she said. 

"It's when you can mobilize people that don't normally vote that the opposition does better."

One thing both pollsters and politicians can agree upon is to not make calls on game nights.

"We won't halt calling, but we will go around it ... because it can produce a lot of anger if you call in the middle of a hockey game," says Cameron. 

"And when people are really excited about hockey they're paying attention to that and they're irritated by talking about politics."