An Election Night Question

It's a rather important day for our neighbours to the south as you likely know. I have no horse in the race since I am ineligible to vote as a Canadian, but the decision made by the US population tonight will undoubtedly affect Canadians for the next four years just as every other Presidential election has. One of the curious things that every modern President has done is inviting championship teams to the White House to be honoured. I'm always curious as to whether these men are actually fans of the teams and/or sports they welcome, so it should be asked: does either candidate like hockey?

I actually asked this question back in 2016 following Donald Trump's election win that year, and it seems the current President has attended a New York Rangers game or two in his past. Is he a hockey fan? I'd say no, but a 2017 George Richards article in the Miami Herald states that Trump was interested in buying the Florida Panthers back in 1999 or 2000. I'm not sure that would make him a hockey fan as much as it would an investor into the NHL franchise, but it's something.

So what about the other guy on the ballot tonight in Joe Biden? Is he a hockey fan?

We need to jump back to 2010 to find a good instance of Joe Biden showing up and wearing the colours of the team he was cheering for as the image to the right was captured on Feburary 14, 2010 at the Vancouver Olympic Games when Joe Biden and his family visited Thunderbird Arena in Vancouver for the preliminary game between Team USA and Team China. If the Bidens were wanting to cheer, they certainly came to the right game as Team USA absolutely destroyed Team China by a 12-1 score, giving the Bidens plenty of opportunities to cheer for the ladies in red-white-and-blue!

If we move forward, we find out that Joe Biden is a die-hard Philadelphia Flyers fan thanks to his wife, Jill. The picture to the left was taken in 2016 at a game between the Washington Capitals and Philadelphia Flyers, and it seems that Mr. Biden was getting ready to enjoy the ice cream cone he was holding! I was impressed that he chose to sit in the lower bowl as opposed to the suite, perhaps reinforcing his election message that he's a man of the people and not about the Park Avenue stuff.

His love of the Flyers, however, was a small morsel to chew on in 2010 after the Blackhawks defeated the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final. He was asked about his devotion to the black-and-orange NHL squad, and he made it clear that his wife, Jill, turned him into a Flyers fan. Rick Pearson of the Chicago Tribune wrote,

"I am a Philadelphia Flyers fan and I make no bones about it. I was a Flyers fan before, but then I married a Philly girl. Philadelphia fans are the most, uh, most persistent fans in the world. My wife is counted among them," Biden said. "That was one hell of a series, though."

It seems that Mr. Biden is, indeed, a hockey fan through his own words! While I'm not overly excited that he's a Flyers fan, his reasoning for becoming a Flyers fan is pretty awesome. Thanks for bringing him into the hockey world, Mrs. Biden!

Officially, I wouldn't call it a Metropolitan Division battle per se, but the Donald Trump-backed New York Rangers will be on the ballot against Philadelphia Flyers-backed Joe Biden, and this does have all the makings of a solid battle right down to the final minute of action tonight. If the pundits are right, we might even see overtime if the race is too close to call tonight. With the election being like the playoffs, it means we play until there's a winner determined, so make sure you're settled in for what could be a long night!

If we're voting exclusively on who is a bigger hockey fan, I'd have to say that Joe Biden wins thanks to Jill Biden converting him into a bigger Flyers fan than he was before!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!