OT: 2004 Stanley Cup Finals

[Winreims]

1) What happened to Martin Gelinas after this cup run. I swear I never heard his name after.

He played with Florida for a bit after the lockout I think. He's now an assistant coach for Calgary.

 

[Bodybr3ak]

Only being 20 now I can barely remember it but I do remember, for the most part, my GTA city being all about the flames.

In hindsight tho that was a great cup win for Tampa that probably kept that franchise alive.

 

[Koolboss]

As much as I liked iginla and wanted a Canadian team to win it. The trio of Richatds, Vinny and St.Louis was a treat to watch.

 

[MSteve]

The Flames and Oilers teams from that time made the finals and grit and sweat and pure determination. That's why it was easy for everyone to get behind, a fan or not they played a hard hitting never give up brand of hockey on those Stanley Cup drives.

The Sens and Canucks on the other hand were much higher skilled and played a more new-brand of hockey with a combination of speed and wussiness. I tried to cheer for the Sens (since I'm Ottawa) but I was happy when they lost even though I hated having DUCKS written on the Cup. And Canucks got downright shameful towards the end and just got beat up, hard to respect that.

 

[Tak7]

I was solidly behind both Calgary and Edmonton during their cup runs. I don't have much against either of those franchises, and I wanted to see Pronger & Iginla both win cups. Wasn't disappointed about the winners those years those - Carolina and Tampa. The Hurricanes were probably the most entertaining team to watch that year, bar none, and who wouldn't be happy seeing Richards, LeCavalier, and St. Louis win the cup?

Those 2 are the only 2 Canadian teams that I'd want to do well.

Sens/Habs/Jets, and especially the Canucks? Piss off.

I remember some Leaf fans going to Ottawa to watch their series against New Jersey when they got into the conference finals, behind the "rivals". I didn't understand that at all.

And yeah - I was thrilled when Vancouver lost game 7, and again when they were bumped past year. In all my years watching several sports, I don't think I've ever been happier seeing another team LOSE than when the Canucks lost. I hate them that much.

 

[Parksy]

Calgary no doubt. That was a heck of run that year. Watching any underdog team (minus the habs and sens) is always exciting

 

[613Leafer]

At the time? I was rooting for Calgary.

Though to be fair, I was like 16 years old at the time, and much more influence by the "cheer for the Canadian team" idea. If it were today, that wouldn't play a factor, and I probably would have said Tampa Bay.

 

[Atwell 08]

Cheered for Calgary. I'll root for any Canadian team in a finals appearance minus Montreal and Ottawa. nahmm saynnn!

 

[GalacticaActual]

I can't remember who I was cheering for. But I probably would've been going for the Flames. But that's before I joined HFboards and othe rmessage boards to discuss hockey. After being exposed to the hatred the entire country has for the Leafs, I don't think I'll ever cheer for a Canadian team besides Team Canada at the Olympics and the Leafs themselves.

Right, every other fanbase calls us the Laffs and says Leafs Suck and I'm going to cheer on the Flames? No thanks. Go Lightning Go is my motto for that year.

 

[Leafs87]

I was behind Tampa. I was young though, but I loved the way they played and how stacked they were.

In the oilers run I was fully behind them, because pronger is my favorite defenceman all time

Ducks and sens was a real treat for me. Watching the sens lose and watching pronger hoist the cup !

 

[KuleminFan41]

Back then I wanted Calgary to win but growing up seeing how people talk about Ontario and Toronto makes me feel stupid to have ever wanted any Canadian team to win the cup not named The Toronto Maple Leafs

 

[Kibago]

I rooted for Calgary and Edmonton this decade, rooted against Ottawa and Vancouver.

I'm not going to cheer for a Canadian team because they're Canadian, but it's a positive quality for the list (in Ottawa/Vancouver's case, it's one positive against a thousand negatives, so it's not going to help.) other items would be being an O6 team, having players I like, awesome fans, never having won a Cup, being a truly awesome team, being a #8 seed...

 

[Count Von Grabo*]

Flames. Most I ever rooted for an NHL team besides TO.

