I like the topic, but always get a little irked by the insinuation that NHL / Hockey is Canada's game. The reality is this: 1) A Canadian team has won the cup less than 50% of the time in the history of the NHL. 2) Of those cups, 70% of them were won pre-expansion (1967). 3) If not for the Canadien / Edmonton dynasties, the numbers would be far worse. 4) Of the original 6 NHL teams, only two were Canadian teams. 5) To your point about the Canadiens being in contention nearly every year, if not for Roy, it would be 35 years of drought for Montreal, and while some of those teams were good (since '79), by and large Montreal has been run into the ground by ownership / management. Particularly the last 15 years. I hate to say this, but only Toronto seems the most poised to take a run at the cup. Montreal is having a good year, but only because of Price. As usual, their offense is nowhere to be seen. Calgary, not. Ottawa, not. Vancouver, not (thanks Gillis). Edmonton, not. Winnipeg, not.