The Stanley Cup playoffs are well underway and the energy across Canada has been electric —unless, of course, your team didn’t make the cut, like me and my Vancouver Canucks
For many Canadian hockey fans, this moment brings a familiar crossroads: do you tune out or do you pick another team to ride with for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Playoffs?
For a lot of Canadians, the answer can be simple—cheer for another Canadian team still in the hunt.
Still, it’s not always easy. A lifelong Canucks or Flames fan might find it hard to cheer for the Oilers or a Montreal Canadians supporter might hesitate before donning a Leafs jersey, even temporarily.
Rivalries run deep in the NHL, especially between Canadian teams who face off multiple times a season in high-stakes, emotional matchups.
Cheering for another Canadian team doesn’t mean abandoning your own. It’s more like lending your voice to a chorus that hopes to see the Cup come home.
It’s about respect for the game, for the players, and for what a Stanley Cup victory would mean to Canadian hockey culture.
