For me, it's obviously the Jets. I had a sentimental attachment to the legend of the Winnipeg Jets ever since I got back into hockey and realized they were gone. I was one of the "bring back Quebec/Winnipeg/Hartford" people for years and years, and while I don't think we're ever getting the other two, we did get one. All it took was the Atlanta Hawks evicting their retarded half-brother hockey franchise on such short notice that Gary Bettman couldn't direct them anywhere else while also managing the Phoenix shitshow, plus a buyer whose clout with old-money Toronto bankers was so immense that he could fuck the NHL right out of the international finance sector if they froze him out.

But anyway, after seven years of building an organization from more than the ground up because the Atlanta Thrashers were such a worthless organization that an expansion team would have been a better start (proof positive: Vegas Golden Knights), the Jets finally have a stacked roster that can contend for the Cup. And I can't think of many cities and fanbases that deserve it more: Winnipeg is the most shit-on town in the league by a country mile, but it (and the rest of the vast Sask-to-Kenora expanse they draw from) has probably the smartest and most passionate hockey fans on the continent. Wheeler, Scheifele, Laine, Ehlers, Trouba, and our friend Big Buff are all players you can respect.

In the East, I've long had adoration for the New York Islanders, another franchise that takes mountains of shit, and John Tavares, one of my favorite players in the whole league. Even though they'll be in Brooklyn a little while longer (but I think they'll play half the schedule in Nassau as soon as next year), I think it's neat that they're arguably the only team that belongs only to suburbia (NO NOT THE CUBS), as a born-and-raised suburbanite myself.

As for teams I emphatically want to lose, Nashville and St. Louis, of course, but St. Louis might be excusing themselves from the proceedings just like us. I have no love for the Dallas Stars and the smug douchebag internet fans who make up honestly like 98% of their entire fanbase at this point, this team that would be absolutely nowhere if not for the Bruins making one of their patented HOFer-for-crap trades. You can say about the same for the Hurricanes, except it's more like 99.9% smug internet shits and they only got that flake Teravainen for crap, and again, they might not even make it in either. But most of all, FUCK THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS, this bullshit team of third-liners assembled to satisfy the natural conclusion of the NHL's priapism for warm-weather transplant cities while they make Quebec City drop half a billion on an arena and then tell them they'll never get a team because it'll give the Red Wings a sad. That expansion farce has removed me from following the league ten times more than the Blackhawks sucking has. It's an utter embarrassment to the league to have them be this good.

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The Hawks. Are we out of it?

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Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

Blackhawks definitely.

Yeah, they're like 10 back with 19 to play. But hey, might draft 7th!

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For close to 8 weeks now.

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

The Flyers. I loved the Broad St. Bullies

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

The Wild. I want to see them accomplish something before their 2 massive contracts bury them for a decade.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Oh I forgot, the Penguins threepeating would be real real bad. As it is, there's an argument between our 3 in 6 versus their 3 in 9 with a repeat. 4 in 10 with a threepeat obviously seals it. Love Pittsburgh but Crosby must never win again.

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I would have no problem with Nashville winning it all if they weren't attached to such a shitty front office and fanbase. The team itself is quite likeable.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

lol no it isn't

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When the hawks play them there is no one on the ice that pisses me off. The wives, dick chaser keith urban, that god damn tim mcgraw song, their collegiate theatrics with the opposing goaltender, their ticket shenanigans....that gets annoying.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Mike Fisher is an evangelical, fatface Ryan Johansen is a lazy piece of crap, and of course WOKE HERO PK SUBBAN.

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For this years playoffs I will prob be pulling for Calgary and Nashville in the west and New Jersey and Toronto in the east.

I just check the current playoff matchups....St Louis is not in the playoffs? Wow, I havent paid much attention to them lately, have they fallen way off

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Bad things happen when you unceremoniously fire one of the best coaches of all time, hint-hint.

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Was fond of Calgary back in the day so probably them in west. Maybe Boston in east although I don’t find anything likable about the team the last time I saw them. That’s an original 6 nostalgia choice.

Anyone but Pitt.

I can deal with Boston. Calgary's cool with me too. I prefer Edmonton but you gotta love Gaudreau and Monahan. And Michael Frolik comin' straight from the underground!

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Is that Oaf Q used to play still on Calgary starting fights and doing shit else?

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

Bollig? He just got traded to -- would you look at that! -- Nashville. I think he'll be assigned to Milwaukee, though, almost certain the Flames got tired of his shit at the NHL level.

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No fucking way!!! He is still in the league?

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

No, he'd been on AHL San Jose (like Winnipeg, their farm team uses the same arena, I don't like this one bit) this year. Looks like the Flames waived him and sent him to Stockton before that, so he's been AHL-bound for a while.

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The Jackets, since I will be living there this time next week, but they may see themselves out as well.

Who woulda thunk the Saad trade would end up hurting both teams?

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Not a mult.

I forgot about the Sharks. Ill probably root for them. I like no teeth/long beard and no one on their team pisses me off.

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That's my purse! I don't know you!

What the hell did Tortorella do to Brandon Saad that he came back as a meandering fourth-line plug? He was a real-ass first-line wing on two Cup teams! It can't all be the Toews cone of ignorance.

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Jets or Knights.
I'd be happy with a long run for either team.

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The Golden Knights will either get fucked in the ass when a team plays them game-in-game-out and doesn't make a group vacation out of it, or they'll win the Stanley Cup and make a joke of this pathetic league once and for all.

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Woah. A country mile?

Buffalo, Calgary and Edmonton are now planning celebratory parades! San Jose is gently smiling...


edit: I gotta keep going! Detroit and St Louis are now having structure fires in observance of this news!

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what is it about the Knights that would lead you to pull for them?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

For one thing, I'm with CH:
If they win, it should be a big FU to the powers that be in the league (Bettman)....no way Vegas should be this good this year. The problem with this scenario is that Bettman's dumb ass would see this as a great thing for the league and expand to 5 more cities in the next 5 years. And then my favorite bandwagon team in 2023 will have to be Baltimore Crab Cakes.

Secondly, I love the city of Vegas. It means a lot to me personally, I've travelled there more than any other destination, and that city could use a celebration right now (that isn't strictly gambling based). My kids 2nd favorite team right now is Vegas. They know more about their progress than I do. I guess I'm old.

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I don't have a bandwagon team. I would prefer to see Tampa or Nashville win. Winnipeg would be fine. Just no Pittsburgh.

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Lay off that whiskey and let that cocaine be.