Faded Red Wings

Our home is in a painful state of shock, denial and sorrow.
Red Wings lost their chance of taking home the Stanley Cup against Anaheim Ducks last night, and they get to play Ottawa in the finals.
I have a somewhat weird way of choosing what team to root for other than the Red Wings. If there's a Canadian team playing I root for them, if there's any of the original 6 teams playing I root for them or if none of that apply, I go for the most Northern team.
Why?
Because, and here comes my weird, secret, socialist, twisted maybe even racial, reason, I don't think Dallas or Nashville or Carolina ought to play hockey. Dallas should stick to their bull riding, Nashville go on with your country theme, and Carolina, go chase after Dale Junior's autograph.

The only reason there's a big team playing in those southern cities is money, not the huge local interest of the sport.

My Husband and I had the chance to see our beloved Red Wings play in Dallas once and I had to run around the stadium to find a microwave to heat up some formula to our newborn son. On my tour around the stadium I found these balconies filled with visiting corporate people that most certainly hadn't a clue about the game but were given tickets from their hosts as a bribe, or a business deal or what ever. The tickets per season for those seats were $250,000.00 so I'm pretty sure no regular person off the street could fill those seats.

Just a foot note when it came to our Dallas game.... I got to say hi to the 5 time Norris Trophy winner, and fellow Swede, Nicklas Lidstöm.

I know for a fact that a lot of the Canadian teams struggle with their finances and the owners have sold their teams or moved them down to where the money is, money is more important than support, and I understand that when you're the owner you want to make as big profit as possible. But I think it's sad that the Canadians that are fed hockey as a supplement to their food from birth to death loose their teams to Southern Hill Billies because there's more money there.

So my choice for the finals are a no brainer, I'll sit in the couch screaming, rooting for Ottawa, and that Daniel Alfredsson is their captain is just a bonus.