Just in case St. Louis wins it all, here are some other lovable losers

NHL: St. Louis Blues at Buffalo Sabres

I think all of us are yearning for the Blues to win the cup just as soon as possible. Some of us are just waiting for the offseason to start, with the hope that your team is going to start to it’s build towards the Cup next year. Maybe you think the Blues will have to change their name if they are finally happy for once. Most of us are simply rooting against Boston. If the Blues do pull it out either in Game 6 or 7, they will no longer be the saddest sacks in the NHL. Where does that crown go to, then?

There could very reasonably be some debate about this topic. The Maple Leafs have a 51 year drought, the longest in NHL history. They seem to be on the upswing, though, and Toronto is a beautiful town. Also, right now, as we speak, one of their other professional teams (basketball in this case) is leading their Finals series in their sport. How bad can we all collectively feel for Toronto?

Then there is Buffalo, across the Lake from Toronto. They haven’t had a drought for as long as the residents of Toronto, simply because they haven’t had a team for as long. They regularly get beat by Toronto-ans at the KeyBank Center gate, They are also a pretty sad sack town when it comes to other professional sports. The Bills? Ugh! And then there is the constant threat that professional sports will all be leaving western New York sooner rather than later anyway, because the economy of Buffalo has been going downhill since the Erie Canal fell out of favor.

And then there is my stomping grounds, the Twin Cities and the Minnesota Wild. Sure, you might say, the Wild have only been around for less than 20 years. Sure! But the North Stars were in the Twin Cities before that, unable to win the cup in their quarter century in town. Then, the North Stars moved to Dallas and won the cup within 5 years of the move, just for an extra punch in the gut. For good measure, their victim was the Buffalo Sabres.  Like Buffalo, Minnesota has had a city wide drought in championship sports, but the Bills have been in a championship game more recently than any Minnesota team has been to their respective championship final.

Winnipeg and Ottawa have also gone a very long time without winning a championship. Two World Wars have been fought since the Cup went to Winnipeg. The Jets are in their second iteration, but the original Jets are just as hapless in Phoenix, while the Senators play like they are still manned by the same guys who were on the team in 1927 when they last won. You know, dead.

This is all moot if the Blues blow this, of course. We’re all hoping they can get away from this sad circle of hockey losers.

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