As an original Oiler fan, I cheer for every Canadian city except Toronto. Of course there are exceptions. I never cheered for Calgary when I lived in Edmonton. I cheered for Vancouver in 82 when Edmonton sucked it against LA. I cheered for NYR in 94 mostly because it was full of ex-Oilers. I did cheer for Calgary in 2004 and Ottawa in 2007. I will cheer Vancouver this year. I have even promised to buy a t-shirt if they make the final. Go nucks Go
Oops, I forgot that part - I'll never root for the f*%$#n' Sens! I'd sooner let that bandwagon run me over before I would jump on it! :fear:
I think a big part of it is that the Canucks are actually a really good team, as well as a good team to watch. So, you've got a lot of Canadian fans (such as myself) who also enjoy watching them play - not just because they're Canadian, but because they're also quite good. They've dominated the regular season, and a lot of people have said for a while that it's "their year" (much like Ottawa in 2007).
Calgary and Edmonton were heavy underdogs throughout the playoffs, and they got through the early rounds on gritty play and a few incredible individual performances (Iginla & Kiprusoff for Calgary, Pronger & Roloson for Edmonton). They were easy bandwagons to jump on, because there weren't any expectations. But that support was short-lived, and mostly evaporated after the Finals; I don't think either of them have made it past the first round since.
Vancouver (much like Ottawa) has been a competitor for several years now, and it looks like they're finally getting their $%^& together. But there are still plenty of haters, mostly from other cities who wouldn't root for them under any circumstances (much like Ottawa).
Anyways, that's just my 0.02 cents - take it for what it's worth. I'm just a puck bunny in LeafLand who loves hockey too much for her own good. :cheer2:
