With the Canucks missing the playoffs this year and "our" coach Alain Vigneault now leading the charge for the New York Rangers, I've noticed that a lot of folks in Vancouver are now cheering for this Eastern team. As Charlie Smith recently WROTE in the Straight, "Alain might finally win a Stanley Cup, but not in Vancouver", which is nice. The dude did a lot of good for the Canucks while he was here and it would be nice to see him lead a team to the Cup... but not this year.
This year I look forward to seeing our friend, Port McNeill BC native, 2012 BC Athlete of the Year, Willie Mitchell, hoist the Stanley Cup over his head... again! If you follow closely you'll know that I make NO SECRET of the fact that I cheer for the Kings (when I'm not cheering for the Canucks). It's partly because I lived in LA for 5 years and they became my team there, but it's mostly because of Willie. He's a former Canuck, a part-time Vancouver resident, and he's passionate about something I also care a lot about: the future of wild salmon in our province. He's a vocal advocate for them, is on the Solutions Advisory Committee for SAVE OUR SALMON and is a big supporter of the sustainable, closed containment salmon farm that the Namgis first nation is operating on Vancouver Island. When Willie holds the Cup it's a victory for conservationists everywhere.
So what's with the donuts, you ask? Earlier in the playoffs I won the dozen pictured above off of Erik Rolfsen from the Province newspaper when he bet against the Kings with me. I've got another wager going whereby Michelle da Silva from the Georgia Straight will be ponying up a half dozen pastries if the Kings win. If the Rangers win, I'll deliver a dozen to the offices of the Straight. Of course that's not going to happen. I'm heading out on a road trip to Los Angeles to catch Game 5 this Friday (if there is one) so if you're reading this Michelle, please hold off on buying me my donuts til I'm back in Vancouver with my "LA KINGS - STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS 2014" t-shirt next week.
