The NHL season is now more than halfway done
January the thirteenth was the date when it first begun
Fifty six games scheduled for each team to play
Final encounter to be played on the eighth day of May
There have been postponements of matches here and there
They will do their best to reschedule them all, just to be fair
July ninth is the latest day this campaign could end
Tampa Bay holds the title and has to defend
If they triumph, I find it weird, for this very reason
They would be champions back to back for two shortened seasons
The league at the start had to make a decision
In order to reduce traveling they made new divisions
When things were finally set and all put in order
The eight Canadian teams were united north of the border
This is now our Country’s best chance like it or not
Thanks to this setup we now have a one in four shot
If we prove competitive and with a little luck
We’ll have our first team in the finals since the Vancouver Canucks
Ten years ago that was their claim to fame
Unfortunately they lost four to nothing to the Bruins in the seventh game
Montreal Canadiens are the last team to hear the victorious cheers
In case you are keeping count, it’s now been a total of twenty eight years
It is now our best opportunity to finally reclaim
This isn’t just another sport, it’s our national game
There is a Canadian team playing almost every night
The franchises are competitive and the rivalry is tight
Toronto is in first with Winnipeg and Edmonton tied for second place
Montreal is now in fourth but don’t count them out of the race
Any team can win on any given night
To come out on top of this group will take quite a fight
Whoever succeeds will represent us well
There really is no favorite from what I can tell
Your guess is good as mine on who it will be
Who will prevail? We all have to wait and see
It will be curious when we get to the final four
These teams haven’t played each other before
Just that fact alone holds so much intrigue
That it will be the first time these competitors will meet in this league
This being a condensed season, I feel some regret
But the playoffs coming up could be the best yet
Still we have over twenty games left in the regular season
You have to win as much as you can for that very reason
In all professional sports, winning the Stanley Cup is the biggest chore
Once you complete the season, you have to win sixteen more
As an athlete it is a arduous test
That only proves you are the best of the best
The ones who prevail are truly the cream of the crop
Keep your fingers crossed that a team from Canada ends up on top
The Black Sheep Poet 