I live in Toronto and I have been a Leafs fan all my life, although I was thoroughly disappointed by the team's 2025-2026 season. To be frank, it was a complete and utter disaster. I hope the situation will greatly improve now that the Blue and White have a new general manager and are about to hire a new coach. The Leafs were also fortunate to win the draft lottery and will have the first pick of the new crop of NHL players. Next season has to be better. It couldn't be much worse.
The last time the Leafs won the Cup, way back in 1967, they defeated the Montreal Canadiens. So, why do I find myself cheering for the Habs, who were the Leafs' greatest rivals for years. The answer is simple. It's about time that Lord Stanley's Jug came home to Canada. It's been 33 years since a Canadian-based team has won the Cup. That would be the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, which coincidentally is the same year Gary Bettman became commissioner of the National Hockey League. Frankly, I am tired of sun-belt teams in Florida and California and Las Vegas winning hockey's greatest trophy. The Tampa Bay Lightning captured the championship in 2020 and 2021. The Las Vegas Golden Knight won in 2023 and the Florida Panthers won in 2024 and 2025. See what I mean.
Hockey has a great history and an outstanding tradition in Montreal. It really matters. I watched how enthusiastic the city's fans were for their team. They were really rocking (By the way, I felt bad for the Buffalo Sabres, but I wanted Montreal to win more). You won't see Montreal's excitement in Florida or North Carolina. It's not just that they are American. Places such as Minnesota, Buffalo, Detroit, Chicago, Boston and New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Colorado also have a hockey history., and they actually have winters. However, hockey has Canadian roots. In fact, the inaugural Stanley Cup Championship took place on March 22, 1894. It was a contest between the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association. (MAAA) and the Ottawa Hockey Club, also called the Ottawa Generals. The game was part of a tournament designated as the Dominion Hockey Challenge by Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada. Montreal defeated Ottawa by a score of 3-1, marking the first time the Stanley Cup was officially awarded.
The Montreal Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups. I want them to win their 25th. Bring it home, Habs! Someday, maybe the Leafs.
- Joanne
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