{"id":330201,"date":"2026-05-06T16:12:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-06T10:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=330201"},"modified":"2026-05-06T16:12:32","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T10:42:32","slug":"canadians-cheering-on-canadiens-in-stanley-cup-bid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/05\/06\/canadians-cheering-on-canadiens-in-stanley-cup-bid\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadians cheering on Canadiens in Stanley Cup bid"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p>EDMONTON \u2013 James Obenauer-Fossett could have an Edmonton Oilers tattoo on his shoulder, but for this playoff run the Habs have his allegiance.<\/p>\n<p>He and other hockey fans across Canada are rallying behind the Montreal Canadiens, the last team standing north of the border within the hunt for the NHL\u2019s Stanley Cup.<\/p>\n<p>Montreal\u2019s second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres begins Wednesday night. In the event that they win all of it, they might be the primary Canadian team to capture the Cup since 1993, when Montreal defeated the Los Angeles Kings in the ultimate.<\/p>\n<p>That may be just effective with Obenauer-Fossett, whose loyalty to the Oilers is dipped in ink \u2014 he has a tattoo of Oilers mascot Hunter the Lynx.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s been 30 years for the reason that Cup has been back in Canada, and it could be nice to have it back,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter which Canadian team goes for it. I\u2019ll cheer for any Canadian team.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The shift hits hard in Edmonton, where the Oilers got here oh so near the Cup within the last two years, only to get dispatched in the primary round this spring by the Anaheim Geese.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cObviously it hurts right away,\u201d said 22-year-old fan Naseer Hussain in Edmonton.<\/p>\n<div class=\"l-article__part\" data-shortcode=\"related_videos\">\n<div class=\"l-inlineStories l-inlineStories--video\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"l-inlineStories__title\">Related Videos<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<section id=\"miniplayer-carousel\" class=\"l-videoCarousel l-videoCarousel--embed c-carousel\" data-video-carousel-play-inline=\"true\" data-video-carousel-init=\"false\" aria-label=\"Video carousel contains 10 videos.\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__inner\">\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__featured\">\n<div class=\"c-video c-videoPlay \" data-iframe-receiver=\"\" data-autoplay=\"\" data-displayinline-featured=\"true\" data-displayinline-type=\"video\" data-displayinline-player-id=\"miniplayer\" data-displayinline-video-id=\"11827091\" data-displayinline-ratio=\"16:9\" data-displayinline=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/video\/embed\/playlist\/11827091,11825789,11811525,11808191,11806881,11803590,11770554,11645858,11576401,11470879\/?poster=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fmedia.globalnews.ca%2Fvideostatic%2Fnews%2Fl1cc1v2oa5-jf1t456lgx%2F6P_OILERS_DONE.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26quality%3D70%26strip%3Dall#autoplay&#038;stickyiframe=miniplayer\" data-displayinline-playlist=\"11827091,11825789,11811525,11808191,11806881,11803590,11770554,11645858,11576401,11470879\" data-displayinline-sticky=\"true\" data-permutive-data='{\"content\":{\"name\":\"Edmonton Oilers fans grieve early exit from Stanley Cup Playoffs\",\"type\":\"video\",\"sections\":[\"videos\",\"edmonton\",\"sports\"],\"keywords\":[\"2026-playoffs\",\"edmonton-oilers\",\"edmonton-oilers-playoffs\",\"edmonton-oilers-playoffs-2026\",\"edmonton-sports\",\"edmonton-videos\",\"nhl-playoffs\",\"oilers\",\"oilers-playoffs\",\"playoff-fever\",\"playoffs\",\"rogers-place\",\"short-clip\",\"stanley-cup\",\"global-news-hour-at-6-edmonton\"],\"iab\":{\"categories\":[\"Sports\/Team Sports\/Hockey\",\"News\",\"Sports\",\"News\/Sports News\",\"Sports\/Team Sports\"],\"tags\":[\"Anaheim Ducks\",\"Buffalo Sabres\",\"Calgary\",\"Calgary Flames\",\"Canada\",\"Canadians\",\"Edmonton Oilers\",\"Francophonie\",\"Happy hour\",\"Ice\",\"Ice hockey\",\"Jersey\",\"Los Angeles\",\"Los Angeles Kings\",\"Loyalty\",\"Lynx\",\"Mascot\",\"Montreal\",\"Montreal Canadiens\",\"Nasser Hussain\",\"National Hockey League\",\"Ontario\",\"Ottawa\",\"Overtime (ice hockey)\",\"Playoffs\",\"Scott Arniel\",\"Shoulder\",\"St. Boniface, Winnipeg\",\"Stanley Cup\",\"Tampa Bay Lightning\",\"Tampa, Florida\",\"Tattoo\",\"The Canadian Press\",\"Winnipeg Jets\"]}}}'>\n<div class=\"c-video__inner \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__placeholder\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-video__image\" alt=\"Click to play video: 'Edmonton Oilers fans grieve early exit from Stanley Cup Playoffs'\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/media.globalnews.ca\/videostatic\/news\/l1cc1v2oa5-jf1t456lgx\/6P_OILERS_DONE.jpg?w=1040&#038;quality=70&#038;strip=all\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, \" data-sizes=\"(min-width: 1040px) 1040px,(min-width: 720px) 720px,450px\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__overlay\"><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"c-video__duration\">1:56<\/time><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"c-video__title\">Edmonton Oilers fans grieve early exit from Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"l-videoCarousel__glide glide \">\n<div class=\"glide__arrows c-carousel__buttons l-videoCarousel__buttons\" data-glide-el=\"controls\">\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--left c-carousel__button c-carousel__prev l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__prev c-longform-gallery__prev\" data-glide-dir=\"<\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Previous Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<button class=\"glide__arrow glide__arrow--right c-carousel__button c-carousel__next l-videoCarousel__button l-videoCarousel__next c-longform-gallery__next\" data-glide-dir=\">&#8220;><\/p>\n<p>\t\t<span class=\"sr-only\">Next Video<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"c-carousel__goto\" data-glide-dir=\"=0\" aria-hidden=\"true\" tabindex=\"-1\"><\/button>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\t\t<!