Stanley Cup: Can Oilers Unite a Canada Divided by Rivalries?

Winnipeg Jets

Who would have thought the Winnipeg Jets would have the most apathetic fans? After years of fighting for another NHL franchise, Jets fans barely turned up as their team competed for the Central Division crown. It's only fitting then that they get to tune into the comforts of their homes as they watch the Edmonton Oilers compete for hockey's ultimate prize. 

Over the past few seasons, the Jets have inched closer to competing for the Stanley Cup. Still, they don't have the depth scoring to compete with the best the NHL has to offer. With time ticking on Connor Hellebuyck's prime hockey years, Winnipeg could start falling down the Stanley Cup futures board.

For now and the foreseeable future, Winnipeg's once-rabid fanbase will have to find rooting interests in other Canadian teams if they hope to celebrate a Stanley Cup win.

-Grant White

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Toronto Maple Leafs

It’s consistently repeated, and at this point, it might be what the Toronto Maple Leafs are best known for; it has been 57 years since the city raised Lord Stanley. So, how does a fanbase that’s grown accustomed to failure view a Stanley Cup Final featuring the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers?
In last year’s playoffs, the Leafs were eliminated in five games by the Panthers after fans embarrassingly chanted, “We want Florida.” And unfortunately, that was the most successful season the Leafs had seen in years, so there is a bit of bitterness there.
But surely, Leafs fans will hop on board the Canadian team bandwagon and back the Oilers? Doubtful. The entire country turns on Toronto at every turn, so the only ones pushing the "cheer for the remaining Canadian team" narrative are the television networks that want Leafs fans to tune in.
Leafs fans would rather both teams lose than cheer for one or the other.

-Tyler Mason 

Ottawa Senators

The Ottawa Senators' primary focus at the moment is strictly staying in their lane. They have continued to be the NHL's offseason darlings, yet this hasn't translated to success on the ice. The Edmonton Oilers winning the Stanley Cup would surely remove some of the negative focus currently hanging over the Senators. If the Oilers finish the job, you can make a real argument that the Senators and the rest of their fanbase would be the least bothered in Canada. 

-Zack Cook

Montreal Canadiens

Before the Oilers qualified to play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens were the last team from Canada to play for the illustrious trophy in 2021. Since then, the Canadiens have been in a rebuild. Although there are signs that the Habs are ready to exit their rebuild and contend for a postseason berth in 2024-25, patience is a virtue, and there's no sense rushing this important process. We saw in Edmonton how many lottery wins it can take to find an elite core in the NHL. The Habs would be best to continue drafting and developing their talent, even if they remain unlikely to fall into a superstar like Connor McDavid or Leon Draisaitl. For now, the Habs and their fans are indifferent to the Oilers' success. It's been over 30 years since hockey's most successful franchise has won a Stanley Cup. However, as much as patience is necessary at the moment, the Oilers winning it all might take some of the pressure away from Montreal to return to the glory days. 

-Zack Cook 

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Vancouver Canucks

Vancouver Canucks fans are left in an unenviable position in the Stanley Cup Final. On the one hand, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup winner in a tightly contested Game 7 validates that the once-floundering franchise is on the right track. Conversely, it's hard to celebrate a division rival's win when you know it could have been you in the championship series. 

SportsGrid Host Gabe Morency may have summed it up best, "I get both sides. Canucks and Oilers are rivals, but it seems to be as much of a media war as it is between fans. I always say, 'You are only as good as your rivals are,' and I think it motivates the Canucks players to see they went seven with the Stanley Cup Champs. It seems like older fans across the country want the Cup back in Canada and don't care who it is, but the younger fans and generation have zero national pride."

If there's a silver lining to celebrate for the Canucks, they aren't far off from skating in their first Stanley Cup Final since 2011. For now, they'll have to take solace in losing to the Western Conference, if not Stanley Cup, Champions. 

-Grant White

Calgary Flames

The second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs was a catalyst for change for the Calgary Flames. The Flames were easily dispatched by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round, losing the best-of-seven series by a lopsided 4-1 margin. That offseason, the Flames moved on from several franchise cornerstones, kicking off what ended up being a longer-than-expected rebuild. Calgary's only hope of watching Canada break its 31-year Stanley Cup drought lies in the hands of their natural rivals -- the Edmonton Oilers. 

It's an uncomfortable position for Flames fans to be in. But when hockey is your country's talking point, you have no choice but to hop on the bandwagon. While Calgary may again be able to revive the Red Mile, its only joy will come from celebrating Stanley Cup-winning shenanigans on Whyte Ave. 

-Grant White

Winnipeg Jets

Who would have thought the Winnipeg Jets would have the most apathetic fans? After years of fighting for another NHL franchise, Jets fans barely turned up as their team competed for the Central Division crown. It's only fitting then that they get to tune into the comforts of their homes as they watch the Edmonton Oilers compete for hockey's ultimate prize. 

Over the past few seasons, the Jets have inched closer to competing for the Stanley Cup. Still, they don't have the depth scoring to compete with the best the NHL has to offer. With time ticking on Connor Hellebuyck's prime hockey years, Winnipeg could start falling down the Stanley Cup futures board.

For now and the foreseeable future, Winnipeg's once-rabid fanbase will have to find rooting interests in other Canadian teams if they hope to celebrate a Stanley Cup win.

-Grant White

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