Saskatchewan Roughriders No. 3 best Canadian sports brand: Insightrix

Not surprisingly, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs have the two strongest sports brands in Canada.

The results come from an independent poll done by Insightrix Research.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders take the third spotin brand strength, ahead of larger market teams like the Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Raptors and the Winnipeg Jets.

• Find the fullInsightrix results here

This is the second year Insightrix has recorded and produced sports brand data.

The study is based on five main areas:

• First team that comes to mind
• Respect for the team
• Perception of the most loyal fans
• Team popularity
• Stadium/arena atmosphere

The Maple Leafs are in second place,despite a 48-year Stanley Cup drought.

But the Roughriders are the biggest "branding phenomenon," according to Insightrix. The team made the top three in several main areas, despite the fact Saskatchewan composesonly 3 per cent of Canada's overall population.

When asked which team has the most loyal fans, the Roughriders finished with 12.45 per cent. This graphic shows how teams placed in one of the categories:

Here is the top 10 based on all areas:

1. Montreal Canadiens
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
3. Saskatchewan Roughriders
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Toronto Raptors
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Vancouver Canucks
8. Calgary Flames
9. Ottawa Senators
10. Montreal Alouettes