OT: 2004 Stanley Cup Finals

[Doug Gilmour]

I was completely behind Cagary and Edmonton during their Cup runs. I was devastated when they both lost, it felt like I was a fan of each team my whole life during those playoffs.

Vancouver was a different story. I jumped up and down when they lost.

Same here. I didn't root for Boston but I wanted Vancouver to lose.

I was behind Calgary all the way that year to win.

 

[Erdinger]

Nobody in Canada besides the Leaf fans all over Canada ever cheered for the Leafs.

Nobody but Leafs fans would ever cheer for the Leafs over another team. That's OK. We have more fans than anybody else anyway.

 

[Pilky01]

What is it with cheering for a team because they are from Canada? Isn't that suppose to be for the Olympics?

It is a unique dynamic present only, and absolutely because there are two countries sharing the league, and one of those two likes to think (rightly or wrongly) the game belongs to them. I dont purport to rationalize it. It is nothing more than pure visceral tribalism.

Also, to expand on the 'north over south' support decision, it really all just comes down to 'who will have the bigger celebration?'. If Team X will have millions of people celebrating, causing the city core to shut down for the ensuing celebrations, while their opponent, Team Y will host a bbq in their arena parking lot with a 'rally' celebration, I am going to root for Team X.

I hope the games are entertaining, and if a certain team's style of play starts to get under my skin, my opinion will obviously be affected, but generally, I just want the people who care most to win...and maybe I only have that perspective because I am a lifetime Leafer.

So if you define Canada's team as the Canadian team which went the farthest in the playoffs, that was us in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002. How many canadians did cheer for us?

Not concerned. I think it is adorable when people hate Toronto for no reason. It is just jealousy. I don't hold it against them.

 

[Duffman955]

Definitely Calgary. Great Canadian team with great yet humble fans. Loved them.

Also supported the Oilers Cup run, that team looked like cinderella story.

Sens and Canucks on the other hand, I liked seeing them fail. Ottawa because I am also a Ducks fan and obvious rivalry. Was against the Canucks because diving and cheap shots don't belong in hockey. Disgusted by the rampant diving.

 

[Kessely Snipes]

I was behind Calgary, Edmonton, even Vancouver during there playoff runs. Not Sens in 07 of course.

 

[Cor]

Calgary won.... I believe nothing else

Edmonton I would have liked to see win

Ottawa, not at all. I was behind Mike Fisher however. That story with the kid... he's a classy guy.

Vancouver... **** no. They can go **** themselves

 

[Erdinger]

It is a unique dynamic present only, and absolutely because there are two countries sharing the league, and one of those two likes to think (rightly or wrongly) the game belongs to them. I dont purport to rationalize it. It is nothing more than pure visceral tribalism.

Also, to expand on the 'north over south' support decision, it really all just comes down to 'who will have the bigger celebration?'. If Team X will have millions of people celebrating, causing the city core to shut down for the ensuing celebrations, while their opponent, Team Y will host a bbq in their arena parking lot with a 'rally' celebration, I am going to root for Team X.

That's why I loved Boston beating Vancouver.

Boston being a real NHL city had a real celebration for the win

Vancouver embarrassed themselves by rioting and burning their city after losing


Then as is their way said it would have been much worse if it happened in Toronto

Classic win-win situation for me.

 

[Damisoph]

I've always rooted for the Alberta teams, for some reason. I can still remember being one of two people cheering for the Flames vs. the Habs in my grade 8 class in 1989.

 

[Kb21]

calgary because of kipper and iggy.

and since it's been brought up, was also rooting for the oilers in their SCF run.

 

[LightningStorm]

Also ran this poll on the Canucks and Habs boards, figuring that those two fanbases, along with you guys, had a reason to cheer for Tampa, unlike the other Canadian fanbases. You guys because of Andreychuk, the Habs because of St. Louis and Lecavalier, and the Canucks because the Flames are their biggest rival.

This poll was definitely the most lopsided, while the Flames won handily on the Habs board and the Lightning won handily on the Canucks board. However I did get the impression that Lecavalier and St. Louis were bigger factors for Hab fans than Andreychuk was for Leaf fans.

 

[Leafidelity]

Andreychuk, not even close. This is a young board, a lot probably don't even remember him.

 

[cujoflutie]

Also ran this poll on the Canucks and Habs boards, figuring that those two fanbases, along with you guys, had a reason to cheer for Tampa, unlike the other Canadian fanbases. You guys because of Andreychuk, the Habs because of St. Louis and Lecavalier, and the Canucks because the Flames are their biggest rival.

This poll was definitely the most lopsided, while the Flames won handily on the Habs board and the Lightning won handily on the Canucks board. However I did get the impression that Lecavalier and St. Louis were bigger factors for Hab fans than Andreychuk was for Leaf fans.

Just curious why you chose only those 3 boards and not the sens and Oilers?

I can't recall off the top of my head if any senators alumni played in that series, was Prospal on Tampa? It's possible that at the time the Oiler fans may have supported the Flames more than the Canucks fans. Remember the Flames did eliminate Vancouver in a rough series that year.

Factors that likely would have influenced the Habs fans were that Tampa eliminated montreal in a series there was quite a bit of chirping going on and the fact that some like being the last Canadian team to win the cup and thus cheer against the rest.

 

[AvroArrow]

Calgary flames. Been a huge Iginla fan since i was a kid and Phaneuf. They got robbed of that cup

 

[WillNyeTheHockeyGuy]

Calgary. Kiprusoff was hands down my favorite goalie that year. I still remember vividly that kid dressed up with the fake orange beard in a #34 jersey making saves in the air during one of those games.

 

[saffronleaf]

No. I had basically no rooting interest, but I wanted Tampa to win because if a Canadian team was going to bring the Cup back home, I want it to be the Leafs. Not any other team.

 

[CanadianLov3]

I was rooting for Calgary all the way. Out of all the canadian teams I love Calgary mainly because of Iggy, most classy player in the league and calgary fans are just as classy and very respectful compare to the other canadian fanbases. So heart broken that they didn't win. *** refs.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

Andreychuk, not even close. This is a young board, a lot probably don't even remember him.

I was quite young when he was on the Leafs. Regardless, he was a God. We were definitely spoiled in the past thanks to the big budget. The parity is killing the team and due to that many fans are displaying extreme symptoms of psychosis.

 

[LightningStorm]

Just curious why you chose only those 3 boards and not the sens and Oilers?

I can't recall off the top of my head if any senators alumni played in that series, was Prospal on Tampa? It's possible that at the time the Oiler fans may have supported the Flames more than the Canucks fans. Remember the Flames did eliminate Vancouver in a rough series that year.

Factors that likely would have influenced the Habs fans were that Tampa eliminated montreal in a series there was quite a bit of chirping going on and the fact that some like being the last Canadian team to win the cup and thus cheer against the rest.

The reason I didn't do it on the Sens board was because I couldn't think of a reason they would cheer for Tampa. Prospal was in Anaheim that year.

As for the Oilers, I initially didn't do one on theirs because I suspected it would be very lopsided in favor of the Lightning, but your post did make me curious. So I did post it on the Oilers board, and the results were what I thought they'd be. Initially, this poll was the most lopsided, but Edmonton voted in favor of Tampa so much that their poll has passed yours as the most lopsided.

 

[Moncherry]

I don't think I've ever wanted a team other than the Leafs to win more than I wanted the Flames to win in 2004.

 

[Lilou]

Tampa. Would the other canadian fanbases support a Leafs playoff run? Not a chance.