It’s been 46 years since there were no Canadian teams in the NHL playoffs, and while cheering on the Toronto Raptors may help fill the void, Canada is a nation of hockey fans first and foremost.
With no home teams battling for the cherished Stanley Cup, deciding which American team to throw your support behind can be complicated. Is it the team in the coolest city? The one with the best logo? The one your dad was a fan of?
The St. Louis Blues are hoping you’ll choose the remaining team with the most Canadian players on the roster.
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In a video released on their website last Friday, the Blues urge Canadians to adopt them for the playoffs and list many reasons why, including having 18 players from the Great White North playing for them (Tampa Bay has eight, the Penguins have 11 and San Jose has 13).
WATCH BELOW: St. Louis Blues released this video urging Canadians to “adopt” them as their playoff team
Other reasons Canadians should “adopt the Blues” according to the team:
- General manager Doug Armstrong (from Sarnia, Ont.) is also the GM of Team Canada.
- Coach Ken “Hitch” Hitchcock (who’s from Edmonton) was assistant coach for Team Canada when they won gold at the Winter Olympics in 2002 and 2010.
- They like beer!
They also highlight that, like Canadians, they are genuinely nice people, which they proved Tuesday when they flew 12-year-old Wyatt Nelson and his visually-impaired father Gerry from Saskatchewan to St. Louis for Game 2 of the Western Conference series.
Wyatt provides play-by-play commentary for his father and when the Blues heard their story, they made them their guests of honour. Wyatt even got to call some of the action on the Blues’ radio broadcast during a break in the second period.
READ MORE: Saskatoon boy calls play-by-play at NHL playoff game for blind father
To make Canadians feel even more welcome cheering for them, they also promise to perform O Canada ahead of each game even though it’s not required since no Canadian teams are playing (they’ve had difficulties sticking to this promise unfortunately).
The Blues are currently tied with San Jose 1-1 in the Western Conference finals.
SOUND OFF: Will you cheer for the St. Louis Blues now? Leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.
-with files from Thomas Piller