The Big Apple Vs. La-La-Land

Two of the most important television markets in the United States of America will play host to the Stanley Cup Final as the Los Angeles Kings booked their entry into the big dance with their 5-4 overtime win over Chicago tonight. They will meet the resting New York Rangers who dispatched the Montreal Canadiens in six games in the Eastern Conference Final. If I;m Gary Bettman, I'm drooling. If I'm NBC, I'm salivating. If I'm CBC, I'm excited. If I'm a hockey fan, I'm not certain whether this will be a sweep or a seven-game series, but I'm looking forward to watching some great hockey.

There's no denying that these are two hip, contemporary, modern, expensive cities. Both have an extensive sports teams, and I'm not even including the Brooklyn New York Islanders in the equation yet. Both have an extensive roster of actors and filming locations, and both have attractions that bring millions to the respective cities in both number of guests and revenue generated.

Enough about the cities, though, because we're here to talk hockey. The Los Angeles Kings are my brother's favorite team, so there's a family connection for me to one of the teams. The Rangers eliminated my favorite team, the Penguins, from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so I'm not cheering for them. In short, it appears that I'll be pulling for the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Kings in this Stanley Cup Final.

If you're in the HBIC Playoff Pool, I'll be posting the results of the Conference Finals tomorrow, and I'll have the prize list posted on Tuesday despite me still waiting for one person to get me part of the prizes I'm missing. That's the only reason it hasn't been posted yet, but I can't wait any longer. I'm going to lean heavily on this individual over the next week, so, if this is you, expect to be mail-bombed all week until the stuff I ordered hits my mailbox.

The Stanley Cup Final starts on Wednesday. Rangers vs. Kings. New York vs. Los Angeles. The two biggest markets in the United States of America. This should be an epic Stanley Cup Final!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!