The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
The Edmonton Oilers advancing to the Stanley Cup final is exactly what this country needs Ð a Canadian-based team advancing to the big show. Is it a coincidence that one is going to the Stanley Cup final after the NHL shut its doors for a year? The answer is mostly yes because aside from Calgary's great run in 2004, a Canadian-based team had not made it to the final since the Vancouver Canucks in 1994. The difference between the Flames of 2004 and the 2006 Oilers comes down to talent. The Flames were carried mainly by Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff. They received support by several role players. Maybe if the Flames had the financial landscape to work with in 2004 that the Oilers do now, they might have won the cup. Of course, they had it this year and became first round flops. Maybe's don't carry much weight. With the help of acquisitions Dwayne Roloson, Chris Pronger, Michael Peca (who is playing the way he can), and Sergei Samsonov leading an Oilers team that is mainly built from the draft, the Oilers have a chance to bring Lord Stanley's mug back to Canada for the first time since 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens won it. While the country needs an Oilers victory the NHL especially needs it. The Alberta-based team isn't just playing for themselves, but for the health of hockey in Canada. An Oiler victory will show that Canadian teams can be strong again and capable of competing against big market teams without necessarily going out on a shopping spree. If the Oilers win the Stanley Cup, they'll prove that having an NHL franchise in a Canadian market works and can have success with the right people. It's hard to cheer for a team you've grown to hate if that's the case with the Oilers, but if you're a Winnipeg Jets fan, break out the rosary beads and for the time being, don an Oilers jersey because you never know if an Oiler championship can mean the return of your beloved Jets. If not the Jets, maybe the NHL will return to Canada in a different market. If the Pittsburgh Penguins leave the Steel City, the league should seriously consider the team going North. Though NHL commissioner Gary Bettman continually stresses the growth south of the border, bringing a new team into a new city isn't the answer. Teams thrive in hockey mad cities such any one in Canada. The new American markets with teams still need to improve their growth before another one should come into the picture. Winnipeg could be the best choice with a new arena. While some people or even the league may say it's not feasible, the only thing that could be considered a knock against Winnipeg is the seating capacity in the MTS Centre. Keep one thing in mind Ð most NHL teams don't have equal seat capacity anyway. Back to the Stanley Cup Final. Once this story goes to print, the matchup will be decided as the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres will battle in should be an exciting Game 7. I believe a Buffalo-Edmonton Final would be excellent to watch, though some experts are saying Carolina would be a better match for the Oilers. I'm rooting for Carolina just so that my chances of winning or at least getting money back in my playoff pool is a possibility. In the end, the majority of Canadians will root for the team in Oil Country.
