5 Reasons to Love Canadian Sports

The 1993 NHL Stanley Cup and the MLB World Series were the last major Canadian sports teams to win a North American sporting title. And it was the only year in which two Canadian clubs won a major championship.NHL clubs in The Great White North have seen a more than 20-year drought of Stanley Cups. The Blue Jays, who soared to glory in the early 1990s, have had their wings clipped in years since.Meanwhile, the country lost one of its two NBA franchises in 2001 when the Vancouver Grizzlies moved to Memphis, Tennessee. The Montreal Expos baseball team followed the Grizzlies south in 2004 after years of financial problems.Twenty-four years of hurt have followed Canadian sports fans. So what do Canadian sports lovers have to look back on and smile about over the last two decades?

1. Canadian Women’s Soccer

Although the Canadian men’s soccer team hasn’t been able to find regular success and World Cup berths, the women’s team has been at the top of its game. In 1998, the ladies won the CONCACAF Championship then repeated the feat in 2010.Success on an even bigger stage has not been a stranger to the Canadian women’s team either. The 2003 World Cup saw the team finish fourth after losing to the United States in the third place match. But the ladies did one better at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics with two third place finishes. The 2016 tournament’s Bronze Medal Game saw the team knock off Brazil with brilliant goals from Deanne Rose and Christine Sinclair. Perhaps a World Cup or Olympic gold isn’t far away.

2. Toronto Raptors NBA Playoff Regulars

Despite losing the Vancouver Grizzlies just six years after they entered the NBA, the Toronto Raptors have found success in the league’s Eastern Conference.The Raptors have made nine playoffs since joining the NBA in 1995, including four straight appearances.The team is still looking for their first NBA title, but with the way Toronto has improved over the last few years, perhaps a championship won’t be too far away. Some big names have played for the Raptors such as Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups, Chris Bosh, and Damon Stoudamire.The team is currently led by three-time All-Star Kyle Lowry and regularly brings basketball fans in the city to their feet.

3. MLS’s Spread Across Canada

In 2007, Major League Soccer expanded into Canada for the first time with Toronto FC. Four years later, the Vancouver Whitecaps joined the league before the Montreal Impact was added in 2012.The three clubs have helped to raise the profile of soccer in Canada and all three have had varying levels of success in domestic and international competitions.Toronto FC has arguably had the most success of the three sides in MLS. The Reds lost the 2016 MLS Cup Final in Toronto to the Seattle Sounders in dramatic fashion. Despite out playing the Sounders throughout the night, Toronto lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout.Hopes are the team can return to the final again soon and lift the cup.

4. George St-Pierre and UFC Glory

George St-Pierre is often classed as the greatest pound for pound mixed martial arts fighter today.A two-time Welterweight Champion, GSP holds the record for most UFC title fight wins.In March 2017, GSP’s return to the octagon was confirmed after more than three years away from the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is expected to return to fight Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping in his first match back.

5. The Glory of ’93

To this day, 1993 is the best sports year in the country’s history. The Toronto Blue Jays won the World Series in dramatic fashion as Joe Carter slammed a game 6 walk-off home run against the Philadelphia Phillies.Carter became an instant Canadian national hero when he sent Mitch Williams’ 2-2 pitch over the outfield wall.Five months prior, the Montreal Canadiens won the NHL’s Stanley Cup for the 24^th and final time.The Patrick Roy inspired team knocked off Wayne Gretzky’s Los Angeles Kings four games to one. The Canadiens’ triumph was the last time a Canadian NHL team lifted the Stanley Cup.