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NHL RAMBLINGS
The Rogers Cup
Finally Canadian hockey fans have something to cheer about
It’s bad enough that my hometown Ottawa Senators didn’t make the NHL playoffs again this year. What’s even worse is the inevitable result that none of the three Canadian teams that did qualify will likely make it to the Stanley Cup final.
For whatever reason, Canadian-based teams aren’t very good. In 2016, not a single Canadian team made the playoffs.
Despite league-leading attendance and legions of diehard fans, our teams seldom compare favorably with the U. S.-based teams which often play to half-full arenas. In fact, a Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993.
I’m hard-pressed to know what the solution to this sad situation is. Some say we should stop supporting our Canadian teams until they demonstrate that they can win. Tempting as this option is, I suspect the only thing it would lead to is unsuccessful franchises choosing to pick up stakes and move to a new American hockey “hotbed” like Houston, Honolulu, or New Orleans.
Unless and until we Canadians have the guts to sever ties with the NHL and its diminutive U.S.-centric boss Gary Bettman and form our own top-tier Canadian professional league, we’re stuck with the current sad state of affairs. The…
