Views and Visions: Canadians clash Part 1

You may not have heard about it on the news, but Canada has just been through an intense fight. Representatives from the English and French parts of the country faced off in May, exchanging shots and hits and even engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Casualties were limited to minor injuries, but all were left with bumps and bruises and those watching the fighting from home are still recovering from the intense experience. In the end, the French side won thanks to strong defending by veterans Carey Price and Shea Weber and a timely offensive push from Brendan Gallagher. Thankfully, I’m not talking about anything more serious than a series of games of ice hockey, Canada’s most popular sport. But it would be difficult to find a Canadian who wasn’t affected in some way when the Montreal Canadiens played the Toronto Maple Leafs in the playoffs for the first time since 1979. Back then, the final game, a 3-1 Montreal victory that eliminated the Leafs, saw an estimated 6 million Canadians tune in for the majority of the game. That’s almost 16% of the entire country. The rivalry between Canada’s two most famous teams is almost as old as the sport of hockey and dates back to 1917. Together they’ve won 37 Stanley Cup championships, although as any good Montreal fan would tell you, the Canadiens have won 24 compared to the Leafs’ 13 and Toronto hasn’t won a championship since 1967. What makes this rivalry special is not just the hockey itself, but also the rivalry between the two cities and languages. (Joel Tansey) To be continued… This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.