A lengthy playoff run by the Canucks and Oilers is lining the coffers of restaurant and bar owners, a new report indicates.

CGA by NIQ’s BeverageTrak datasets monitor visitation levels and sales during this pivotal period in the Canadian sporting calendar, giving alc/bev brands and venue operators access to data to plan targeted promotions, optimize inventory and amplify customer engagement.

The new report, which includes results up to May 11, shows the latest week of sales has emerged as the fourth highest for velocity captured nationwide in 2024.

The strong performance is primarily driven by a 3% increase in check value over recent weeks, as the Stanley Cup Playoffs continue to hold sway over audiences, particularly in British Columbia and lately in Alberta with the Edmonton Oilers’ deep postseason run.

The report’s data highlights regional differences influenced by the NHL playoffs’ “substantial impact” on sales velocity, with notable increases observed on game days. For example, both British Columbia and Alberta have maintained what it calls strong velocity levels. British Columbia, the numbers reveal, has also shown strong resilience as ticket counts in the latest week were the second highest in 2024.

While ticket counts are still under-indexing compared to the previous year, the region has marked four consecutive weeks of velocity growth, underscoring a positive trend synching up with the Vancouver Canucks going deep into the second round of the playoffs. For example, Game 1 of the series between the Oilers and Canucks on May 8, saw velocities spike 21% in Vancouver compared with two weeks prior.

Ontario (-3%) and Quebec (-5%) experienced declines during the last two weeks, in part due to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Game 7 exit in the first round and the Montreal Canadiens missing the playoffs completely.

At the end of April, however, Toronto, and Ontario overall, saw “considerable” uplifts during the Maple Leafs’ Game 3 tilt against the Bruins (April 24th) and Game 4 (April 27th), with positive trends by up to a quarter (24%) week-on-week.