Canadian hockey fans have been on the edge of their seats over the past few weeks.
Going into the weekend, there were still three Canadian NHL teams making a playoff run. Then, both the Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered defeat, leaving the Edmonton Oilers as the only Canadian team to advance to the Conference Finals.
But will hardcore Leafs and Jets fans put old rivalries aside and switch their support over to the Oilers as the only Canadian team still standing?
CBC stopped by a rink in Regina to find out.
Some Leafs fans refused to talk about Saturday’s painful 6-1 loss to the Panthers. Edmonton Oilers fans were much more willing to chat.
Moose Jaw resident Jamie Fieffer said he’s been a die-hard Oilers fan since he was born in 1979, the same year the team entered the NHL. Still, he was disappointed to see the Leafs lose out.
“I was hoping for Toronto to win because I’d like to see an all-Canadian final,” he said.
Fieffer is excited to cheer for the Oilers in the next round, but says as a “true Canadian” he’d be ready to cheer for any Canadian team.
“If I had to pick a different team to cheer for, it would definitely have been the Leafs or Winnipeg.”
Hardcore Oilers fan Jamie Fieffer said the team is well positioned to win the Stanley Cup. (Shlok Talati/CBC)
Lorne Hoedel doesn’t have a favourite team, only favourite players. He usually cheers for Canadian defenceman Cale Makar and his team, the Colorado Avalanche. But come playoff time, he’s happy to throw his support behind any of the Canadian teams.
It’s been more than 30 years since a Canadian team hoisted the Stanley Cup. The Montreal Canadiens tasted glory in 1993. Last year, the Edmonton Oilers came pretty close with support from fans across the country.
Hoedel was disappointed to see the Leafs lose out, and is putting his faith in the Oilers to secure the title.
“Canada has a hard time winning the Stanley Cup for some reason,” Hoedel said. “I think maybe McDavid and Draisatl might change that this year. If they can get by Dallas, I think they win the Stanley Cup.”
Lorne Hoedel said he’s putting his faith in the Oilers now that they’re the only Canadian team advancing to the playoffs. (Shlok Talati/CBC)
Sebastian Andrews, an Oilers fan from Kindersley, stopped to talk to CBC while watching his ten-year-old son, who shares his love of hockey. He said seeing the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs fail to advance to the next round was a let down.
“I was hoping there would be another Canadian team,” he said, adding he’s banking on the Oilers to go all the way.
The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings in six games in the first round and the Vegas Golden Knights in five in the second. Now, the Edmonton team will face the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final for the second straight season, opening with Game 1 in Dallas on Wednesday.
“I think they have a good chance, they seem to be playing better with everyone back on board. Hopefully they can take it home this year,” Andrews said.
Edmonton defeated Dallas in six games last season to reach the Stanley Cup Final before losing to Florida in seven games.
Sebastian Andrews said he was hoping Canadian teams would advance further in their playoff run. (Shlok Talati/CBC)
10-year-old Nixon Dueck wasn’t disappointed to see the Leafs fall to the Florida Panthers— he’s not an Auston Matthews fan— and wants a rematch between the Oilers and the Panthers in the finals.
“I’m looking forward to the Oilers winning the cup,” Dueck said. “They’re my favourite team.”
The young fan said he’s excited to watch the next game with his entire family, all of whom will be decked out in their Oilers jerseys.