Can Sask. hockey fans put old rivalries aside to cheer for last Canadian team in playoffs?

Halyna Mihalik · CBC News

· Posted: May 20, 2025 7:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Canadian hockey fans person been connected the borderline of their seats implicit the past fewer weeks.

Going into the weekend, determination were inactive 3 Canadian NHL teams making a playoff run. Then, both the Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered defeat, leaving the Edmonton Oilers arsenic the lone Canadian squad to beforehand to the Conference Finals.

But volition hardcore Leafs and Jets fans enactment aged rivalries speech and power their enactment implicit to the Oilers arsenic the lone Canadian squad inactive standing?

CBC stopped by a rink successful Regina to find out. 

Some Leafs fans refused to speech astir Sunday's achy 6-1 nonaccomplishment to the Panthers. Edmonton Oilers fans were overmuch much consenting to chat.

Moose Jaw nonmigratory Jamie Fieffer said he's been a die-hard Oilers instrumentality since helium was calved successful 1979, the aforesaid twelvemonth the squad entered the NHL. Still, helium was disappointed to spot the Leafs suffer out.

"I was hoping for Toronto to triumph due to the fact that I'd similar to spot an all-Canadian final," helium said. 

Fieffer is excited to cheer for the Oilers successful the adjacent round, but says arsenic a "true Canadian" he'd beryllium acceptable to cheer for immoderate Canadian team.

"If I had to prime a antithetic squad to cheer for, it would decidedly person been the Leafs oregon Winnipeg."

Lorne Hoedel doesn't person a favourite team, lone favourite players. He usually cheers for Canadian defenceman Cale Makar and his team, the Colorado Avalanche. But travel playoff time, he's blessed to propulsion his enactment down immoderate of the Canadian teams.

It's been much than 30 years since a Canadian squad hoisted the Stanley Cup. The Montreal Canadiens tasted glory successful 1993. Last year, the Edmonton Oilers came beauteous adjacent with enactment from fans crossed the country.

Hoedel was disappointed to spot the Leafs suffer out, and is putting his faith successful the Oilers to unafraid the title.

"Canada has a hard clip winning the Stanley Cup for immoderate reason," Hoedel said. "I deliberation possibly McDavid and Draisatl mightiness alteration that this year. If they tin get by Dallas, I deliberation they triumph the Stanley Cup."

Lorne Hoedel said he's putting his religion successful the Oilers present that they're the lone Canadian squad advancing to the playoffs. (Shlok Talati/CBC)

Sebastian Andrews, an Oilers instrumentality from Kindersley, stopped to speech to CBC portion watching his ten-year-old son, who shares his emotion of hockey. He said seeing the Winnipeg Jets and Toronto Maple Leafs neglect to beforehand to the adjacent circular was a fto down. 

"I was hoping determination would beryllium different Canadian team," helium said, adding he's banking connected the Oilers to spell each the way.

The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings successful six games successful the archetypal circular and the Vegas Golden Knights successful 5 successful the second. Now, the Edmonton squad volition look the Dallas Stars successful the Western Conference Final for the 2nd consecutive season, opening with Game 1 successful Dallas connected Wednesday.

"I deliberation they person a bully chance, they look to beryllium playing amended with everyone backmost connected board. Hopefully they tin instrumentality it location this year," Andrews said.

Edmonton defeated Dallas successful six games past play to scope the Stanley Cup Final earlier losing to Florida successful 7 games.

Ten-year-old Nixon Dueck wasn't disappointed to spot the Leafs autumn to the Florida Panthers— he's not an Auston Matthews fan— and wants a rematch betwixt the Oilers and the Panthers successful the finals.

"I'm looking guardant to the Oilers winning the cup," Dueck said. "They're my favourite team." 

The young instrumentality said he's excited to ticker the adjacent crippled with his full family, each of whom volition beryllium decked retired successful their Oilers jerseys.