Can Canada break its Stanley Cup curse?

Edmonton oilers move south in Miami to fight the first time Stanley Cup in Canada since 1993. years.

He will hope to avoid repetition last year when they made the same trip and lost.

Over and 30 years the winner of the prize award at the National Hockey League went to the American team. We are sorry for the legacy for the country where the ice hockey is not just a sport, but part of the national identity. About 40% of players in NHL, in all teams, are Canadian – more than any other country.

Last year, the oil mills glued during the final game series seven games against Florida Panthers.

It was a “heart” loss for Carson Duggan, who grew up in rural Alberta and now lives in the US. She traveled to Miami to watch that final game, where he says thousands of other Canadians joined.

It is a painful point for many Canadians who passed the deepest fans for so long without trophies, and yet they remain willing to spend great money and travel long distances to support their team.

Now Edmonton has another chance to break the losing railway this year, but it moves in the game 6, there are concerns that history could really repeat. While the oil started a series strong, conquering the first game 4-3, Panters crashed Edmonton 5-2 on Saturday, giving them an advantage of 3-2 series.

The match on Tuesday, in Miami, will be up to or-die.

Repeated losses united Canadians against a common enemy – USA. Although there are seven Canadian teams in NHL to cheer the Canadian fans, when it comes to playoffs that lag the most, whatever the Canadian team goes the most distant. Thus, in this year’s Final Series Edmonton Oilers crashed, by elimination, Canadian team.

“I think that’s exactly like, we need a cup like Canada,” Mrs. Duggan said. “Many Canada cheers for Edmonton.”

This is especially true due to the tension between Canada and the United States, which increased in the middle of the Telecious Trading War.

International rivalry really came to head during the winter 4 nations face to themselves, when Trump has repeatedly used in Canada by calling “51st of the state”.

The Canadians broke the American national anthem during the game, and three fights ran out on the ice during the first nine seconds of one game. Shortly after Canada won the 4th, Canadian comedian Mike Meiers appropriated the term hockey “elbows” as the gathering of Canadian sovereignty.

The slogan was adopted by Prime Minister Mark Carney (whose edmonton match) during his election campaign.

Meanwhile, American President Donald Trump personally called Panters, who play about an hour away from his MAR-LAGO property, to offer his support.

Temperatures between the two countries seemed to have cooled a little, said Ms. Duggan. But that doesn’t mean that Canadian victory would not be “Cherry on top.”

“We won’t be bullied,” she said, adding to think that “most Canadians know that most Americans are good people.”

Each Canadian has its own hypothesis why Canadian teams have not won a cup since 1993. years, from everyday on suffering in a break.

For starters, under the eyes of NHL Commissioner Gari Bertman, American franchises greatly exceeded the league, with seven of the eight new teams since 1993. years, in the sun, like Nevada, Florida and recently, Utah. It is now only seven Canadian teams compared to America 25.

Others indicate mild temperatures and lucrative tax breaks in many American states as a draw for free agents.

Ms. Duggan likes to think that at least partially due to the unique egalitarian games – players only on ice, which means that even a star player, such as Captain Consnor for oil, cannot monopolize the rink.

The 28-year-old, whose was in Hall, Vayne Gretzki, played with a team, because it was a draft Pick in NHL for the first time during the 2015-2016 season. As he took years of oil to reach the level they play now, even then it would be clear to be a star.

“If he drew Boston or Chicago or Philly or Rangers, or really any team in the United States, I think that hockey would exponentially,” Mrs. Duggan said. “You could know absolutely nothing about hockey and watch five minutes and see [he’s] the best player. “

Now live in New Hampshire, after we move to the United States to play hockey and levels at the university level, Ms. Duggan – whose greatest mayor – said the oil was still her home team.

“I think it was part of the house that was always there,” she said. “They probably took years from my life, because some of the falling falls are attacks, and I stay during every single game.”