 

[Beverage]

i was like 10 years old and i cheered for Tampa bay. Just like a cheered for Anaheim and Boston although this one was very tough since i dislike both teams. Call me bitter but i don't want to cheer for teams whom have fans constantly bashing Toronto or the Leafs.

 

[Morlesio14*]

I wanted Tampa bay, they were my 2nd favourite team at the time and I was only 7. I loved Brad Richards. He was my 3rd favourite player besides kaberle than Sundin. I loved kaberle so much that I cried when he got injured by Jansenn in new jersey

 

[Al14]

For me, it's the Leafs or who cares!

 

[Suntouchable13]

No one, I was still reeling after that JR OT goal that ended our playoff run prematurely that year. We would beat anyone in the East that year, but Philly. We would have been in the finals if we won that series.

 

[BudMaster17]

Calgary. Gotta keep it real.

 

[cujoflutie]

No one, I was still reeling after that JR OT goal that ended our playoff run prematurely that year. We would beat anyone in the East that year, but Philly. We would have been in the finals if we won that series.

TBH I felt that since 1993 that was the best leaf team. 1994 we lacked depth. 1999-2003, the defense was not good enough. But that year we had Brian Leetch and truly had everything in place. It was too bad about the Owen Nolan injury. That power forward was likely the missing piece. I always wonder what would have happened had there been a season the next year; we would have likely had Nolan back and still had Leetch. Belfour would have been the key question mark.

 

[Pilky01]

I was absolutely cheering for Calgary, but I was very happy for Andreychuk, so I was not too passionate either way.

As far as I am concerned "Canada's team" is a real thing though, and the only people who deny it are the likes who would post on hockey message boards. I will always cheer for a Canadian team (other than Ottawa and Montreal) over an American, and I will almost always cheer for the northern climate over the southern one. Sue me

 

[LightningStorm]

I was absolutely cheering for Calgary, but I was very happy for Andreychuk, so I was not too passionate either way.

As far as I am concerned "Canada's team" is a real thing though, and the only people who deny it are the likes who would post on hockey message boards. I will always cheer for a Canadian team (other than Ottawa and Montreal) over an American, and I will almost always cheer for the northern climate over the southern one. Sue me

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

 

[cujoflutie]

I was absolutely cheering for Calgary, but I was very happy for Andreychuk, so I was not too passionate either way.

As far as I am concerned "Canada's team" is a real thing though, and the only people who deny it are the likes who would post on hockey message boards. I will always cheer for a Canadian team (other than Ottawa and Montreal) over an American, and I will almost always cheer for the northern climate over the southern one. Sue me

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?

IIRC we did get a bit of support from the sens fans in 99 as the rivalry hadn't quite started yet and they were swept by buffalo that year (whom we ended up playing).
I remember Oiler fans having a hate on us during that era possibly due to the Cujo factor.
Habs fans generally hate us but I remember getting a bit of respect in 2002 over the heart we showed.

 

[Erdinger]

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?

IIRC we did get a bit of support from the sens fans in 99 as the rivalry hadn't quite started yet and they were swept by buffalo that year (whom we ended up playing).
I remember Oiler fans having a hate on us during that era possibly due to the Cujo factor.
Habs fans generally hate us but I remember getting a bit of respect in 2002 over the heart we showed.

Edmonton just hates Toronto period. I prefer their type of hate than the smug but whiny crybaby Vancouver fans though.

 

[Pi]

I cheered for Calgary...I have nothing against them and it would have been great too see the fairy tale end with Iggy holding the Cup.

I didn't hate the fact that the Lightning won though...it helps grow the game and I had nothing against the Lightning.

 

[Pi]

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?

IIRC we did get a bit of support from the sens fans in 99 as the rivalry hadn't quite started yet and they were swept by buffalo that year (whom we ended up playing).
I remember Oiler fans having a hate on us during that era possibly due to the Cujo factor.
Habs fans generally hate us but I remember getting a bit of respect in 2002 over the heart we showed.

Exactly. I don't cheer for Calgary because they could have brought back the Cup to Canada...that's nonsense..most of the players in the league are Canadian.

I cheered for them because I have never hated the Flames and they gave us Gilmour!

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