CAN CANADA RECLAIM THE CUP?
THE LAST TIME A CANADIAN TEAM WON THE STANLEY CUP, SIDNEY CROSBY WAS STILL A TIMBIT HOCKEY PLAYER. YES, SID WAS STILL A KID, JUST ABOUT TO TURN SIX YEARS OLD.

The year was 1993 if you’ve forgotten.

Kim Campbell was just a few weeks away from becoming the first female Prime Minister of Canada, Wayne Gretzky was still a King, and Gary Bettman was a rookie NHL commissioner, on the job for just five months when he got to present his first Stanley Cup to Montreal Canadiens captain Guy Carbonneau.

The date was June 9, 1993, when the Canadiens defeated Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in five games to set off a night of rioting on Rue Ste-Catherine.

In the subsequent 16 years, there have been just four near misses - Vancouver losing in seven games to the New York Rangers the following year; Calgary losing to Tampa in seven games just before the NHL turned the lights out and had its infamous season-long lockout; Edmonton losing to Carolina in seven games in the first season after Armageddon, the year Crosby arrived in the NHL; and Ottawa losing in five to Anaheim in 2007.

So if it feels like a lifetime since there was a big win for a Canadian team, it kind of is. For the Canadiens, it has been 16 years (15 seasons) since winning their 23rd Stanley Cup. In Toronto, it has been 42 years.

In Edmonton, it is 19 years; 20 for Calgary.

Ottawa has not won since re-entering the league. Prior to that their last win was in 1927.
Vancouver has not won the Cup since arriving in the NHL in 1970.

Stanley Cup Forecast 2010 Canadian roundup You could make a strong argument for reasonable hope in Vancouver and Calgary, but you wouldn’t call either the Canucks or Flames overwhelming favourites. Edmonton should be better than last year, but is a long shot until it proves otherwise; same with Ottawa. Montreal is a bit of a mystery, given they have added a lot of skill, but general manager Bob Gainey has also been accused of shrinking the Habs. Toronto is a work in progress, guaranteed to be tougher this year.UVER So who will make it through?

This might be the year we see San Jose and Anaheim meet in the western final, an all-California match up. And we could have old rivals Philadelphia and Pittsburgh meeting in the east. Who wins after that? It’s a fool’s game to pick this early. A lot of hockey folks think a Pittsburgh dynasty isn’t out of the question and that Detroit isn’t finished challenging for the Cup.

Making theGRADE
The big addition for the Senators was enigmatic winger Alex Kovalev, who can be brilliant or incredibly frustrating. At press time the Senators were still dealing with winger Dany Heatley, who requested a trade but rejected a deal with Edmonton. Since their last appearance in the final, the Senators have lost in the first round and failed to make the playoffs last season.

B 1927 (82 years ago) William Lyon Mackenzie King was Prime Minister

The Leafs focused on building from the goal out, adding Swedish free agent Jonas Gustavsson. On the blue line they added skill and toughness with Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin and Garnet Exelby, and added heavyweight Colton Orr up front. The Leafs have not been in the playoffs since the lockout and will be challenged to get there this spring.

B+ 1967 (42 years ago) Lester B. Pearson was Prime Minister “O Canada” became our official national anthem Aretha Franklin hit #1 with “Respect”

The team made a huge score in landing defenceman Jay Bouwmeester, who along with Dion Phaneuf and Robyn Regehr gives them one of the best defences in the league. They also added coach Brent Sutter. They still have Jarome Iginla, a potential Hart Trophy candidate, and we’ll wait and see how Olli Jokinen plays over a full season. However, losing Mike Cammalleri and Todd Bertuzzi takes away from their attack.Calgary has lost in the first round the past four seasons after getting to the final.
A 1989 (20 years ago) Lindbergh made the first solo, non-stop, transatlantic flight

The Oilers started their overhaul with coach Craig MacTavish replaced by Pat Quinn, along with Tom Renney as an associate coach. Their big acquisition was goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, with Dwayne Rolson moving on. The Oilers have made the playoffs just once in the past fi ve seasons, twice in the past seven.

B- 1990 (19 years ago) The aerosol spray can was patented It was an interesting summer for the Habs, who waved goodbye to Kovalev, captain Saku Koivu, defenceman Mike Komisarek, wingers Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang. The team swung a deal to acquire high-priced Scott Gomez, who under-achieved in New York, then signed Brian Gionta and Cammalleri. The Canadiens lost in the first round last spring, at the conference semi-fi nal the previous year and failed to make the playoffs in 2007. They’ve actually missed the playoffs six times since last winning the Cup.

B 1993 (16 years ago) Mulroney, Campbell and Chretien were each Prime Minister for a portion of the year Schindler’s List won the Best Picture Oscar Bill Clinton became the 42nd U.S. president

The Canucks basically treaded water, getting the Sedin twins re-signed, adding winger Mikael Samuelsson from Detroit and hoping to build on their second half success last season. Over the past few seasons, the Canucks finished third in the West a year ago, missed the playoffs two years ago and lost in the conference semi-final in 2007.

B Reached the finals but lost twice Will report an interesting factoid if they win.
GO CANUCKS GO!