Who is America's Hockey Team?

"Who is America's hockey team?" This was a question my friend from South Korea asked me one night while we were watching a Rangers game in my apartment. It was an interesting question, and one I had never considered myself. NHL teams have always had a regional appeal compared to a national appeal. It's the reason why New Yorkers root for the Rangers, Islanders, or Sabres depending on where they live. I gave him an answer after some careful thought: the Detroit Red Wings. He was surprised to hear me say Detroit would be the city with America's hockey team. So it got me thinking more. Who REALLY is America's hockey team? Who are the Toronto Maple Leafs of the USA? 

1) Detroit Red Wings

Here's my case for the Red Wings: name another hockey team that's mentioned more times in pop culture, streetwear, or sporting heritage. If you can't think of one, that's understandable. Detroit has been seen in plenty of media: Cameron in Ferris Bueller's Day Off iconically rocking the flaming wheel fleece in Chicago, a rival city, Tupac walking out of prison in a Red Wings fleece, a newfound love of hockey fleeces for fashion and Detroit's incredible logo can be found far and wide. The Red Wings were the pinnacle of success in the 90s, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups and being one of the teams to bring Russian players into the limelight. Not to mention, they're an Original Six franchise. They had a huge beef with the newly-formed Colorado Avalanche, one that spilled over into bloodshed more than once. The success spilled into the 2000s, where they won another Cup in 2002, another in 2008, and back to the Final in 2009. That was the last time Detroit tasted championship glory. They boasted players like Steve Yzerman, Chris Osgood, Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Niklas Lidstrom, Tomas Holmstrom, and Marian Hossa. The legends that wore the Red Wing are too plentiful to name. 

Here's why they aren't America's team: the Red Wings have faded into mediocrity. The success they had in the 90s and 2000s wasn't sustainable, whether due to financial constraints or a changing style of play in the NHL. Wild front-office decisions from ex-GM Ken Holland in the late 2000s and 2010s focused too much on the playoff streak, not the underwhelming style of hockey and aging core. Despite having a nice crop of young players like Dylan Larkin, Moritz Seider, and Lucas Raymond, the Wings have stagnated. They haven't made the playoffs since 2016, ending 25 consecutive years of playoff appearances. They have only changed head coaches twice since then, with very little success. Essentially, the Red Wings declined and were forgotten about. Hockey fans moved on. The Wings weren't as captivating as they used to be.

2) Chicago Blackhawks 

The case for the Blackhawks: the dynasty of 2010s. Had the LA Kings not been right there with them and disrupted their era of dominance, the Blackhawks could've won the Cup 5 years straight. Prime Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were something otherworldly. Duncan Keith was the blue-collar defenseman every rival exec wanted on their team. Paired with Brent Seabrook, nothing got past them. They went from reliable goaltending to even more reliable goaltending with Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford. When Marian Hossa joined from the Red Wings in 2010, he transformed the Blackhawks into the elite team they were. This was an incredible team, and it’s hard to say we will ever see the likes of it again. They drafted and developed the greatest American hockey player Kane. He’s won the Hart Trophy, Conn Smythe, and is a three-time champion. He brought American hockey out from under the shadows of Canada and Russia. Without him, American hockey isn’t where it is today: a true presence on the international stage and developing more NHL-level players every year. 

The case against the Blackhawks: without getting into great detail, the organization is tainted after the Kyle Beach situation. They have a lot of relationships to repair. Moving to the on-ice problems, the Hawks have crumbled into the depths of the abyss. Kane is still good, but injury prone. Toews has lost his ability as he’s aged and his health has declined. Injuries eventually took a toll on Seabrook, Keith, Crawford, and Hossa had to retire for health reasons too. All that remains of the Blackhawks dynasty is Kane and Toews. And with the team undergoing the tank of all tanks, trading all their best young players for futures, the once mighty Blackhawks have fallen out of favor. Alex DeBrincat and Kirby Dach seemed like the pieces going forward, but new GM Kyle Davidson believes in the hard reset, trading them for draft capital. Kane has been traded at the time of writing, Toews is still around but will leave the team as a free agent in the summer. The Hawks were once the face of the NHL, but have shriveled into obscurity. Whether it's because of the Kyle Beach situation, the declining core, or a combination of both, the sad state of the franchise doesn't help their America's hockey team bid.

3) Washington Capitals

The case for the Capitals: the NHL franchise of America's capital city. They have been relatively successful despite being one of the younger hockey teams. Though they only boast one Stanley Cup in their entire history, it's surely one of the most insane Cup runs in recent memory. The 2018 Capitals were a beast of a team, overcoming their arch-nemesis in the Pittsburgh Penguins to reach the Final and beat the fledgling Vegas Golden Knights in 5 games. Alex Ovechkin, the Russian Sasquatch disguised as a hockey player, was unworldly that season. A 49-goal regular season combined with 15 playoff goals rocketed the Capitals to the promised land. The Capitals have boasted a very strong roster in their modern history. Even NHL legends like Mike Gartner dawned the red and blue fleece. T.J. Oshie, the hero of USA Hockey at the 2014 Olympics, would join up in 2015, making a strong core of Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom, another stud American defenseman in John Carlson, and several different goaltenders but Braden Holtby was the most successful. The Capitals do make a strong case off the ice with their cultural appreciation of DC logos, American colors, Slapshot the Eagle mascot, etc. Ironic that the greatest Russian player plays for America's capital city NHL team. You do know your geopolitical history, right? Now Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky's goal-scoring record, already overtaking Gordie Howe for 2nd all-time. 

