This is it: the Stanley Cup final, featuring the Florida Panthers and the Edmonton Oilers, will kick off on Wednesday night in Alberta. Connor McDavid and co. will hope to avenge their Game 7 loss from last season, when the Oilers captain won the Conn Smythe Trophy but lost the ultimate prize.

It’s been 32 years since a Canadian team celebrated a Stanley Cup win. Thirty-two years since the Montreal Canadiens won their 24th Stanley Cup, yesterday marked the 32nd anniversary of the infamous Marty McSorley stick-swinging incident. Legend has it that a member of the Canadiens’ equipment staff had measured the curve of his stick in advance, meaning Jacques Demers knew full well he would be getting a power play from that challenge. According to some, that tactic put a curse on Canadian teams…

Curse or not, one fact remains: no team north of the border has been able to lift Lord Stanley’s Mug since Patrick Roy flashed his winning wink to Tomas Sandstrom. Roy has long retired and now coaches the New York Islanders, which is just one more proof of how long it’s been.

Thirty-two years is long enough, and judging by the chatter around town, Montreal Canadiens fans are ready to see McDavid win his first Stanley Cup, even if it means Montreal is no longer the last Canadian Cup winner. After all, the future is bright in Montreal, and the fans are hoping and expecting that this new generation of players will be able to restore the club to its former glory and deliver a 25th Cup, eventually…

Photo credit:  Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images

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