As the NHL playoffs heat up and three Canadian teams chase the Stanley Cup, fans across the country are riding an emotional roller coaster. I scream on TV, bite my nails, and sometimes I hold my chest.
But is the stress of playoff hockey doing more than just letting the nerves go? Is that actually hurting your heart? Research and experts suggest that this is possible, especially for fans with existing cardiac conditions.
“It can definitely happen. It's rare, but it still happens. For healthy people, this is not at all possible at all,” said Scottia, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University.
“But I'm excited to see a sporting event. That could be when they're very personally invested and their heart rate and blood pressure rise… and people who don't have heart health or have been diagnosed with heart disease have problems.”
He says he once treated a patient who couldn't watch the Vancouver Canucks game – the stress was so intense that it caused chest pain.
This kind of emotional investment could have unfolded vividly on Sunday evening. The Winnipeg Jets dragged the St. Louis Blues with two goals heading into the third term. Then, on an astonishing turn, they scored once and twice with 1.6 seconds remaining. Winnipeg erupted. St. Louis is deflated.
And now, with the PWHL playoffs kicking off on Wednesday evening, we'll add more chances for fans to take on an emotional roller coaster.
Whether your team wins or loses, we don't deny it. The playoff game can create an emotional and physiological roller coaster for fans on both sides.
Leah pointed out that, although rare, he is a stubborn fan with health issues that scream, drink beer and munch on TV.
According to the Heart Disease and Stroke Foundation, heart disease is Canada's leading cause of death. And it can be caused by a variety of reasons, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, unhealthy diet, age, smoking, drinking alcohol, and more.
However, emotional and psychological stress is also linked to serious heart problems, such as heart attacks, irregular heartbeats, and even sudden heart death.
Toronto Maple Leafs fans will gather to watch Game 3 of the first round NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Series with Senators Ottawa at Maple Leafs Square held at Scottia Bank Arena in Toronto. April 24th, 2025.
Stee Brassel/Toronto Star via Getty Images
Research shows that looking at intense sports games like soccer, rugby, baseball, hockey can increase the risk of heart problems, from chest pain and heart attacks to cardiac arrest. Add some of the habits that often come with match days, such as heavy drinking, greasy foods, and smoking. This adds to the risk, especially for fans who already have a heart condition.
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“It's something. Watching the playoffs is psychological stress, and these stresses can be extreme, but each person is different,” said Dr. Paul Dorian, a professor of medicine at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.
For example, in 2013, a Chicago Blackhawks fan suffered a heart attack while watching Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins.
During England and Columbia's 2018 World Cup match, some fans' Apple Watch reportedly flagged a dangerously high heart rate.
The science of sports fan stress
A growing number of research shows that watching high stakes sports is not just thrilling, and can be hard on the mind.
A 2015 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology followed heart-related hospital visits in New Zealand during the Rugby World Cup tournament. Wins and losses, and enrollment jumped during the game. However, hospitalizations, particularly for heart failure, were 50% higher after losses by the All Blacks (New Zealand's National Rugby Team). After victory they tended to fall.
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In 2020, researchers writing on Heart Disease pointed to similar patterns among stubborn soccer, rugby, soccer and baseball fans. They found that emotionally invested audiences, especially those with history of coronary artery disease, are at increased risk for cardiac events during major games.
Detroit Lions fans will cheer during the game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers in Detroit on Thursday, December 5th, 2024.
Photo by Amy Lemus/Nurphoto via Getty Images
Data for 2017 showed how reactive fans have bodies. When researchers monitored supporters of the Montreal Canadiens, they discovered that their heart rate doubled during the game. Viewers at home experienced similar heart rate spikes as seen during moderate physical activity, but the effects were directly involved.
“This study increases the likelihood that the emotional stress-induced response of watching a hockey game will cause harmful cardiovascular events at the population level. Therefore, the results have important public health implications,” Professor Paul Khair of the Montreal Heart Institute said in a related press release.
“Analysis of hockey games' elements related to peak heart rate supports the notion that it is not the outcome of the game that determines the intensity of the emotional stress response, but rather the excitement experienced by looking at the high-take or high-intensity portion of the game,” he said.
Then, in 2018, another study focused on what happens after the final buzzer. Published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, an increase in heart attacks in men under the age of 55 was seen the day after the Canadian victory.
And during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the hospital reported a 15% increase in cardiovascular-related entry during and immediately after games, pointing again to the physical sacrifices that emotional investment in sports could take.
Heart attacks during high stress sporting events like the NHL playoffs are possible, but both Dorian and Leah said they are extremely rare.
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“If someone is completely healthy, the chances are incredibly low. If they are unhealthy, the risk is higher, but it's still quite low,” Dorian said.
Leah noted that additional stressors (overeating, drinking alcohol, hot weather, delayed treatment during the game, etc.) could exacerbate the risk.
“If you experience symptoms of a heart attack, don't wait until after the match to get help,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of overall heart health. It maintains activity, manages risk factors such as blood pressure and blood sugar, and maintains drugs like nitroglycerin if prescribed.
