Can watching NHL playoffs give you a heart attack? What the science says

As the NHL playoffs heat up and three Canadian teams chase the Stanley Cup, fans across the country are riding an emotional roller-coaster — screaming at their televisions, biting their nails and in some cases, clutching their chests.

But could the stress of playoff hockey be doing more than just fraying nerves? Could it actually be harming hearts? Studies and experts suggest it just might — especially for fans with existing heart conditions.

“It most definitely can happen. It is rare, but it still happens. For people who are healthy, this isn’t likely to be an issue at all,” said Scott Lear, a professor of health sciences at Simon Fraser University.

“But somebody is excited watching a sporting event, it can be a case where they’re so personally invested, their heart rate and blood pressure go up … and people who may not have good heart health or those diagnosed with heart disease, this can be problematic.”

He says he once treated a patient who couldn’t watch Vancouver Canucks games anymore — the stress was so intense, it triggered chest pain.

This kind of emotional investment may have played out vividly on Sunday evening, as the Winnipeg Jets trailed the St. Louis Blues by two goals heading into the third period. Then, in a stunning turn, they scored twice — once with just 1.6 seconds left — to force overtime. Winnipeg erupted; St. Louis deflated.

And now that the PWHL playoffs are kicking off Wednesday evening, it adds another chance for fans to take on the emotional rollercoaster.

Whether your team wins or loses, there’s no denying it: playoff games can create an emotional and physiological roller-coaster for fans on both sides.

Lear pointed out that, while it’s uncommon, a die-hard fan with underlying health problems who’s yelling at the television, drinking beer and munching on chips could be setting themselves up for a heart attack.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Canada, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. And it’s caused by a variety of reasons such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, unhealthy diet, age, smoking and drinking.

But emotions and psychological stress have also been linked to serious heart issues, including heart attacks, irregular heartbeats and even sudden cardiac death.

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Studies have shown that watching intense sports games like soccer, rugby, baseball and hockey can increase the risk of heart problems, from chest pain and heart attacks to cardiac arrest. Add in some of the habits that often come with game day — like heavy drinking, greasy food and smoking — and the risk goes up even more, especially for fans who already have heart conditions.

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“It is a thing. Watching the playoffs is a psychological stress, and these stresses can be extreme, but each person is different,” said Dr. Paul Dorian, a professor of medicine and cardiology at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto.

For example, in 2013, a Chicago Blackhawks fan had a heart attack while watching Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins.

During the 2018 World Cup match between England and Colombia, some fans’ Apple Watches reportedly flagged dangerously high heart rates.

A growing body of research suggests that watching high-stakes sports isn’t just thrilling — it can be hard on the heart.

One 2015 study in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology tracked heart-related hospital visits in New Zealand during Rugby World Cup tournaments. Win or lose, admissions jumped during the games. But after a loss by the All Blacks — New Zealand’s national rugby team — hospital admissions, especially for heart failure, were 50 per cent higher. After a win, they tended to drop.

In 2020, researchers writing in Cardiology pointed to a similar pattern among die-hard soccer, rugby, football and baseball fans. They found that emotionally invested spectators, especially those with a history of coronary artery disease, face an elevated risk of cardiac events during major games.

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Data from 2017 showed just how reactive fans’ bodies can be. When researchers monitored Montreal Canadiens supporters, they found heart rates doubled during games. The effect was even more intense for those attending in person, though viewers at home also experienced heart rate spikes similar to what you’d see during moderate physical activity.

“The study raises the potential that the emotional stress-induced response of viewing a hockey game can trigger adverse cardiovascular events on a population level. Therefore, the results have important public health implications,” senior investigator Prof. Paul Khair from the Montreal Heart Institute said in an accompanying press release.

“Our analysis of elements of the hockey game associated with peak heart rates supports the notion that it is not the outcome of the game that primarily determines the intensity of the emotional stress response, but rather the excitement experienced with viewing high-stakes or high-intensity portions 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, it found a rise in heart attacks among men under 55 the day after a Canadiens win.

And during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, hospitals reported a 15 per cent increase in cardiovascular-related admissions during and just after matches, pointing again to the physical toll that emotional investment in sports can take.

While heart attacks during high-stress sports events like the NHL playoffs are possible, both Dorian and Lear said they’re very rare.

So no need to panic — just cheer responsibly.

“If someone is perfectly healthy, the chances are unbelievably low. If you are unhealthy, the risk is higher, but it’s still quite low,” Dorian said.

4:38 Health Matters: How to manage playoff stress

Lear noted that added stressors — like overeating, drinking alcohol, hot weather or delaying treatment during a game — can compound the risk.

“If you feel the symptoms of a heart attack, don’t wait until after the game to get help,” he said.

He also stressed the importance of overall heart health: staying active, managing risk factors like blood pressure and blood sugar and keeping medications like nitroglycerin close by if prescribed.