Rob The Hockey Guy

There’s a lot of talk about whether or not the Canucks are “Canada’s team” lately, given that they’re the last remaining Canadian team in the playoffs and the fact that a Canadian based team has not won the Stanley Cup since 1993. So are they Canada’s team? Do we care?

The answer to both questions in my opinion is a resounding ‘no’. The Canucks are not Canada’s team. Sure, there will be some people in the rest of Canada that pull for the Canucks. People in the east probably don’t have an axe to grind with Canucks fans and probably would like to see the Cup come to the west coast. What about Ontario? If they know how much we hate the Leafs, they might not pull for us. As for any fan of the Flames or Oilers, I’m pretty sure they hate the Canucks with a passion.

So the Canucks probably aren’t “Canada’s team” in the way that the Flames, Oilers and Senators were in 2004, 2006 and 2007. Why is that? Well, for one they’re not a small market team like those three teams. They’re also not an underdog like the Flames and Oilers were. And more so than the Flames, Oilers and Senators, the Canucks have a pretty cocky fan base! I’m a Canucks fan through and through, but our fan base is much more similar to that of the Toronto Maple Leafs than the Ottawa Senators.

But you know what? We don’t care! If the Canucks win the Stanley Cup and they’re not cheering in Calgary, it won’t bother me for a second. If anything, punishing Flames fans even more would make me enjoy it all the more.