Canadian hockey fans were hopeful at the start of this year’s National Hockey League playoffs, with four of the seven Canadian teams—Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Edmonton—qualifying. Their hopes peaked when the Edmonton Oilers reached the final stages, but the Oilers fell short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup, continuing the near 30-year championship drought for Canadian teams. The last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup was in 1992-93 with the Montreal Canadiens, while since then, 16 different American teams have claimed the title. Boston Pizza advertisements humorously highlighted this three-decade drought and encouraged Canadian fans to support all Canadian teams, which sparked immediate backlash from some fans.
It appears most Canadian hockey fans are content supporting their own team but not other Canadian teams. This isn’t surprising given Canada’s history of regionalism, where regions often compete economically and politically rather than cooperate, a sentiment that extends to hockey team preferences. Surveys indicate that the three Eastern Canadian NHL teams—Ottawa, Montreal, and Toronto—aren’t among the top three favorites in Western Canada. Similarly, in Eastern Canada, Winnipeg is the only Western team to crack the top three, merely ranking third in Ontario and Quebec, while Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton don’t make the top three. None of the Western Canadian NHL teams are among the top three in Atlantic Canada either.
However, it seems the underdog Oilers garnered widespread support during this Stanley Cup. Despite a survey suggesting Canadians were disinterested in following the Stanley Cup, TV ratings were high and ticket prices were soaring. Over 5.5 million Canadians watched Game 6, making it one of the year’s most-watched TV events in Canada, with the average Game 6 ticket price in Edmonton being $9,203.83 and the cheapest at $1,896. Close to 90% of Canadians following the Stanley Cup cheered for the Oilers. How did they capture the nation’s attention? As the Stanley Cup drought lengthened, Canadian fans grew so desperate that they began rooting for any Canadian team to win again, a sentiment that historically was taboo. A Vancouver Canucks fan would never cheer for the Winnipeg Jets, and a Calgary Flames fan would never root for the Oilers because of the Battle of Alberta rivalry. Yet, the drought has driven even some Flames fans to support their arch-rivals, the Oilers. The yearning for a Canadian victory has become so strong that it crosses traditional rivalries.
While Canadian fans weren’t cheering for the Canadiens specifically, they might’ve been cheering for Canadian players. Sports became more popular when teams were made up of players from the cities they represented, forming a real connection with the fans. In 1968, about 98% of NHL players were Canadian, but today that has dropped to just over 40%. The Oilers stand out in this context as they have more Canadian players than almost any other NHL team, consistently playing twice as many Canadians as the Florida Panthers. This made them a natural choice for fans eager to support Canadian players. Moreover, they are led by a standout star, Connor McDavid, who finally reached the Stanley Cup final after nine years in the league. McDavid, considered the best player in the world, was affectionately nicknamed Connor ‘McJesus’ in Edmonton for leading the Oilers out of a ten-year playoff drought following his 2015 draft. During this year’s Stanley Cup series, he showcased his talent by scoring four points in back-to-back must-win games, setting a playoff assist record, and scoring 42 playoff points, earning comparisons to legends Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. He was named the Conn Smythe winner as the most valuable player in the series, earning the label of being “too Canadian.”
Many Canadian fans likely cheered for McDavid to win the Cup. Everyone loves an underdog story, which might have influenced fans to root for the Oilers. Historically, Canadians have often supported the underdog, as Canada frequently finds itself in that position compared to the United States. Early in the season, the Oilers were last in the NHL but finished the regular season with 104 points, the lowest of the final eight playoff teams. They were the ultimate underdogs, overcoming a two-game deficit against Dallas, a one-game deficit against Vancouver, and needing dramatic comebacks against Florida, where they were down three games to none. They faced elimination five times, and each time they won the following game. No team had successfully come back from a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup since the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, adding to this year’s final drama and excitement. The Oilers managed to capture the hearts of Canadian hockey fans as the ultimate underdog. For whatever reason, Canadians were not only engaged with this year’s Stanley Cup but were also exceptionally supportive of the Oilers. Despite a three-decade-long Stanley Cup drought for Canadian teams and a decrease in the “Canadianness” of the NHL, perhaps hockey remains Canada’s game.