Tonight, most of Canada - the hockey-mad part, anyway - holds its breath as the Edmonton Oilers face off against the Florida Panthers in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
The Oilers have fought back to tie the series at 3 games apiece after losing the first 3 matches - a feat that has forced sportscasters to dig through the history books.
For the record, no team has evened a series in this manner since 1945, and no team - the Toronto Maple Leafs - has done so, and won the series, since 1942.
If we’re being frank, I wouldn’t describe myself as a dyed-in-the-wool fan of any sport. It strikes me as odd that anyone would devote so much energy to the pursuit of one group of strangers scoring more points than another group of strangers. Fandom is awesome when you’re sharing a common experience with your community - and a bit less so when it becomes a kind-of religion that drives the kinds of behaviours that no one would be proud of.
But, still, I’m a fan of community, and it’s been inspiring to watch Canadians - most of whom wouldn’t have called themselves Oilers fans before their Cinderella run - find common ground around a team that’s [this close] to bringing the cup back north of the border for the first time since 1993.
If sports can give us all a brightly coloured experience to share amid a modern world consistently stained with darkness, then who wouldn’t be moved in some way by the hype?
On my last visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto, I stood next to the glass display and hovered over the Stanley Cup for what seemed like entirely too much time.
I carefully read the engraved names and traced back the years to my childhood when my hometown Montreal Canadiens could do no wrong. It felt strangely comforting to connect to each community that stood behind each team that brought the Cup home. The pride they all must have felt while the world churned outside.
We all need a reason or six to just be fans, to simply take in the game.
When the dust settles after tonight’s game, either Edmonton or Florida will be added to this storied artifact.
For now, though, it’s enough to ponder the magic of an historic trophy, the reasons teams give it their all to bring it home, and the reasons ordinary folks like us put life on pause for a bit so we can wrap ourselves in that very same dream.
#toronto #yyz #ontario #canada #throwback #hhof #hockey #hockeyhalloffame #sports #stanleycup #stilllife #photography #history #canon #canonphotography #canon_photogrpahy #photography
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