OT: Who's your hockey team?

[EdgewoodNHV]

I stopped watching hockey entirely after the Whalers left town and only recently started watching again, after adopting a new team. But finding a new team was tricky. Here are the traditional "post-Whaler" candidates:

• Bruins: Oh hell no. Old rivals from the Adams Division. Forget that.
• Rangers: I never liked them and would feel weird picking an NYC team I wasn't born with.
• Hurricanes: This is like rooting for the guy who stole your wife. Next.
• Islanders: Rooting for a Long Island team is even worse than rooting for an NYC team. It's like another planet.
• Sabres: I can't watch them locally, but their uniform DOES have two swords on it. And they're pretty terrible, just like the Whalers.

So I ended up settling on the Sabres. Bonus that I was born in NY, but not NYC, so it... sorta makes sense? Plus I always liked their uniforms as a kid. Like I said, TWO SWORDS.

Did you pick a hockey team after the Whalers left? If so, who, and why?

 

[8893]

Did you pick a hockey team after the Whalers left? If so, who, and why?

No. They were my one and only. Best sports logo ever, too.

 

[pepband99]

Devils fan since forever. Born in NJ, so there is that...

 

[upstater]

I picked... the Sabres because I live in Buffalo.

They are going through a down period of 4 years, but they have a lot of young talent. Rhinehart, Ristolainen and Eichel are good young players, and O'Reilly is a solid vet. Prior to this swoon though, they weren't bad. They were one of the better teams. Then they had to let everyone go because of contracts and the salary cap, they lowballed people like Daniel Briere and Drury, and the swoon began.

Why can't you watch them locally? They are MSG's home team. Don't Connecticut cable systems carry MSG?

 

[pepband99]

The MSG feed is "different" for WNY and everywhere else. MSG closer to civilization carries the Rangers.

 

[temery]

Bruin's. My cousin played for the Bruin's in the 70's. Been a Bruin's fan ever since.

 

[Husky25]

Don't Connecticut cable systems carry MSG?

Comcast does not.

Been a Bruins fan since the mid 80's.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I left CT in 1991. Had no team really, and would never, ever root for Carolina. Moved to San Jose and pulled for the Sharks. Now I've been in the Boston area since 1999, and became a Bruins fan. That was a bit difficult at first, but I already was a Pats/Sox/Celtics fan.

 

[EdgewoodNHV]

Why can't you watch them locally? They are MSG's home team. Don't Connecticut cable systems carry MSG?

The Buffalo feed is actually MSG-B. Everywhere else gets Rangers-based regular ol' MSG.

I paid the 110/yearly to watch MSG-B so I can watch the Sabres. They only get blacked out when they're on national TV which is like... once a year.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

Let's Go Rangers!! Loved going to see them play Whalers

 

[August_West]

LGR!!!

 

[MexicoHusky]

I'm not a hardcore fan, but the Wild games are broadcast in North Dakota. So I kinda root for them come playoff time.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

ICE BUS

 

[Kauffmak10]

UCONN HUSKIES Get on the Ice Bus!

 

[Palatine]

The Caps.

It's the only team in Washington, where I live, that I care a wit about.

 

[champs99and04]

Been a Blackhawks fan since before the modern mini-dynasty. If you need a team, jump on that bandwagon. There's no shame in front-running when their greatness transcends the sport. It's why I root for the Warriors.

 

[Waquoit]

I was a ronin for the longest time but over the last couple of years I find myself pulling for the Rangers. Mostly because of Wolfpack guys like Miller and Zuccarello.

 

[huskiesNhoos]

Been a Devils fan since I was a kid. born in jersey and my grandpa was a huge fan so he got me hooked.

I liked the whalers, but was always Devils first. When I lived in NC for like 6 years I pretended to like the canes so I could wear a whalers shirt to all the games. Now that I'm out in denver I could care less about the canes, but I'm trying to force myself to like the Avs now (it's not working so well)

 

[Scoe]

To this day and it won't ever change, I somewhat pull for the Rangers when their in the playoffs. I route for Canadian teams and route against teams in warm weather climates.

 

[mauconnfan]

 

[John]

I stopped watching hockey entirely after the Whalers left town and only recently started watching again, after adopting a new team. But finding a new team was tricky. Here are the traditional "post-Whaler" candidates:

• Bruins: Oh hell no. Old rivals from the Adams Division. Forget that.
• Rangers: I never liked them and would feel weird picking an NYC team I wasn't born with.
• Hurricanes: This is like rooting for the guy who stole your wife. Next.
• Islanders: Rooting for a Long Island team is even worse than rooting for an NYC team. It's like another planet.
• Sabres: I can't watch them locally, but their uniform DOES have two swords on it. And they're pretty terrible, just like the Whalers.

So I ended up settling on the Sabres. Bonus that I was born in NY, but not NYC, so it... sorta makes sense? Plus I always liked their uniforms as a kid. Like I said, TWO SWORDS.

Did you pick a hockey team after the Whalers left? If so, who, and why?

I like the Rangers, but it's just not the same as the Whalers. I also pick random teams to semi-follow for no real reason, like one season I picked the Dallas Stars.

 

[Stainmaster]

Habs. I got hooked watching them kick the teeth out of the Bruins in the playoffs a few years back.

 

[SubbaBub]

I stopped watching hockey entirely after the Whalers left town and only recently started watching again, after adopting a new team. But finding a new team was tricky. Here are the traditional "post-Whaler" candidates:

• Bruins: Oh hell no. Old rivals from the Adams Division. Forget that.
• Rangers: I never liked them and would feel weird picking an NYC team I wasn't born with.
• Hurricanes: This is like rooting for the guy who stole your wife. Next.
• Islanders: Rooting for a Long Island team is even worse than rooting for an NYC team. It's like another planet.
• Sabres: I can't watch them locally, but their uniform DOES have two swords on it. And they're pretty terrible, just like the Whalers.

So I ended up settling on the Sabres. Bonus that I was born in NY, but not NYC, so it... sorta makes sense? Plus I always liked their uniforms as a kid. Like I said, TWO SWORDS.

Did you pick a hockey team after the Whalers left? If so, who, and why?

When though this 15 years ago when living in NJ for a spell. I still don't watch hockey and the whalers are still my team.

I agree with your list, I considered the devils but they had just won the cup so that was out.

The only hockey I have watched since was the last period of the canes cup win and the Olympics. The USA/Canada gold medal game in 2010 is to this day, the only game I have watched start to finish since 1997.

 

[CashewCrew]

Go Pens Go

 

[Marat]

After the Whalers left, I started rooting for the Red Wings in the late 90's (Federov, Yzerman,...) and now not so much. I am in NYC, so may try to root for Islanders or Rangers, but it stinks not to have a team.