This is the Land Down Under. The Sunburnt Country. A place where barbies and the beach go hand-in-hand.
But I’ll let you in on a little secret. There’s a big ice hockey community here. They support the AIHL and they get fired up about the NHL playoffs.
Many of these fans are Aussies, some are Americans and some are expat Canadians who miss Tim Horton’s donuts and Alanis Morissette (joking). Personally, I’ve always preferred the NHL’s post-season to the NBA’s. It just seems to have more drama, more upsets and fewer dominant teams.
We’re not quite a week into the playoffs and 16 teams are still alive. There are five Canadian teams left and there are three from Commissioner Gary Bettman’s beloved ‘Sunbelt.’ Chicago, Detroit, Montreal and the New York Rangers represent the ‘Original Six’ franchises, with only Boston and Toronto watching from home.
If you’re not up on your NHL and you’re looking for a team to follow, here are ten suggestions:
Who likes them: Long Islanders, guys named Vito, fans of fish sticks
Why you should pick them: This is the swan song for one of the league’s most intriguing franchises. After this season, the Islanders leave Long Island and the dumpy Nassau County Coliseum for the bright lights of Brooklyn. It would be fantastic to see the old barn – it played host to four Stanley Cup champions in the 1980’s – rocking for one last time.
Argument against: They’re one year away from joining Brooklyn’s beard-wearing, cold coffee-drinking hipsters.
Who likes them: Albertans, cowboys, fans of the underdog
Why you should pick them: The team deserves a trophy just for making the playoffs. They’ve lost their best player, Mark Giordano, to injury, yet are still plugging away. If you have a soft spot for Canada but don’t like the big city arrogance of Vancouver and Montreal, this might be your team.
Argument against: The odds of them going deep in the playoffs are pretty slim.
Who likes them: French Canadians, traditionalists, poutine lovers
Why you should pick them: For one thing, the Canadiens are hockey. They’re an old, proud club and part of the Original Six. They’re also the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup, back in 1993.
Argument against: Any Canadian outside of Quebec will tell you that there isn’t much worse than having Les Habitants win the Cup.
Who likes them: Manitobans, farmers, fans of small market teams
Why you should pick them: Winnipeg is easily the smallest metropolitan area in the NHL, but the fans love their hockey. This is the old Atlanta Thrashers franchise that relocated in 2011 and only made the post-season once, back in ’06-’07.
Argument against: TV networks and most media members won’t want Winnipeg in the Finals.
Who likes them: British Columbians, ski instructors, ex-Seattle Sonics’ fans
Why you should pick them: The Canucks have been close. Real close. They lost in Game Seven to the Bruins in 2011 and famously lost in Game Seven to the Rangers back in 1994. After missing the playoffs last year, Vancouver is back.
Argument against: There’s that rioting thing.
Who likes them: Liberals, Conservatives, non-Leafs’ fans from Ontario
Why you should pick them: There’s that ‘soft spot for Canada’ thing, but also the fact that the Senators defied the odds to get here, making up a 14-point deficit in February to qualify.
Argument against: A very bland franchise when compared to the other Canadian teams.
Who likes them: Residents of The O.C., Canadians living in So Cal, fans of Disney’s ‘The Mighty Ducks’ movies
Why you should pick them: As with the Los Angeles Kings, it’s good to see hockey gain a foothold in Southern California. The Ducks have won the Western Conference for the second consecutive season and without those pesky LA neighbours in the playoffs, they might have a shot at winning.
Argument against: C’mon, it’s LA… and really, it’s not even LA.
Who likes them: Minnesotans, ice fishermen, fans of The Replacements
Why you should pick them: Minnesota is a great hockey state: where else would 18,000 fans turn out to watch high school hockey? If you believe in the ‘hot goalie theory,’ then Devan Dubnyk could be your man.
Argument against: The “Wild” nickname, as well as the logo which pales in comparison to that of the old North Stars.
Who likes them: Midwesterners, Budweiser drinkers, fans of defensive hockey
Why you should pick them: Another team that has been solid for the past couple of years but can’t get over the hump. Plus, the Blues have never won a Stanley Cup in 50 years of existence.
Argument against: Ferguson?
Who likes them: Hedge fund managers, supermodels, cigar-chomping New Yorkers
Why you should pick them: Let’s face it, the Big Apple needs a winner. The Jets and Giants had rough seasons, the Knicks are abominable and who knows about the Yankees and Mets. The Rangers lost in last year’s Finals and haven’t won the Stanley Cup since 1994. They are chock full of talented players like Henrik Lundkvist and Rick Nash.
Argument against: It’s New York!
Chicago Blackhawks: No offence to the great fans in Chicago, but the Blackhawks have had their day in the sun, winning Stanley Cups in 2010 and 2013. Time for someone else to enjoy lifting it.
Detroit Red Wings: They’ve been one of the strongest franchises of the modern era, winning four Stanley Cups in eight years, but it’s time to say adios to Datsyuk, Zetterberg and co.
Nashville Predators: Are you ready for TV cameras focussing on “Hockey-tonk” stars like Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban? I didn’t think so.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Yes, they have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, but you get the feeling the Penguins are headed towards rebuilding time. Jump off the ship now.
Tampa Bay Lightning: This is a very good team but it’s hard to get past the fact that they play in Florida. And lest you feel some sympathy for them, the Lightning have won a Stanley Cup, back in 2004, the year before the work stoppage.
Washington Capitals: Despite having arguably the NHL’s best player in Alex Ovechkin, they are the league’s big underachievers, winning their division six out of the last eight seasons but losing in the conference semi-finals three times.
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