Maybe I can get behind the Edmonton Oilers this time

I'm not a big Edmonton Oilers fan, or a fan of anything from Alberta, really. But I have been captivated by the hockey team's spirited comeback in the Stanley Cup finals this year. And, truth be told, I'm even less of a fan of the Florida Panthers, who have beaten the Maple Leafs too many times for comfort.

So, when the Oilers (embarrassing name!) started their comeback against Florida from 0-3 to 1-3 to 2-3 to, finally, 3-3 last night, it's hard not to get a bit excited. After all, the only other team to come back from 0-3  to win the Stanley Cup finals was our very own Toronto Maple Leafs, who managed this feat against the Detroit Red Wings back in 1942. Indeed, only one other team has come back from 0-3 to 3-3, only to lose the final, and that was Detroit in 1945, who ultimately lost to - guess who? - Toronto in Game 7. So, history is potentially being written here.

And I used to think that there is no point in supporting a team like Edmonton just because they are a "Canadian team". Because, like the Maple Leafs and most other teams, they are comprised of players from all over the world - aren't they? - and so not really any more "Canadian" than any other team.

But it turns out that this particular Oilers team has the highest make up of Canadians of any Cup finalists over the last 20 or so years, from star forward Connor McDavid down. There are 20 natives on the team, and 16 of them could well take the ice at some point in Tuesday's Game 7. So, if we can't get behind THIS "Canadian team", I don't know when we'll ever be able to. 

Canadian hockey teams used to completely dominate the Stanley Cup in past decades, as a quick perusal of past winners shows, but the Cup is more likely to end up in the deserts of Nevada or the swamps of Florida in recent years. The last time a Canadian team hoisted the Cup was Montreal in 1993. So, can this be first time in over 30 years the Cup comes back "home", as well as a fairy tale comeback story? Well, just maybe.

UPDATE

Well, it wasn't to be. The unlikely dream has ground to a halt as Florida beat Edmonton 2-1 in a gritty, hard-fought Game 7.