TSN’s Button believes Stanley Cup’s Canadian curse could end

Article content

There aren’t many people more enthusiastic about talking hockey than TSN analyst Craig Button, especially with the Stanley Cup playoffs about to start.

Article content

Article content

And this year he’s expecting the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets to emerge victorious through the postseason, ending a 32-year drought for Canadian-based NHL franchises that has endured since the Montreal Canadiens won the 1993 Stanley Cup.

Article content

“I’m picking Winnipeg,” Button said over the phone recently from Calgary, before flying to Toronto and plunging again into his busy TV schedule as TSN’s Director of Scouting, a title earned via his experience as an NHL scout, administrator and general manager.

“Winnipeg is going to play the second wild card. Not that there’s an easy path, but you don’t have to get chunks taken out of you in a real hard, first-round matchup like Dallas and Colorado or Tampa Bay and Florida. Two really good teams are going to get knocked out of the first round of the playoffs while the team that goes on is also going to have chunks taken out of them.”

Winnipeg placed first in overall regular-season standings and supposedly earned the easiest path to victory. When Button was prognosticating, the Jets still didn’t know if their opponents would be the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues or Calgary Flames. It ended up being St. Louis, with the first-round victor meeting either the Dallas Stars or Colorado Avalanche in a much tougher second-round matchup.

Article content

Article content

Each Stanley Cup playoff series is a best-of-seven, with the first of four elimination rounds starting Saturday and the entire postseason ending by June 23.

“When you don’t have that real hard edge in the first round, it’s a little bit of an advantage,” said Button. “Teams have to take advantage of it. Vegas has to take advantage of it. The Toronto Maple Leafs have to. Those first-place teams like Washington, they have to take advantage of it.

“We know that, but I just think that Winnipeg, with everything they’ve done over the last two seasons, have been the best team in the NHL. We look at five games last year that were incredibly disappointing — the Jets will tell you that — that weren’t representative of who they are. If anybody would have told you they were going to implode defensively, nobody would have put a bet on that.”

Colorado upset Winnipeg in last year’s opening round, winning their best-of-seven series in five games. It was the last game for Jets legendary head coach Rick Bowness, whose role was assumed this season by assistant Scott Arniel. Button believes Arniel is following the same path established by Bowness, whose team simply slipped at the wrong time last season.

Article content

“It’s like trying to hold your grip on a greased pole,” said Button. “You’re holding on for dear life but you can’t really get a hold of it.

“I think (Bowness) did a helluva job instilling some really good principles of team play in their group. That’s how you give up the fewest goals against. He also had the best goalie.”

Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck is expected to win a second straight Vezina Trophy this season as the NHL’s top goaltender. Signed to a long-term contract by Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff, Hellebuyck is a key reason why his team has a chance to end the Canadian drought and compete with the league’s big-market franchises.

Canadian franchises are at a distinct disadvantage against their U.S opponents, according to NHL fans, because heavier provincial and federal taxes cut into player salaries, the tougher winter weather is unappealing, many of the cities are smaller and professional hockey players are often performing in a fishbowl, recognized and ridiculed in public when they’re not successful.

Article content

“I talked to (Vegas Golden Knights general manager) Kelly McCrimmon a few weeks ago,” said Button. “We both believe if you create an environment that says, ‘We’re going to do everything we can to win, on the ice and off the ice,’ getting players who are competitive and want to be a part of winning and make sure they feel a part of things, that’s the key.

“Nobody went to Florida when they were no good. Nobody went to Tampa Bay when they were no good. Who was going to Arizona? They don’t have (income) taxes! If you build it they will come. I don’t think it’s different in the Canadian markets than it is in the U.S. markets.”

Article content