![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldWriting in the Edmonton Journal, David Staples made an argument that says a certain amount about intra-Canadian solidarity, or the lack thereof. The competition between the Vancouver Canucks and the Boston Bruins over the Stanley Cup has revealed something interesting.
As reported in the media, this sentiment--the lack of identification with and support of the Canadian team competing in the Stanley Cup finals by other Canadians--seems surprisingly common, and for many of the reasons cited by Johnson. The rivalry between the Vancouver Canucks and Alberta's Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers is legendary, besides the established rivalry between the two western provinces. The lack of snow in the Vancouver area, unlike (at least traditionally) the rest of Canada also refers to a certain Canadian sentiment that southwestern British Columbia's temperate rainforest climate is an anomaly, has also been cited. I also wonder whether there might be a certain amount of transnational solidarity between eastern Canada and parts of the northeastern United States, areas certainly sharing a great deal in common, against a region relatively foreign to both.
The sentiment is common. It doesn't determine everything, of course; there is till a goodly amount of intra-Canadian solidarity, and not only because of the Montreal-Boston rivalry. The whole thing does reveal interesting things about the priorities of many Canadians when it comes to sporting teams.
Root for the Vancouver Canucks? Are you insane?
There’s been some chit chat that the Vancouver Canucks are Canada’s Team, and we should all root for them to win the Stanley Cup.
I beg to differ.
Now, I’m not necessarily against Canadian hockey fans getting behind Canada’s team in this year’s playoffs. But Canada’s real team is the Boston Bruins. That squad has far more numerous and significant Canadian content.
Of Boston’s 19 regular players (those who have appeared in more than 10 playoff games), 14 are Canadian, including star players such as Nathan Horton, Patrice Bergeron and Milan Lucic. Only five of the Bruins regulars — Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas, Dennis Seidenberg, Tomas Kaberle and David Krejci — aren’t Canadian.
If you look at Vancouver’s 19 regulars, just 11 of them are Canadians. Their best players, the Sedins and Ryan Kesler, aren’t from here.
In fact, the pest Kesler almost helped beat the real Team Canada at the Vancouver Olympics. Remember? I do.
Besides, how can Vancouver be Canada’s team when it doesn’t even snow there?
As reported in the media, this sentiment--the lack of identification with and support of the Canadian team competing in the Stanley Cup finals by other Canadians--seems surprisingly common, and for many of the reasons cited by Johnson. The rivalry between the Vancouver Canucks and Alberta's Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers is legendary, besides the established rivalry between the two western provinces. The lack of snow in the Vancouver area, unlike (at least traditionally) the rest of Canada also refers to a certain Canadian sentiment that southwestern British Columbia's temperate rainforest climate is an anomaly, has also been cited. I also wonder whether there might be a certain amount of transnational solidarity between eastern Canada and parts of the northeastern United States, areas certainly sharing a great deal in common, against a region relatively foreign to both.
The sentiment is common. It doesn't determine everything, of course; there is till a goodly amount of intra-Canadian solidarity, and not only because of the Montreal-Boston rivalry. The whole thing does reveal interesting things about the priorities of many Canadians when it comes to sporting teams.
