Hockey

[webny99]

What's the point of even having Canadian teams if Americans keep winning?

At least it's an interesting sub-plot that gives casual viewers/fans of other teams something to track and root for/against. I view the 30+ year drought as more coincidental than something specific to the Canadian teams... although it has been long enough that it may be in their heads a bit.

[Ted$8roadFan]

I think a few things have happened since the Montreal Canadiens won Canada's last Stanley Cup that help explain the drought: more teams, especially based in the U.S., the  salary cap, taxes, and the Canadian dollar disadvantage. Many of today's athletes prefer to play for American teams in low or no income tax states and perhaps better weather.

https://apnews.com/article/canada-stanley-cup-drought-433e4c6e801c5ea50efb8432cd08a91d#

[SEWIGuy]

I think a few things have happened since the Montreal Canadiens won Canada's last Stanley Cup that help explain the drought: more teams, especially based in the U.S., the  salary cap, taxes, and the Canadian dollar disadvantage. Many of today's athletes prefer to play for American teams in low or no income tax states and perhaps better weather.

https://apnews.com/article/canada-stanley-cup-drought-433e4c6e801c5ea50efb8432cd08a91d#

The fact that Canadian teams have lost seven Stanley Cup Finals since they last won one in 1993 is a bit of an odd statistic. Four of those seven have included game 7s - including one where the Canadian team had a 3-2 edge. So they have been one win away five times, and have gone 0-5 in those games.

So that's just not built in economic advantages...that's a lot of bad luck.

[Bobby5280]

I was pretty surprised when I looked up the list of Stanley Cup champions. I thought for sure at least one or more Canadian teams had one the cup in the past 20 years. Nope.

It's also surprising how many newer expansion teams in the US have won it since the 1990's. Meanwhile some other previously great teams have been in a long term drought. Back when I was a kid I remember the NY Islanders winning the cup 4 years in a row. They haven't won it in 40 years since then. I think some other teams have even longer title droughts.

[JayhawkCO]

An American team has won the CFL Grey Cup more recently than a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup.

[1995hoo]

I was pretty surprised when I looked up the list of Stanley Cup champions. I thought for sure at least one or more Canadian teams had one the cup in the past 20 years. Nope.

It's also surprising how many newer expansion teams in the US have won it since the 1990's. Meanwhile some other previously great teams have been in a long term drought. Back when I was a kid I remember the NY Islanders winning the cup 4 years in a row. They haven't won it in 40 years since then. I think some other teams have even longer title droughts.

Heh. Toronto famously has neither won the Cup nor made the Stanley Cup Finals since 1967, i.e., the end of the so-called (and misnamed) "Original Six" era.

Vancouver and Buffalo, both expansion teams in 1970, have never won it, though they've both made the Finals (the Sabres twice, the Canucks three times). The Flyers have won it twice (1974 and 1975) but have made the Finals six times since then. The original Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes also never won it; that organization entered the league in 1979, and while the NHL doesn't consider Utah to be a continuation of that franchise, realistically for purposes of lists like this it's silly not to treat it as the same franchise.

[Max Rockatansky]

If the Toronto Raptors can win a fairly recent NBA title there isn't much reason why a Canadian NHL franchise can't win a Stanley Cup.

[Henry]

Hell, we even had two Triple Crown winners (2015 and 2018) after not having one since 1978!

Congrats to the Florida Panthers on winning the Stanley Cup! Now their namesake in Carolina just needs to win a Super Bowl someday...

[KeithE4Phx]

"Utah Hockey Club" is an actual name in the running for Utah's team. You've got to be kidding.

Well, the Commanders were the "Washington Football Team" during their transition from the Redskins, so precedent is definitely there.

But that was a temporary name. Utah Hockey Club is being considered as a permanent name, which is absurd.

Why not just keep Coyotes? No worse of a nickname for a Utah team than Jazz.

There's probably some copyright shenanigans with that name. After all, the Coyotes franchise is merely suspended, not dissolved.

Alex Meruelo still holds the rights to the Coyotes' name and other trademarks.  For now. 

But the auction for the state-owned land on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border has been canceled, and Meruelo has reportedly decided to give up ownership of the franchise and just take the money and run.

It's his own fault.  Between not doing his due diligence on special use permits, he has also managed to thoroughly p!ss off everybody in state and local government that he needed to be on his side.

Whether he'll be able to sell the franchise rights, turn them over to the NHL, or just fold the team hasn't been announced as yet.

https://arizonasports.com/story/3549586/alex-meruelo-reportedly-walking-away-from-ownership-of-arizona-coyotes/

[Stephane Dumas]

So that's just not built in economic advantages...that's a lot of bad luck.

