Canada's Team?

With Edmonton defeating Vancouver last night, there have already been some who have deemed the Oilers as "Canada's team" or "Canada's last hope" when it comes to winning a Stanley Cup. There's no denying that they are the last Canadian team in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I don't know of the Oilers have captured Canada's attention in any specific way other than having Connor McDavid on the roster. I can't find any history on where this phenomenon of annointing one team as "Canada's team" started, but I can tell you that I have zero reason to cheer for the Oilers as they get set to battle the Dallas Stars in the Western Conference Final.

With Canada not having a Stanley Cup champion in one of its cities since 1993, it seems there's an expectation that the country will rally against the remaining 25 teams in an us-versus-them mentality where Canada battles the US. We know this isn't true, though, because you'd be hard-pressed to find any Tampa Bay Lightning fan suddenly switching allegiances to the Florida Panthers just because Florida has yet to win a Stanley Cup. Assuming that all of Canada will suddenly embrace the Oilers suggests a fundamental lack of understanding of how fans think and operate when it comes to opponents.

You can make the case that the Oilers have the most skilled player in the playoffs as Connor McDavid can seemingly take over a series with his skills, but we saw the Canucks hold McDavid off the scoresheet in a number of games they played so one has to wonder if having the game's biggest superstar matters when we're seeing team efforts putting up better results. Yes, I realize that McDavid has guys like Draisaitl, Hyman, and Bouchard to carry some of the offensive load as well, but why would Canada rally behind the Oilers in Round Three?

As polarizing as he is, Evander Kane still skates for the Oilers, and there are a lot of people who simply don't like Kane based on previously-seen actions and behaviours. That's not to say that he's still exhibiting the same behaviours in Edmonton which is a credit to his efforts in becoming a better teammate, but first impressions don't just disappear. The same can be said for Corey Perry who has made a lot of fans unhappy with his style of play over the years, so having these two players on their roster will immediately turn some Canadian fans against the Oilers thanks to their past actions.

Does anyone think that Vancouver Canucks fans are instantly going to drop their hatred for the Oilers and adopt them as Canada's best chance to end the Stanley Cupo drought? Does anyone believe that Calgary Flames fans or Winnipeg Jets fans are going to buy into the Oilers' run after watching the Oilers dominate throughout the 1980s against those two franchises? Do we expect Toronto Maple Leafs fans or Montreal Canadiens fans to suspend the loyalty they have for their teams and cheer for Edmonton after execising their birth rights as Leafs and Habs fans? I doubt Ottawa Senators fans are looking westward with the hopes that the Oilers win, so why does the last Canadian-based team suddenly become "Canada's team"?

It would be ludicrous to expect Islanders fans or Devils fans to start cheering for the New York Rangers as "America's team". The Dallas Cowboys have tried to brand themselves as "America's team" in the past, but the Dallas Stars won't get that same treatment. And I already mentioned how Tampa Bay fans would choose far worse fates than cheer for the Florida Panthers, so can we stop bestowing a stupid title on the last remaining Canadian team in the playoffs?

If the Oilers do win, they deserve the credit for their effort in winning sixteen games in the hardest tournament to win, but I doubt that hockey fans are going to be fistbumping Oilers fans for "winning us a Cup". That doesn't exist in Canada just like "Canada's team" doesn't exist despite some trying to sell that narrative.

Canada is a country that is united over things that affect us all, but the Edmonton Oilers are not one of those things. I'll wish them luck against the Dallas Stars because it appears they may need it based on how Dallas is playing, but that's as far I'll go when it comes to cheering for the Oilers. I can't and won't do it, so you won't find me celebrating "Canada's team" regardless of how they finish the season.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!