WINNIPEG - Let’s get one thing straight. I am a Winnipeg Jets fan. But I’m also a hockey fan. And despite all its faults, I’m a Canada fan. Now, I’m not going to get all political, but to move forward you learn from the past; and that’s why I’ll be proudly wearing red on Canada Day. But I’m getting a head start as I wear red through the Stanley Cup final.
When I was a little Sports Doctor, I loathed the Montreal Canadiens. I hated when they were the featured game on Hockey Night in Canada. For you young kids, we only got one or two games a week on TV in the early 1970’s; there was no late game either. I liked the Toronto Maple Leafs stemming from the fact that I lived in that area for a few years and my Dad took me to a couple of Leaf games. Sure the Jets were around when we moved back to Winnipeg in 1974, but they were rarely on TV. I liked Dave Keon, Ron Ellis, Brian Glennie, and Norm Ullman. I never connected with any of the Habs players.
I want to see a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup again. I love when Canada wins the World Junior Hockey Championship. I celebrated wildly when Canada captured gold medals at the various winter Olympics. Montreal has 15 players that were born in Canada vs. Tampa Bay’s 8. And a Canadian team hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1993.
It's time to once again thump our chest and say we are the best in the world on the ice; Go Canada, and Go Habs Go!
What do you think?