NHL playoffs: Will Vancouver see an economic boost? [Video]

A Canadian sports economist is encouraging Canucks fans to enjoy the team’s playoff run, but cautioning against having big expectations around economic spinoffs.

Concordia University professor, Moshe Lander, points out that while bars and restaurants around Rogers Arena will see an influx of enthusiastic fans for home games, the big picture isn’t so rosy.

“Everyone is going to say, of course, the place is packed on Canucks games and so the conclusion then is this is creating a lot of economic activity,” he said. “But if you start going into the malls and start going out to the local sushi restaurants and ask them how they’re doing, they’re going to say, ‘wait a minute, we notice there’s a decrease in economic activity here.’”

And that’s not just the case in an expensive city like Vancouver, where the high cost of living is putting a squeeze on many residents. Lander says …