The Toronto Blue Jays enjoyed their best April in seven years – and it showed in the ratings as TV audiences for the Jays are up 6% on Rogers Sportsnet versus April 2008.

The Jays averaged 310,000 viewers per game for the first month of the season, despite not having any marquee New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox series. Last April, the Jays scored 290,000 viewers per game on Sportsnet, which included two games against American League East rivals the Red Sox, and one against the Yankees. (All numbers 2+.)

The April 14 matchup against the Minnesota Twins is the Jays’ highest-rated game of the season thus far, nabbing 450,000 viewers.

Sportsnet expects numbers to grow in May as the Jays host the Yankees beginning Tuesday, while they take on the Red Sox on Friday, May 29.

Over on CBC, the Vancouver Canucks’ bid to capture the Stanley Cup ended Monday night when they were ousted by the Chicago Blackhawks after six games. While numbers weren’t available at press time for the last game, the series – which featured the last remaining Canadian club in the playoffs – averaged 1.7 million viewers on CBC.

CBC’s other second-round series featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals averaged one million viewers over five games. The series is tied at 3-3 with game seven set for Wednesday.

From Playback Daily