First of all, win or lose (as they have every year since 1993) my team is Les Canadiens, so anyone can take potshots at me right away! But I am also Canadian so I have to add my two cents (that would be like four American) to the comment on the US "stealing the cup since 1993" from Canadians. I don't feel this way, totally. For the past two years, Lord Stanley's Cup has made it to Nova Scotia. First with John Sim of the Dallas Stars and then Colin White with the NJ Devils. Both times the city of New Glasgow and the province of Nova Scotia have beemed with pride that two local boys have made it. No one says "yeah well, too bad the Sens couldn't pull it off". Because those boys bringing back the cup to a town that small, only makes ALL the peewee, bantam, midget players in that town want to succeed and play. When there were only 8 teams, not all of them were in Canada! The expansion of the NHL has given many men the chance to play. In return (nowadays) they in turn make a lot of money. Most, give back to their communties, making life easier on a family who can't afford to spend $600 a year on ice time alone, thus fullfilling a childrens dream.
Think about people from the Eastern Block in Europe. They are just happy to play, no matter what team!
As a country we love our culture and feel that the NHL is a part of that. But we can still pride ourselves in the fact that we are the birthplace of hockey, that there are more Canadian players in the NHL then the Americans and Europeans combined, that we are excelling in Womens Hockey, at the Worlds, the World Juniors, the Olympics and that we have Hockey Night in Canada
None of that would have been possible without the NHL growing beyond 8 teams, or the financial resources of some big American businessmen, who saw an opportunity and capitalized on it. They are not stealing the cup, they are giving us all a chance to enjoy the game in its full potential.
(Remember Greek love people!
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Sarah
Sister Lots-a-Heart, #9
President, Iota Beta Chi Sorority
http://welcome.to/iotabetachi