With the Winter Olympics in full swing, interest in winter sports has reached new heights across Canada. Search data reveals strong engagement not only around Olympic disciplines, but also around the athletes who represent them. But which sports and athletes are Canadians following the most?
To answer this question, BonusFinder Canada, the leading canadian website dedicated to online casino bonuses, analysed Google Trends scores and monthly search volumes in Canada, building a ranking that measures the digital popularity of Winter Olympic sports using a final score from 0 to 10.
Skeleton, ice hockey and snowboard lead Canadian interest
Skeleton ranks first, emerging as the most followed Winter Olympic sports with a final score of 9.05 out of 10, driven by a strong Google Trends score of 81, and the highest search volume among all winter sports (24,000 monthly searches).
| Sport | Google Trend | Search volume | Final score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton | 81 | 24,000 | 9.05 |
| Ice hockey | 100 | 3,000 | 8.97 |
| Snowboard | 86 | 12,000 | 8.96 |
| Luge | 79 | 4,100 | 8.07 |
| Ski jumping | 100 | 350 | 7.90 |
| Bobsleigh | 88 | 900 | 7.77 |
| Figure skating | 68 | 4,800 | 7.60 |
| Curling | 54 | 18,000 | 7.56 |
| Biathlon | 70 | 1,700 | 7.19 |
| Freestyle skiing | 77 | 350 | 6.75 |
| Alpine skiing | 69 | 700 | 6.70 |
| Ski cross | 69 | 150 | 5.93 |
| Short-track speed skating | 62 | 200 | 5.73 |
| Long-track speed skating | 54 | 80 | 4.87 |
| Cross-country skiing | 36 | 250 | 4.54 |
Close behind is ice hockey, scoring 8.97 out of 10, supported by the highest possible Google Trends score (100) and averaging 3,000 searches per month, confirming its central role in Canadian sporting culture.
Snowboarding completes the top three with a final score of 8.96 out of 10, a Google Trends score of 86 and supported by 12,000 monthly searches. Just outside the podium is luge, which scored 8.07 out of 10, combining consistent interest (Trend 79) and 4,100 searches per month.
Ski jumping follows with 7.90 out of 10, benefitting from a perfect Google Trends score of 100, despite a more limited search volume of 350 monthly searches. Bobsleigh also performs strongly, scoring 7.77 out of 10 thanks to high recent momentum (Trend 88) and steady search demand.
Figure skating records 7.60 out of 10, supported by 4,800 monthly searches and a solid Google Trends score of 68. Curling, one of Canada's most established Olympic traditions, ranks just behind with a final score of 7.56 out of 10, driven by a very high search volume of 18,000 monthly searches, despite a more moderate Trend score of 54. Biathlon follows closely with 7.19 out of 10.
Moving down the ranking, freestyle skiing (6.75), alpine skiing (6.70) and ski cross (5.93), show niche levels of online interest. Meanwhile, endurance-focused sports such as short-track speed skating (5.73), long-track speed skating (4.87) and cross-country skiing (4.54) sit at the bottom of the ranking, reflecting lower search volumes with a more specialised audience interest.
Athletes drive Canada's Olympic conversation
Canadian interest is strongly athlete-driven, particularly in ice hockey, which dominates online searches. The most searched athletes include Connor McDavid (162,000 monthly searches), Mitch Marner (139,000), Sidney Crosby (114,000), Brad Marchand (122,000) and Nathan MacKinnon (40,000).
The 20 most searched Canadian athletes in the Winter Olympics
| Athlete | Search volume | Sport |
|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | 162,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Mitch Marner | 139,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Brad Marchand | 122,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Sidney Crosby | 114,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Nick Suzuki | 69,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Cale Makar | 53,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Nathan MacKinnon | 40,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Macklin Celebrini | 39,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Sam Bennett | 37,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Jordan Binnington | 20,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Logan Thompson | 20,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Brandon Hagel | 17,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Sam Reinhart | 16,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Laura Stacey | 14,000 | Ice Hockey (Women) |
| Thomas Harley | 14,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Sarah Nurse | 12,000 | Ice Hockey (Women) |
| Mark Stone | 12,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Tom Wilson | 11,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Bo Horvat | 10,000 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
| Drew Doughty | 9,700 | Ice Hockey (Men) |
Women's ice hockey also plays a major role in popular Winter Olympic sports, led by Laura Stacey (14,000 searches), Sarah Nurse (12,000), Natalie Spooner (4,900) and Marie-Philip Poulin (1,800).
Meanwhile, in snow sports, athletes such as Mark McMorris (4,100), Laurie Blouin (1,600) and Mikaël Kingsbury (1,400) contribute directly to the strong performance of snowboard and freestyle skiing in the overall ranking.
Most bet on Winter Olympic sport in Canada
Of course, ice hockey always top trumps the other sports when it comes to Canadians betting. And with that, the Canadian sports betting market is growing. According to Grand View Research, in 2024 the market generated approximately US$4.1bn in revenue and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6% from 2025 to 2030. By 2030, the total market revenue is projected to reach US$8.8bn, making Canada the fastest growing regional market in North America.
Methodology
The analysis combines Google Trends scores and monthly keyword search volumes in Canada. Each sport's popularity is calculated using a 0–10 index, weighting recent interest and search demand equally. Athlete popularity is measured using individual monthly search volumes.