Bad luck or a curse, as I mentioned early, some claimed it was due to the curse of Marty McSorley although that one wasn't well known like the curse of the Bambino.
https://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-l-a-kings-and-the-curse-of-marty-mcsorley/

And the Conn Smythe trophy, for the best player in playoffs, is a small consolation prize for Connor McDavid.
https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/edmonton-oilers-connor-mcdavid-wins-conn-smythe-trophy-1.2139646

[Stephane Dumas]

A bit more about the Conn Smythe trophy, some said then Connor McDavid should have step it in for the trophy but one guy on this hockey forum posted a interesting point.
https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/very-disrespectable-of-connor-mcdavid-to-not-show-for-the-conn-smythe-trophy.2969550/#post-196101385

Can't win situation.

He goes out, he's a selfish player who only cares for himself and individual trophies.

He doesn't go out, he "disrespect" da game.

Talk about a situation of "damned if you don't, damned if you do".

[epzik8]

I'm told by some of my fellow Caps fans that we fleeced the Senators big time in the draft.

[Georgia]

I'm told by some of my fellow Caps fans that we fleeced the Senators big time in the draft.

I am not sure I would say fleeced.  Neither player performed well last year but you did swap a 33 year old for a 26 year old so there is more time for Chychrun to rebound. 

[Stephane Dumas]

In 2027, it'll be 60 years then the Leafs didn't won the Stanley Cup and they have past of mark of the NY Rangers who have 54 years drought. There's some people in this forum who compared them to the Cubs, Knicks, Lions.  https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/toronto-maple-leafs-1967-2024-futility-historical-equivalents.2972877/

[Flint1979]

It would be great for hockey to see Toronto end their drought.

[ET21]

They have the longest drought in all of the major North American sports leagues I believe

[1995hoo]

They have the longest drought in all of the major North American sports leagues I believe

Not quite. The Arizona Cardinals have not won the NFL championship since 1947 and that one is the longest current drought. (Two cities ago, BTW. They were the Chicago Cardinals then and they never won anything during their tenure in St. Louis prior to heading to Phoenix.)

Others that predate the Leafs' drought:

• The Cleveland Indians franchise last won the World Series in 1948.
• The Sacramento Kings last won the NBA championship in 1951 when they were the Rochester Royals.
• The Detroit Lions haven't won since 1957 (which got a lot of attention during this past season's playoffs, of course).
• The Atlanta Hawks won their only championship in 1958.
• The Houston Oilers won an AFL championship in 1961 and haven't won another title since in either Houston or Tennessee (despite the Titans coming close in the Super Bowl against the Rams), the Chargers last won in 1963 in the AFL, the Browns in 1964, and the Bills in 1965 (also in the AFL).
• The Atlanta Falcons were founded in 1965 and have never won a championship.

The Minnesota Vikings were founded in 1961 but might get an asterisk: They won the NFL championship for the 1969 season, but they then lost Super Bowl IV to the Chiefs, and in three other appearances after the merger they've never won the Super Bowl.

[mgk920]

The Brewers franchise hos not yet won it all, either, but that only goes back to 1969 (one year as the Seattle Pilots).

Mike

[1995hoo]

The Brewers franchise hos not yet won it all, either, but that only goes back to 1969 (one year as the Seattle Pilots).

Mike

That's why I didn't mention them—I limited it to teams that predated the Leafs' drought, which began in 1967.

[Stephane Dumas]

The Leafs had named Auston Matthews as their new captain.
https://forums.hfboards.com/threads/maple-leafs-name-auston-matthews-captain.2973605/page-19

Let's see if Matthews will beat the current points and goals records of the Leafs franchise currently hold by Mats Sundin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Toronto_Maple_Leafs_records

[LilianaUwU]

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/08/30/johnny-gaudreau-dead-nhl-brother-matthew-columbus-blue-jackets/

NHL winger Johnny Gaudreau, brother Matthew killed in accident

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were killed in what the team called an "unimaginable tragedy."

Johnny Gaudreau was 31 years old. His brother Matthew was 29.

"The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew," the NHL said in a statement.

"While Johnny's infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path."

[jeffandnicole]

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/08/30/johnny-gaudreau-dead-nhl-brother-matthew-columbus-blue-jackets/

NHL winger Johnny Gaudreau, brother Matthew killed in accident

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau and his younger brother Matthew were killed in what the team called an "unimaginable tragedy."

Johnny Gaudreau was 31 years old. His brother Matthew was 29.

"The National Hockey League family is shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of Columbus Blue Jackets forward Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew," the NHL said in a statement.

"While Johnny's infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname 'Johnny Hockey,' he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path."

This occurred on a small country road in Salem County, NJ, approximately 15 minutes from the Delaware Memorial Bridge.  Their sister was to be married today in Philadelphia.

Very tragic news to hear about this morning.

[Henry]

What a terrible turn of events, as this has put a damper on not only what was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but also the upcoming 2024-25 NHL season. RIP Johnny Gaudreau, and it's certainly going to be tough for the Blue Jackets to find a new player to fill his position.

[Ted$8roadFan]

What horrible news; my heart goes out to the family. 

[NWI_Irish96]

It's ridiculous that DUI isn't penalized more harshly. There should be jail time for a first offense, with no opportunity to plead it down.