Being an English man, I did the same poll on a UK hockey forum (
www.thehockeyforum.co.uk). I didn’t do it with the idea of comparing, but it is interesting to see the differences. Is there a difference in bias or in honesty? At present, on the NHL forum, 62% have put 5 or below, with 3 being the most popular answer, while on the UK forum, only 51% say less than 5, with 7 as the most popular answer.
I suspect this is a fair reflection. I think in the UK, sports fans have a much more tribal way of supporting their teams. Anything that goes against our team tends to infuriate us.
I also think it has a lot to do with knowledge of the game and the rules. A hockey fan growing up in N. America will see far more hockey on TV, with all the analysis and expert opinion that goes with it, so fans on your side of the pond will have a better understanding, much as Football fans do in the UK, where football (Of course, I am referring to proper football, not that daft game where the ball rarely goes near a foot
) is on TV 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. A better understanding of the game will make people more likely to accept when their player has crossed the line
