So, I'm just going to throw this out there, as food for thought. This is a knowledgeable hockey crowd, and I'm curious what you think.
As it stands right now, none of the Canadian teams would qualify for the NHL playoffs this year.
That's just 7 out of 30 teams, sure, but I think it represents something more.
I'm sure most of you are aware that the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was 1993, and then it was the Stinkin' Habs, so it doesn't really count. Since then, Montreal has been the only consistently good team, while a few other teams have made unlikely runs to the final only to end up falling short.
Most of you also know that hockey means a little bit more to the average Canadian than to the average American. It truly is part of the national psyche up here. Now of course, hockey is experienced on all different levels in Canada, from minors to juniors to pro, and there is the chance to look away from the NHL and still enjoy the opportunity to see your team win. I think that's partly why the World Juniors are such a big deal up here, and just about off the radar in the US. That said, I'm becoming more and more convinced that Canada deserves better.
Just for the sake of full disclosure, I'm going to declare that I am a dual citizen of the two countries, have lived almost equal time in each place, am a Bruins fan, and cheer for Canada in national competitions.
There are plenty of good hockey towns in the US, including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Minnesota, and almost even NY. The NHL is a league with excellent history, even if the current administration lacks a certain "je ne sais quoi", and every team deserves it's day. As all Red Sox fans know, sometimes you have to endure a little pain for a while before getting to sigh in relief. But I get the sense that the league decreasingly represents Canada, in an attempt to broaden it's market to the south and beyond. It makes me wonder if the playing field is really level, and with the Canadian dollar plummeting, it may only get worse.
I've toyed with the idea of the Canadian teams leaving and forming a Canadian NHL. Sure, you'd want to invite the Original Six to join too, but why would they want to go? Of course, it's unrealistic. There's too much money to be made and lost by taking unnecessary chances. Yet it's tempting to think about. The existing NHL cities have enough of a fan base to support a junior team too, while opportunities exist to expand to Quebec, Halifax, southern Ontario, possibly Saskatchewan or Kelowna, BC, to name a few. The scale of the arenas would suffer a bit, but I think you could still get 12-15K in attendance in most places. And then fans would have something to cheer about come May. As it is, fans form playoff pools to maintain interest, follow players they know or have a second team they root for. The Stanley Cup is still a big deal, even if Tampa Bay is playing Nashville. But if the NHL no longer represents Canada in the playoffs, I just wonder if there will be push back at some point.
Sorry for the long-winded post. I know as an argument there are clear reasons why this can't or won't happen. But if you are looking for topics to discuss, have at it.
As it stands right now, none of the Canadian teams would qualify for the NHL playoffs this year.
That's just 7 out of 30 teams, sure, but I think it represents something more.
I'm sure most of you are aware that the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was 1993, and then it was the Stinkin' Habs, so it doesn't really count. Since then, Montreal has been the only consistently good team, while a few other teams have made unlikely runs to the final only to end up falling short.
Most of you also know that hockey means a little bit more to the average Canadian than to the average American. It truly is part of the national psyche up here. Now of course, hockey is experienced on all different levels in Canada, from minors to juniors to pro, and there is the chance to look away from the NHL and still enjoy the opportunity to see your team win. I think that's partly why the World Juniors are such a big deal up here, and just about off the radar in the US. That said, I'm becoming more and more convinced that Canada deserves better.
Just for the sake of full disclosure, I'm going to declare that I am a dual citizen of the two countries, have lived almost equal time in each place, am a Bruins fan, and cheer for Canada in national competitions.
There are plenty of good hockey towns in the US, including Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philly, Minnesota, and almost even NY. The NHL is a league with excellent history, even if the current administration lacks a certain "je ne sais quoi", and every team deserves it's day. As all Red Sox fans know, sometimes you have to endure a little pain for a while before getting to sigh in relief. But I get the sense that the league decreasingly represents Canada, in an attempt to broaden it's market to the south and beyond. It makes me wonder if the playing field is really level, and with the Canadian dollar plummeting, it may only get worse.
I've toyed with the idea of the Canadian teams leaving and forming a Canadian NHL. Sure, you'd want to invite the Original Six to join too, but why would they want to go? Of course, it's unrealistic. There's too much money to be made and lost by taking unnecessary chances. Yet it's tempting to think about. The existing NHL cities have enough of a fan base to support a junior team too, while opportunities exist to expand to Quebec, Halifax, southern Ontario, possibly Saskatchewan or Kelowna, BC, to name a few. The scale of the arenas would suffer a bit, but I think you could still get 12-15K in attendance in most places. And then fans would have something to cheer about come May. As it is, fans form playoff pools to maintain interest, follow players they know or have a second team they root for. The Stanley Cup is still a big deal, even if Tampa Bay is playing Nashville. But if the NHL no longer represents Canada in the playoffs, I just wonder if there will be push back at some point.
Sorry for the long-winded post. I know as an argument there are clear reasons why this can't or won't happen. But if you are looking for topics to discuss, have at it.
