Canada Wants A Stanley Cup! (but when will they get it?)

17 Year Drought in Effect, when will it end?

Canada has been waiting for the return of Lord Stanley’s Cup to their hallowed land for quite a long time. For a country which lays claim to the birth of the game, the 17 year drought since the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup back in 1993 is all too real for every club nation-wide.

This seasons Cup hopefuls, the Habs, Sens and Canucks are not the strongest contingency of Cup hopefuls, but they are what they are; the only teams in Canada vying for the chance to win it all.

That said, it looks like the Canadiens and Senators, long-shot hopefuls at best, will be packing it in the near future as both clubs sit down 3-1 in their respective series.

The one true legitimate hope for the return of the Cup to Canada lies with the Vancouver Canucks, but they are in tough against the Los Angeles Kings and the rest of their possible opponents in the Western Conference.

The remnants of Montreal’s historic Cup run in ’93, dominated by 11 overtime victories, is all that lingers of the memories of a Stanley Cup in Canada for this current generation of hockey fan.

But when will that all change?

The reality is that the great nation of Canada is simply aching to add a few more clubs to their chances.

Cities across country have been pushing to re-equilibrate the league’s balance between Canadian and American franchises for awhile, but the worry surrounding past failures and the future of the economy, have kept the NHL from acquiescing to potential new owners demands.

It’s definitely tough to get a franchise in the NHL. Let alone one in Canada.

But the movement is happening and with the Canadian dollar reaching parity for the first time in a long while, and projections that it’s not going down any time soon, now might be a better time than ever to increase Canada’s odds of winning a Stanley Cup by adding a few more teams north of the border.

With 24 teams in the United States and only 6 in Canada, there is a lot of untapped potential waiting to be exposed in Canada.

Hamilton, Quebec City and Winnipeg are all dying to get teams in their cities. They all have large and loyal fan bases and yearn for he incredible infusion into their economy that an NHL franchise would bring.

It’s tough to say which city will get their wish granted first, but with the pressure on for Canada to bring the Cup back home north of the border, and with all the economic factors pointing to the NHL missing out on a great and timely opportunity if they don’t pounce on it, chances are that the talk of Canada getting a new team will only get louder as the summer wares on.

It’s time for a reality check for the NHL and their ideals for growing the game. They know their best option is Canada and with the nation ready and eager to help grow the sport again, it only makes sense.

A Stanley Cup victory by any team in Canada would not only instantly boost the economy of that particular city, but also of the entire nation. The NHL is more connected to fans in Canada than any other sport in the country and all 6 teams have fans spread across the land. A win for any original 6 team would boost revenues no matter what(Montreal/Toronto), but even a first time win for the Canucks or a win for the renewed version of the Senators would help Canada’s economy.

Adding a few more teams that have a realistic shot at selling out nearly every game as well being able to advertise and showcase the product in a market that is known to love the sport, well…it only makes sense.

Timing is the major issue. There are obviously many potential buyers/owners and cities and local goverments that must be considered, but with the Canadian dollar striking parity and, as I mentioned above, not in danger of falling anytime soon, the NHL must take another serious look at re-expanding back into Canada.

This nation thrives on the game. That is reinforced by the millions of viewers for each playoff game televised in Canada, not to mention the enormous online presence for each of the 6 Canadian teams currently in the NHL

The NHL would see elevated profits and increased attention with the addition of one or more NHL franchises in Quebec, Ontario or Manitoba. The question is, who will finally make the case to the NHL to bring the game, and more teams, back to Canada?

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stevenhindle@hockeybuzz.com