The last time the Stanley Cup went back to Canada was in 1993, when the Montreal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings. It is now a drought that has stretched for over 30 seasons, but one of the Canadiens' franchise legends has his former team's chance to end the drought.
Andrei Markov recently spoke with RG.org and gave his thoughts on the Montreal Canadiens. He is optimistic about their future and even believes that it is Montreal that will be the next team from Canada to win the Stanley Cup.
"I really hope it will be Montreal," Markov said. "In recent years, Edmonton had a big chance, but they didn't use it. Right now I would probably bet on Montreal."
Since the Canadiens won in 1993, there have been eight different times that a team from Canada has reached the Stanley Cup Final. The Edmonton Oilers have the most appearances, with three, including the two most recent that Markov notes as well as in 2006.
For the Canadiens, they have returned only once and that was back in 2021, when they would lose to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games. This past season, they got close to getting back but would lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
Andrei Markov believes in a lot of the young players currently on the Montreal Canadiens
Andrei Markov knows this franchise well, as he played in 990 games with the Montreal Canadiens and, in fact, would be the only franchise in the NHL he played for. He retired from the NHL in 2017 and while it doesn't feel that long ago, this is a completely different team than the one Markov played for.
However, he has kept a close eye on the team and likes what he has seen from players like Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky, and even Lane Hutson. The former defenseman knows the position well and is impressed in particular with the way Hutson is able to skate.
"A small guy, with an unusual skating style, but the way he moves the puck, the way he moves himself — that's what I liked," Markov said. "And you can see that not only him — many young players on the team enjoy what they do. That's a very important factor."
The Montreal Canadiens are entering this season without any major changes, and the hope is that the development of their key players, like Demidov, Slafkovsky, and Hutson, along with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, is enough to get them to the next level. However, even if they don't make enough of a difference, the Canadiens should feel good about their cap situation, and that will allow them to add if the right trade presents itself.
Regardless of the direction, it makes sense why Markov believes that Montreal is Canada's best chance to bring back a Stanley Cup.
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