The case against the Capitals: they only have one Cup to show for the Ovechkin era. It's not all his fault, but he did disappear in the clutch a few times during the earliest years of his career. Luck had never been on the Capitals' side. The seasons people thought it was The Year would end tragically when they bowed out of the playoffs to teams like the Rangers, Penguins, Bruins, and Hurricanes. Playing in the same era as Sidney Crosby also didn't help. Since 2018, the Capitals haven't gotten past the first round, restoring the old narratives about them, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014 this past season. They may have won the greatest prize in hockey, but since then it's been the slow decline some hockey writers predicted. The Capitals may actually be America's team, but they are less decorated than teams like the LA Kings or Tampa Bay Lightning. One Cup is better than no Cup, but two Cups are better than one. And the Caps only have one in their whole history. So what happens when the Ovechkin era ends? Is the roster retooled to stay competitive? Or do they go full tank and muddy their reputation? 

4) Tampa Bay Lightning

The case for the Lightning: There was a time when we all thought the Lightning was emulating the Capitals. They had a stacked roster, made trades for the hottest names on the market, and tallied together 127 points in one of the winningest NHL seasons ever in 2018-19. Only for them to get swept in the first round. We all thought that was the end...until it wasn't. The Lightning went from being a fringe Cup contender to an NHL juggernaut and is currently the most decorated team of the 2020s. They won their first Cup in 2004, the first and only hockey team in Florida to bring home the greatest prize. They made the Cup Final three years in a row, winning it in 2020 and 2021. They fell short in 2022 after matching up with a Colorado Avalanche team destined for greatness. With players like Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, and Nick Paul, plus the best goalie in the world in Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning was watched closely by American fans. Not because they wanted them to succeed; they wanted them to fail...at first. But then people watched them play and score at will. They would trade for high-value depth players over stars, and it worked. Steve Yzerman was the architect of the modern Lightning, but Julien BriseBrois was the perfectionist. His trades for Barclay Goodrow, Blake Coleman, Paul, and Brandon Hagel are seen as absolute wins. Even these guys would make ridiculous plays. The Lightning is strong, powerful, and everything a bandwagon fan would love. 

The case against the Lightning: yea...they are a bandwagon team. Tampa Bay has embraced the Lightning, even during the worst times. The 2004 Cup seemed to be a distant memory even though it wasn't that long ago. The recent run has brought the Lightning back into the national spotlight, mainly because of their star-studded roster. Every NHL fan knows the Bolts, but does every sports fan? Maybe now because of the recent success, but what about before that? It's tough to give the Lightning the crown of America's team. Plus, do we really want America's hockey team to be in Florida? That state is not the best representative of the country as a whole. Had they been an older franchise, the Lightning might have had a legitimate shot at being America's team, but it's tough to say. 

5) Boston Bruins

The case for the Bruins: Boston has always been a massive hockey city. Between the number of high-level college teams and the Bruins, hockey fanatics would love to call that place home. Being an Original Six franchise, the Bruins have certainly made a name for themselves in the sports world. During the 1970s, they were dominant. Thanks to the revolutionary gameplay of Bobby Orr, the Bruins' 1972 Stanley Cup set them up for modern success. Between Orr and controversial player Derek Sanderson, the Bruins have always been considered a national name. In the 2010s, the luck started to shift. In 2011, they won their most recent Stanley Cup. Players like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Zdeno Chara, David Krejci, Tim Thomas, and later Tuukka Rask in goal set the standard. Since 2011, the Bruins have made the Cup Final twice in 2013 and 2019.  The infamous Bruin "B" has been featured in films like Happy Gilmore. David Pastrnak, the team's current superstar forward, has been one of the best scorers in the NHL for a few years now and has been featured in Dunkin Donuts commercials annually. It's stood the test of time, and if there is one thing hockey adores more than new fans, it's tradition. The Bruins are a moniker of old-school, gritty hockey, but are also a token of modern success that just hasn't happened enough for them. 

The case against the Bruins: a team as talented as the Bruins should have won more than a single Cup in the 21st century. Despite making the final in 2019, history will always be written by the victor, and the Bruins were not that. Bergeron is now heading into the twilight of his career. Krejci retired, then unretired from the NHL to come back this year, but he's getting up there too. As is Marchand. Pastrnak doesn't have a league MVP or scoring title yet, let alone a Stanley Cup. Chara left the team in 2019 to join the Capitals before one final stint with the Islanders closed his illustrious career. The Bruins simply haven't won enough. They've drafted some high-end talent that has won elsewhere (Phil Kessel, the American hero), but they have yet to win anything in over a decade. The B's are still widely known, especially as they are setting a record in wins and points tallied in 2022-23. The appeal just isn't as strong. Like many Boston sports teams, the fanbase alienates outside fans with its toxic culture. The Bruins might've been the American hockey standard in the 70s, but the 2010s and 2020s are different.