-- video stream item --><\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>He\u2019s normally an Oilers fan but said it\u2019s only fair he gets behind Montreal, like so many Canadians did for the Oilers of their recent back-to-back runs within the Cup final.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup\" data-newsletter-inline=\"\">\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/wp-content\/themes\/shaw-globalnews\/images\/skyline\/national.jpg\" alt=\"Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story.\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-inlineSignup__content\">\n<h2 class=\"c-inlineSignup__title\">Get breaking National news<\/h2>\n<p>Get breaking Canada news delivered to your inbox because it happens so you will not miss a trending story.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cWe would like to bring that Cup home back to Canada, where the Cup began its journey. Because that is where it belongs. It\u2019s essential that we unite.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>In Canada, making the leap from cheering for the hometown team to the Canadiens isn&#8217;t, for some, a huge shift in allegiance. NHL rinks across the country are commonly inundated with fans cheering for the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.<\/p>\n<p>Robert Hing has lived in Calgary for 20 years, however the 49-year-old has yet to adopt the hometown Flames as his team.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI prefer to say I used to be born with the Habs crest on my chest,\u201d said the Canadiens fan. Born in Ontario, he considered Montreal a second home until he was drawn to Calgary by a lady who has maintained her title as a Flames fan.<\/p>\n<p>Hing went to Montreal last week to look at in person because the Habs lost a 1-0 extra time heartbreaker to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of their first-round series.<\/p>\n<p>On Sunday, he hung around the town to look at Montreal put only nine shots on net yet still upset the Lightning to win Game 7.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe sport didn\u2019t seem like it was going our way, but when (Alex) Newhook scored that (game-winning) goal, you can just feel this eruption. I didn\u2019t sit down after that,\u201d Hing said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-tabs\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab c-tabs__tab--active\" type=\"button\">More on Sports<\/button><br \/>\n\t\t\t<button role=\"tab\" class=\"c-tabs__tab\" type=\"button\">More videos<\/button>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s only about eight minutes left in the sport, everybody watching was just living and dying on each play.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u201cA lot tension but a lot joy at the top of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Winnipeg can be home to many Canadiens fans who make their presence known. They filled so lots of the seats for a Canadiens-Jets game in Winnipeg in February, Jets coach Scott Arniel said he was dissatisfied at the massive variety of red jerseys within the seats.<\/p>\n<p>In the town\u2019s largely francophone St. Boniface neighbourhood, Habs games make for busy nights on the Pregame Sports Bar and Lounge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe get Canadiens fans. We&#8217;re in a French community. We get loads of them, but everybody should bet on the Canadiens right away,\u201d owner Tyler Evans said.<\/p>\n<p>The bar is primarily focused on the Jets, Evans said, but Winnipeg didn\u2019t make the playoffs, so the bar has been offering discounts, including $5 drinks, during playoff games involving Canadian teams. The response in the primary round during Oilers, Senators and Canadiens games was strong, Evans said.<\/p>\n<p>The happy-hour pricing runs so long as the games do, and only when a team based in Canada is on the ice. With Edmonton and Ottawa eliminated, that leaves Montreal games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we go to triple extra time, we run that $5 drinks right through,\u201d Evans said.<\/p>\n<p>This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-ad c-ad--bigbox l-article__ad c-ad--tallSticky\">\n<p>Story continues below commercial<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\u2014 With files from Steve Lambert in Winnipeg and Dayne Patterson in Calgary<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\n\t\t&#038;copy 2026 The Canadian Press\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EDMONTON \u2013 James Obenauer-Fossett could 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 within the hunt for the NHL\u2019s Stanley Cup. Montreal\u2019s second-round series [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":330202,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[338],"tags":[2443,17679,8210,17340,1060,9246],"class_list":["post-330201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","tag-bid","tag-canadians","tag-canadiens","tag-cheering","tag-cup","tag-stanley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330201"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":330204,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330201\/revisions\/330204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}