ScottM Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 @ScottM I think there is one single factor intertwining with the question at hand. That would be championships. Before the triplets on the Boys...there was Tom Landry and Roger Staubach....the triplets only added to the prestige. The important thing to factor in on here is Stanley Cups....and the indelible imprint they leave on the psyche of fans. The Leafs have 13 championships....second only to the Habs....but the Habs, for the most part, are limited to Quebec and French speaking fans....the Leaf fans have no such limitations. Sure, the Leaf wins were all before 67...but all the Leaf winning caused the franchise to be transferred down the family line, from father to son etc, etc. There are MANY Ontario natives living toady who will swear that Dave Keon was one of the best players ever....another lasting exclamation point from the 67 team. The other factor is this.....the Leafs are classic underdogs due to all the losing. Not just losing, but generations of losing....monumentally bad teams....meaning if you jumped ship, you were a weasel and not a real fan.... Valid points. After all, I'm an Alabama fan despite living in Mississippi for my whole life because my father is an Alabama fan, so I understand the concept of fanship being passed down as well as anyone could. I think I really would like to see one of the polling firms do such a survey. I'd like to see just what the percentages are not only nationally, but in each province as well. I guess it would be kind of hard to set a cut-off for just how much a team had to "win" by, but it would give some basis for discussion at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 I think it is true to this extent...if you took a poll of all Canadians, nationwide, I believe the Leafs would get the most votes....and not just because Ontario has the most population....because they have pockets of followers everywhere. Not sure if getting the most votes would constitute being Canadas team per say....but really, what other criteria could you use? Perhaps we're getting into the territory of asking what it means to be Canada's team. If it's a matter of asking which team has the most fans, the Leafs win. I hear "Canada's Team" and am left with the inference that most people in Canada are Leafs fans at their heart, and I strongly disagree with that. Again, they have legions of fans: after all, more fans live in the Leafs market than anywhere else in this country. But when I lived in Regina, to gauge by the jerseys people wear, stickers on cars, hats, etc, etc, etc, the were far more Flames and Oilers fans in the province than Leafs fans. It wasn't even close. Here in Victoria? When it comes to NHL, all I see are people wearing Canucks apparel, and my neighbour who is an Oilers fan (moved here from Edmonton), and just the odd Leaf or Habs fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 @JR Ewing Having lived in so many parts of the country, would you deem my impression that geography tends to be the biggest factor to be true or false? As I said originally, I only have the view of someone looking in from the outside, but I've always strongly had that impression. This may sound silly, but as someone who has had a lifelong fascination with Canada, I find questions like these very interesting. Not silly at all. I think it's largely population. Most people in Western Canada, particularly younger folks, are fans of the three Western teams. There are Leafs and Habs devotees who make sure to attend games because they don't often get the chance to see them live, due to where they live. But, the notion that other markets are teeming with Leafs fans isn't true to the extent that some would put it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 . After all, I'm an Alabama fan despite living in Mississippi for my whole life because my father is an Alabama fan, so I understand the concept of fanship being passed down as well as anyone could On a scale of 1 (not important at all) to 10 (essential) how would you rate your father's importance of passing on Alabama to you, his son? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 @JR Ewing I think the only true way to determine Canada's "team" would be a pure numbers game....which team has the most Canadian people cheering for it? I'm not 100% sure, but I'd be willing to guess that Toronto would fit that bill....just by pure population, Ontario has the most people...and the staggering unemployment rates in Ont guarantee the biggest group of people transferring to a new province. Those two combine to answer our question I'd say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 @JR Ewing Thanks for your answer. My nerdiness greatly enjoys such things. Lol @jammer2 In my case, it's definitely a 10. That said, when I was two, he had me trained to say "Roll Tide!" when someone asked what an elephant says, so he made sure there was no doubt about it. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 In my case, it's definitely a 10. That said, when I was two, he had me trained to say "Roll Tide!" AND this is the thing I was trying to get to...it was not just your Dad....men are most passionate about their sports, and they badly want to have that connection with their sons....it is SUPER important to most men/fathers. Hell, I don't have kids, and I'm doing everything I can to turn my nephews into Eagles fans...I have already lost one to the 49 ers ( I suspect it's because his other Uncle...my little bro is a Niners fan....Grrrrr...lol) and I'm working hard to secure the oldest Nephew....and these are my Sisters kids....imagine if I had my own?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted May 22, 2015 Share Posted May 22, 2015 AND this is the thing I was trying to get to...it was not just your Dad....men are most passionate about their sports, and they badly want to have that connection with their sons....it is SUPER important to most men/fathers. Hell, I don't have kids, and I'm doing everything I can to turn my nephews into Eagles fans...I have already lost one to the 49 ers ( I suspect it's because his other Uncle...my little bro is a Niners fan....Grrrrr...lol) and I'm working hard to secure the oldest Nephew....and these are my Sisters kids....imagine if I had my own?? I was pretty sure that's where you were going. That was why I made my original Alabama comment. I definitely get it. At this point, I'm just wishing more and more that there was some polling data on it... I'm really channeling my inner nerd on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 Really, though, the only team that is actually Canada's Team is Team Canada. (Shameless) Trivia Time!!! Can anyone name the last Toronto Maple Leafs player to be named to Team Canada*? *Must be the Olympic team or Canada/World Cup team, not counting side tournaments that occur while NHL is still playing, and not counting junior level tournaments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Sittler comes to mind.....lol, but I'm betting you are counting the World Championships? That team always has a strong Leafs contingent no? Made up of the non playoff teams to start the tourny...would it not be easier to name the Leafs NOT named to team Canada? LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @jammer2 But when was the last time the Leafs had a Canadian player good enough to make a non playoff allstar type team? Phaneuf (though property of Calgary at the time) wore the TC sweater in the 2005 WJHCs. That's all I got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @flyercanuck It's gotta be Sittler or McDonald...I can't think of anyone else. Maybe Rick Vaive snuck on a team during his one and only 50 goal year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @jammer2 That sounds about right....and really, really sad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Sittler comes to mind.....lol, but I'm betting you are counting the World Championships? That team always has a strong Leafs contingent no? Made up of the non playoff teams to start the tourny...would it not be easier to name the Leafs NOT named to team Canada? LOL! LOL. So true.... but for the purposes of this trivia test, the World "Championships" don't count. That's a side tournament that nobody watches while the NHL playoffs are on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Babcock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @flyercanuck Ding, Ding...I think we have a winner!! I just knew it could not be a player!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radoran Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 It's as dumb a statement as calling Dallas " America's team"It's an insult to every other team. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted May 23, 2015 Share Posted May 23, 2015 @WordsOfWisdom Babcock? LOL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WordsOfWisdom Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The answer to the trivia question of last Leafs player to play for team Canada is Bryan McCabe in 2006. While representing Toronto "blue and white style", McCabe's glorious contribution to Team Canada was: 5 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pts, -3 +/-, 18 PIM. His -3 was the worst on the team, and his 18 PIM led the team. Representing Toronto at the 2004 World Cup was an injured Ed Belfour. Perhaps more intriguing would be the last Leafs player to register a POINT for Team Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 25, 2015 Share Posted May 25, 2015 The answer to the trivia question of last Leafs player to play for team Canada is Bryan McCabe in 2006. Well, that explains everything...06, before the can-opener was banned Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottM Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I just found this. It should be good for some laughs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podein25 Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Lol @ the comments on the comments, especially the enema one. It's true that people get worked up more than they should over this stuff. But it's hockey and it's Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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