Canada’s Stanley Cup drought continues for at least another year after Canucks loss

Sep 5, 2020 | 8:20 AM

The Stanley Cup will head south of the border yet again later this year.

The final Canadian team in the Stanley Cup playoffs was eliminated on Friday night when the Vancouver Canucks lost 3-0 to Vegas in Edmonton, giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 victory in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal.

A Canadian team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens captured the title.

However, the Stanley Cup will be awarded in Canada for the first time since 2011 when the Boston Bruins beat the Canucks in Vancouver in Game 7.

Edmonton will host the Stanley Cup final this year, with no fans allowed in Rogers Place. The Alberta capital and Toronto have served as host cities for the NHL post-season during the COVID-19 pandemic. All players are separated from the general public.

Of the six Canadian teams to qualify for the 24-team post-season, just the Canucks advanced to the second round of the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, while the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Edmonton Oilers were ousted in the qualifying round.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2020.

The Canadian Press