Flames are out - who do you want to win cup?

[BlAcKNoVa]

I've always cheered for the Caps from the East (Peter Bondra was my favourite player growing up). Go Caps Go!

[topfiverecords]

Minnesota

[transplant99]

Be nice to see a guy like Trotz realize his dream along with Ovechkin. Bruins or Flyers are fine as well.

Vegas after what happened in October is an easy one to pull for from the West. Nashville or St Lou wouldnt upset me much either.

Anyone but Winnipeg...I would even be pulling for the Leafs over that group. Admittedly though the Jets are really good.

[Spinach]

It would be great if the Jets won this year so that we'd never have to hear a gazillion times about the Oilers or leafs being the first Canadian team to win in forever.

Wait, what am I talking about? The garbage Oilers can't even make the playoffs, and the stinking leafs simply won't ever get past round 3.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

Nashville or Winnipeg.

Winnipeg’s drafting is something I hope we mimic. So much skill that’s mixed with effective size.

You gotta have picks to draft......

[Galakanokis]

Pittsburgh - would love to see Crosby cement himself as one of the all time best and they are a fun team to watch.

Nashville - Great story. Great GM. Great team. Fun to watch and a lot of likable guys on the team.

Vegas - Why the hell not? Still love Engelland and it is a great story.

I would also have no problem if Winnipeg can make a strong run.

[Spinach]

Originally Posted by edn88

Atlantic - Leafs - Canada’s other team

No. No, they are not.

[CliffFletcher]

Jets in the West. They're built the right way. If they're successful, it might inspire Flames owners/management to pursue a patient draft and development approach to building a winner, rather than taking shortcuts. An exciting team to watch.

Flyers in East. I've cheered for them since they were playing the Oilers in the finals back on the Kerr/Tocchet/Poulin/Hextall days. They'll be in tough against the Caps or Lightning, but it's always fun to root for an underdog.

[The Yen Man]

In my order of preference:

1.) Nashville
2.) Washington
3.) Columbus
4.) Winnipeg
5.) New Jersey
6.) Vegas

Really, anyone but the Leafs, Ducks, Kings, Lightning, Pens, and Bruins and I'll be ok with it.

[troutman]

I'd be interested in a poll, including an option for "don't care".

If I had to pick a horse - Minnesota (the real Hockey Town USA).

[Young_Guns]

Hoping for a Jets vs Capitals final. Other teams I could see myself cheering for are the Avalanche and Blues (if they make the playoffs). Don't mind Boston either.

Definitely don't want the Penguins, Golden Knights, Ducks, Blue Jackets winning.

[agulati]

I would like to see Vegas make it deep. My pick would be the flyers though.

[Massonite]

1. Vegas
2. Washington
3. Winnipeg
4. Boston
5. Anyone but Toronto

[Inferno]

I don't really care who wins but the one team I don't want to win is the Jets because of all of the cocky annoying Jets fans I know.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Does any true Flames fan actually want to see stinking Toronto or Winnipeg be the ones to bring the prize back north of the 49th?

If the Flames were to pull it off in the next few years, it sure wouldn't be quite as glorious and be overshadowed by that "Canadian team that broke the drought"

No thanks.

Winnipeg is a lot like Ottawa. Irrelevant 99% of the time. As a consequence, I neither like nor hate the team as a general rule. So, I would have no problem cheering for them where convenient. Also, there is value in having some Canadian team win just so that insipid "Canadian Cup drought" media narrative can finally go away and the Jets are possibly the least offensive non-Flames team for that purpose.

That said, I'm pulling for Nashville. Seriously tempted to try and make a playoff game there. Especially if they get Winnipeg in the second round.

[savardandjokinen]

Winnipeg, Vegas or Toronto

[FurnaceFace]

I'm with a lot of you, Jets or Preds from the West. Don't have a big pull on a particular East team but the OV angle is a good one.

As an aside, I've never understood why Calgary has the little brother syndrome with places like Winnipeg (or Regina). As someone stated there's nothing special there and nothing I'd consider a rival for Calgary or Calgarians to spend so much time getting worked up over. I'm always puzzled by the hatred for the teams to our immediate east.

[MRCboicgy]

Washington or Nashville, maybe Minny or Vegas.

[Puppet Guy]

as long as it isn't Anaheim or Toronto, I don't really care.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by FurnaceFace

I'm with a lot of you, Jets or Preds from the West. Don't have a big pull on a particular East team but the OV angle is a good one.

As an aside, I've never understood why Calgary has the little brother syndrome with places like Winnipeg (or Regina). As someone stated there's nothing special there and nothing I'd consider a rival for Calgary or Calgarians to spend so much time getting worked up over. I'm always puzzled by the hatred for the teams to our immediate east.

It's not a little brother syndrome. I mean, the only reason anyone in Calgary (or Edmonton) even cares about Regina is the fact that Rider fans are some of the biggest a-holes in sports.

What it is, is the idiotic narrative about Canada's alleged "Stanley Cup drought", and a backlash against the idea that we, as Canadians, must cheer for any Canadian team to win the Cup for our nation's glory.

So there's two big ways this goes: either one can end up cheering against all Canadian teams because they hate that narrative. Or they end up cheering against all Canadian teams because they buy the narrative, but desperately want Calgary to be the team that pulls it off.

Most, I suspect, don't care one way or another. We just hate Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto and are generally indifferent to Montreal, Winnipeg and Ottawa.