Picking an NHL team to root for

parkskier

parkskier

Member
Ok, so I'll admit it, I've only ever watched hockey a few times prior to this Olympic tournament. But what a fan the tournament made me! Hockey is sick! I loved it! Anyways I want to start watching the NHL but I'm kind of torn for who to root for. I'm American, so I really like some of the US players, particularly Ryan Kesler (I go to Ohio State) and Ryan Miller (who could not like him?). Anyways, like I said I go to OSU, so that leaves me with the lowly Blue Jackets. I'm not from Columbus (grew up in Cincinnati) but they are the closest team.

So that leaves me with:

- Blue Jackets

- Canucks

- Sabres

Who do I root for? My local team or a team where I already like some of the players?

And please don't turn this into a US vs. Canada hate thread, this is about the NHL.
 
by not asking for a us vs canada hate thread, you are asking for a us vs canada hate thread
 
That's kind of what I thought. That's what I've done with the MLS (Columbus Crew), but it was much easier rooting for them when they won the MLS Cup...the Blue Jackets are just...not good.
 
you could like the Red Wings. they are liked all over the country. but yea, you have to like the blue jackets
 
Well the Colorado Avalanche are they under dog team full of young talent currently in first place in their division. At the beginning of the season they were ranked to come out in almost last place in NHL but every game they are constantly proving the critics wrong. They have a rookie head coach and an 18 year old player named Matt Duchane who is going to do nasty things in his career, he is currently the leader on the team in goals and points. They also have an infamous defender adam foote as their captain and they overall are a sick nasty team. I suggest watching the game tomorrow night against the Red Wings, one of the biggest rivalries in the NHL for various reasons (Roy Osgood fight ha). So yeah GO AVS!!!
 
Being from Northern Washington I cheer for the Canucks cause they are right over the border and the closest team.
 
He never played for the Sabres. He was with the Avs, and I think he retired last year but I'm not sure. Sabres have Ellis, Connolly, Miller, Vanek, and Butler.
 
Yea he was forced to retire last year because he injured his hand mowing his lawn lol.. Such a sad way to retire for such an amazing player.
 
Damnit, I was thinking of a different guy with a similar sounding name.... the awesome Czech goalie that played for the Sabres and made up the Czech team at Nagano with Jagr. FUCKFUCKFUCK, what was his name?

Hasek, that guy. Goddamnit.
 
Matty Duchene came home to Haliburton for the olympic break, it was so sick. He filled up our water bottles and stuff during our games and took all of us out to Pizza Hut afterwards. His mom is my guidance councellor.
 
you cant have people just pick your team. thats retarded and doesnt make it YOUR team it makes it someone elses. And rep your home team not like Oh the penguins have crosby i like them.

But im from Rochester. GO SABRES
 
I'm an avalanche fan, so I would have a biased opinion against the canucks.
but the sabres are a really exciting team, and Columbus has tons of potential.
 
Yea dude he seems like a super legit guy and is playing really good for the Avs right now. Look for him to be representing the US in the next Olympics for sure ha
 
he's canadian.
but another opinion for the OP, i would pick a team close to you for TV coverage, making it easier to follow them.
 
being a fan of an NHL hockey team is pretty much the same as marriage. you stick with that team through thick and thin, sickness and health, and you cant cheat on them. You cant just randomly pick a team, you gotta feel the love.
 
This is spot on about real hockey fans. You may just randomly pick a team now but if you actually stick with following hockey, you'll realize there is one special team that stands out to you and that you find yourself getting excited, sad, nervous, angry, and ecstatic over. For me, it's the Penguins and always will be.
 
I will follow players though that aren't on the team I root for like way back in the day when Stevens, Jagr, Hasik, Blake, and Roy were all playing at the same time I always looked forward to watching games they were in.
 
the way I see it is, I'll always root for the home team (bruins) but at the same time i've had long time favorites who I root for as well (mostly just colorado)
 
I pretty much divorced the Red Wings when Yzerman retired. Before that I was in a bigamous relationship with them and the 'Nucks. But I agree you really need to find a team that you find yourself caring about when they win and lose. Liking Kesler as a player is a good start though if you wanted to cheer for Vantown simply because he plays his ass off every night, as if someone's going to shoot him if he takes a shift off. Him and Dustin Brown (and Miller obv) are the big reasons the USA did so well, they lead by example.
 
Yes, I realize this. Being a fan of English premier league football I totally understand this. Also being a Buckeyes fan I know that you can't give up on your team cause you lost to USC or Purdue. I'm kinda of getting the vibe that I should go with the hometown team and that's what I thought would be the case. Anyways I feel like I won't be too disappointed rooting for the Blue Jackets. They are a new team and still need time to develop.
 
Yea im a true avs fan. Was absolutely in love with them when they won the cup but then I moved to PA for a little bit a started to like the Penguins but then moved back to the CO. Since im a penguins fan too though it was super sick to see Crosby win the game winning goal event though my heart was with the US.
IMO Crosby is the classiest best player in the NHL, fuck that russian Ovechkin, the guy is super into himself and his money while Crosby is killing it and being one humble mother fucker. With this win it is clearly eminent that Crosby is the best player in the league.
 
The Ducks have the worst luck. At least they aren't WSU though, God, being a fan of them is straight depressing.
 
What I like about Crosby, when he was asked about the hat-trick he scored in about eight minutes against miller last year, he didn't say anything cocky or disrespectful. I really respect Sid as I see him as the future of the game (if he isn't already the game).
I'm an Avs fan too, and living about four hours away from Vancouver, trash talk happens frequently when the subject of the NHL comes up. But I've been fans since the cup run in '01 (I was like seven) and haven't even considered rooting for a different team. Hopefully Stastny and Wolski can lead us into a deep playoff run, eh?
 
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