LOL, I thought you were talking to me. ;) I'll root for 'em, just for you.

Great year for the Canadian teams - Canucks, Flames, Jets, Canadiens, and on Saturday, fingers crossed, hopefully the Senators. Oh and I won't be rooting for the Flames.

Same as I won't be cheering for the Canucks. Terrible thing we have to have that rivalry first round of the playoffs. LOL It is so nice to see so many Canadian teams actually making the playoffs in OUR GAME. (not that we don't watch and sometimes cheer for our US rivals. Because you know there are some teams I will never cheer for, Edmonton, Toronto and Vancouver.((sorry blfenton))) But I do like Detroit, Pitsburgh (because Crosby is so cute) and Washington.)

And what a rush for the Jets fans!!!! and so soon after getting a franchise back in Winnipeg. It is going to be a great playoffs season! And there is just over 2 1/2 months to the CFL! Life is good!

What, you don't like the Maple 'Laughs'?? LOLOL

Hubby is a huge Red Wings fan. I'm not partial to any team.

Jasdip.........Toronto, who?? Only unbeaten season they have had was in 2005? During the lock out! LOL I do feel for the Leafs fans. Has to be so disheartening to watch year after year without a sniff a the cup. What has it been? 1967, almost 50 years.

What do you mean by "nobody had faith"? Calgarians ALL had faith! We knew this was the year to make the play-offs. Bob Hartley had a plan: win 4 of 7 and the team would make it. They made it by the skin on their teeth. But they made it!!!! Our team captain is out as is one of our goalies. But this team is showing that they play as a TEAM, not like the "old" team who relied on the goalie to win their games for the team. We have the best rookie in the league. The Red Mile is already heating up. Let the party begin! GO FLAMES GO!!! My flag went up before the team left the ice.

LOL Debby, I did not mean us true Flame fans didn't have faith. I meant everyone else. You know, the ones predicting doom and gloom in the media, Don Cherry (but people only tune in to him to see what he is wearing), EDMONTON, ( and they should talk, drafting all those first and second rounders, and are still in the basement), the non Flames fans. Unbelievable how this young team has come together. Whatever Hartley is selling, these kids are buying!

I have to say, I do miss Kipper. Not that I think he would be the right mix with this team, but he did make the games exciting! Don't have a flag to fly in our window, but I proudly display this jersey, autographed by everyone on the 2004 team. (and that WAS a goal and we really won the cup, even if the officials waved it off and handed the cup to that "other" team.)

I'm jealous!! I have a Kipper jersey. The red one, of course. Years ago, my son was at a loss to buy me something for Christmas and mentioned a jersey. I wanted one so bad, but would have taken a knock off. Jokingly I said, "#34! Kiprusoff"!!! Then I gave him that "I know it's bloody expensive so don't worry about it" look. Christmas morning, I opened his gift and almost couldn't breathe! Part of me said to give it back to him because I knew he couldn't afford it. But the bigger part of me wouldn't let go. LOL I'm heading to Abbotsford today to visit my family. I was half tempted to wear it on the airplane. Probably not a good idea, you think? LOL

Oh I don't know.......I've worn my Stamps Jersey in Saskatchewan, on their Labour Day Banjo Bowl against the Bombers. Sporting that red and white horse in a sea of green is really taking your life in your hands, but I survived. I think the Flaming Red C in Canuck country would pass, in the day light anyway. Don't know if I'd venture out after dark though. And I don't know if I would chance it after we beat them in the first round! LOL

I got the Flames Jersey for DH for Christmas in 05. Had it all folded up so the autographs were hidden when he opened it. He was happy enough that he got the jersey. You should have seen the look on his face when it finally sunk in it was autographed! Haven't been able to top that one yet. But maybe this year.............Go Flames Go!!!! And you have a safe trip.

And the Sens are in!

YES! What a great post season it will be. 5 out of 7 Canadian Teams are in! And after the first series, guaranteed to have at least one team moving on. Will it be Calgary or Vancouver? My money is on the Flames!!! And the Jets, Habs, and Sens. Sorry Blfenton, one of our teams has to go in the first round. Shall we make a deal....whoever loses, that person has to continue to cheer for the winner through the next round? :-}

Good luck to all of you with your favorite teams.

As the discussion suggests (being of mostly Canadian contributors), the NHL is a bigger deal in Canada than in the US. We have our local team (the Sharks), it has a loyal following but the fan base is a small number compared to those who follow baseball, football, and basketball. I have to think part of that has to do with what sports people play in their youth - while the presence of the Sharks has spurred on recreational hockey leagues, it's still nothing compared to other sports. And also next to nothing compared to what i've seen in the "hockey belt" from the Dakotas to New England, on both sides of the border, where so many kids skate and play hockey.

I don't even watch hockey, but it's difficult not to get caught up in all the excitement here with the Winnipeg Jets being in the playoffs. The excitement is such that there was a huge line-up of fans downtown buying hockey jerseys. One man could no longer wait, had somewhere he had to go, and handed his CC (and PIN) to a woman also standing in line, a stranger to him, to purchase jerseys. She was interviewed on TV with two armfuls of jerseys - some for her and some for the trusting stranger.

Ah Snidely, the Sharks have more than a local following. I have been a Joe Thorton fan for years. Ontario born, drafted first overall by the Boston Bruins in 1997, played there until the lockout in '05, when he went to play in Switzerland. Traded to the Sharks in 05, after the lockout ended. Won the Art Ross and Hart memorial trophies that year. He's getting older, only has 65 points this year, but he has set all sorts of scoring records with the Sharks. My fantasy team would have him playing with Iggy, and the Flames of course, during their heyday. Hell of a center!

Stacey, I hope that the Jets fans are as "frenzied" as the Flames fans. It will be interesting to see what your version of the "Red Mile" is, and what they will call your blue version of the "Sea of Red". Winnipeg has waited so long to get a franchise back there, and to have them in the playoffs this soon after getting one again is just frosting on the cake. Go Jets Go!!! :-) (Until they meet the Flames, that is. LOL) And yesterday's 5-1 win over the Flames is not an indication of how it will go down in the playoffs. It was a nothing game for either team, and we rested our guys, seeing as we have only one goalie and no captain right now, both being out with injuries. We meet Vancouver in their barn on Wednesday night for game 1. Go Flames Go!!