It has been way too long... The last 19 Stanley Cup Champs have been won by teams in the United States. In the history of the Stanley Cup that number is staggering. The previous longest sojourn the Cup had taken from its homeland was 6 years from 1936-1941. The next longest 4 years...when the Islanders took their 4 straight in the early 80s.
19 years is an eternity... That means every Canadian in school right now has never experienced a Cup wn in Canada. Listen, my team is no better. The last, and only, Cup wins in Philly happened 39 and 40 years ago. I remember the one that happened when I was 6, but not so much the one that happened when I was 5. I really remember Lake Placid in 1980 very well. I was 12. I grew up with the Canadiens as my second team and the Cup wins in 86 (year I graduated high school) and 93 are awesome memories.
So lets assume anyone under 25 in Canada has only the blurriest of memories of the last Canadian Cup victory...when you think of that it is nuts. Of course Canada has still dominated the world stage in the sport and almost every Canadian got to experience the thrill of Vancouver 4 years ago. I was there and to say winning that gold medal was important to the country would be a huge understatement.
I love Canada. I used to force my parents to take me to Canada every summer just to feel closer to the country that invented and perfected the sport I love. I would have them take me to The Forum or Maple Leaf Gardens just to look at the buildings from the outside. I saw a few games at the Forum. I once got a person let me into Maple Leaf Gardens in the middle of the day just to look at the seats. Now many hockey arenas have tours you can take, but the really has only been the case in the last few years.
So yes, secretly, if my team can't win a Cup I want a Canadian team to win one...well it would be a tough call if the Preds or Sharks were in a Final, but in the end that would be a win-win for me.
I have covered three Canadian teams in the Cup Final and even witnessed two game sevens that could have seen the Cup return home. The closest I felt to the craziness that would exist if a Canadian team were to win a Cup came in Edmonton after the Oilers won game 6 to send the series back to Carolina. Being in the arena and then downtown after that game was something I will never forget. The only time a fan base gets to experience winning their last possible game at home is when the team without home ice in a Cup final wins Game 6. I also was in Philly in 1987 when that happened.
So Canada...what you gonna do about it?
There are now 7 teams in the great white north and soon to be 8.
Last year, in a shortened 48 games, we saw the surprising rise of the Montreal Canadiens to second spot in the Eastern Conference. We saw the Senators battle incredible diversity and remarkably get a playoff spot and then knock off those Canadiens before falling to the Pens. We saw the Maple Leafs return to the Playoffs and come within....(well you know the rest of THAT story).
Out west saw a turbulent year by the Canucks end badly (for them and their coach) in the playoffs to the hands of a VERY strong Sharks team. A Jets team (yes they played in the East but they are out west in the context of Canada) come extremely close to making the playoffs as they continue to get stronger and younger. An Oilers team, with so much crazy young offensive talent seemingly ready to ignite, manage to only crawl their way to 12th..still more than a dozen points from a playoff spot...and finally a Calgary Flames team trade it's franchise player finally admitting to a re-tool...not a rebuild...
So who is the closest in my opinion?
7. Calgary. I like where they are heading...but I am not convinced they are going all in on this. This was a team who's NHL consistency, made them always a threat until the past few years. This fan base hasn't had to deal with a rebuild, but I sense is ready for one.
6. Vancouver. Sorry too many question marks, and I am not sold on the Torts choice. Coaches with short windows need teams with short windows, and while you can argue the Canucks have one more year where they are pretty solid as a playoff team I am not sure.
5. Winnipeg. We will see the young guns the Jets have been developing this year. That may be enough, to finally break the Thrashers/Jets tradition of 9th or 10th place...although the switch from the Southeast to the Central will also be drastic.
4. Montreal. This kills me to write of course, especially after last year's impressive start, but I am not convinced the Canadiens would have been any higher than 7th in the Conference had the season gone a full 82. I am not convinced the playoffs would have happened. The good news is whenever I feel the Habs are going to be a force they aren't and whenever I count them out they surprise me.
3. Edmonton. Last year it clicked for the Islanders and young talent, maybe this will be the Oilers year. They aren't done dealing, but the deals so far I have been impressed by. Still think a veteran goalie, like a Tim Thomas wold do wonders for them on the ice and in the room.
2. Ottawa. The Sens are the perfect example of allowing a GM time to rebuild a team. Murray, who I have been critical of before, has really done a hell of a job here. I love the Bobby Ryan pickup and I love the young players on both offense and defense the Sens can put on the ice. If they can keep Spezza healthy this could be a surprise top team in the East.
1. Toronto. The Leafs should have never fired Brian Burke. There I said it. Brian Burke set this franchise up, and to have the patience and where-with-all to do that in a microscope like Toronto takes a special kind of individual. A person who simply doesn't care about what anyone else says. Nonis is solid and understands how to take a Burke built team and run with it. And that is why the Leafs are looking good to me as the most likely next team to win a Cup for Canada...although the rest of Canada may take issue...just maybe....
so.....have at it..
Who do you think wins the next Cup for Canada?
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