EDMONTON - James Obenauer-Fossett may have an Edmonton Oilers tattoo on his shoulder, but for this playoff run the Habs have his allegiance.
He and other hockey fans across Canada are rallying behind the Montreal Canadiens, the last team standing north of the border in the hunt for the NHL’s Stanley Cup.
Montreal’s second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres begins Wednesday night. If they win it all, they would be the first Canadian team to capture the Cup since 1993, when Montreal defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the final.
“It’s been 30 years since the Cup has been back in Canada, and it would be nice to have it back,” Obenauer-Fossett said. “It doesn’t matter which Canadian team is going for it. I’ll cheer for any Canadian team.”
The shift hits hard in Edmonton, where the Oilers came close to the Cup in the last two years, only to get eliminated in the first round this spring by the Anaheim Ducks.
In Winnipeg, the largely francophone St. Boniface neighborhood has a strong Canadiens following. At the Pregame Sports Bar and Lounge, owner Tyler Evans offers discounts during playoff games involving Canadian teams. With Edmonton and Ottawa eliminated, only Montreal remains.