A Canadian team hasn't lifted a Stanley Cup since Montreal won it all in 1993. That's not going to change in 2023.
Three of the seven Canadian teams in the NHL made the playoffs this season, but none advanced past the second round. That may leave the Canadian crowd looking for a team to pull for in the Stanley Cup Final between Vegas and Florida.
Now, fans from Canada likely won't be pleased with either remaining option. The Golden Knights knocked off the Jets in the first round, then dismissed the Oilers in the second. The Panthers defeated the Maple Leafs in the second round.
However, if fans from Canada simply want to root for fellow Canadians, then look no further than the team with the most players from the country, which happens to be the Golden Knights.
MORE: Golden Knights vs. Panthers Stanley Cup Final preview for 2023 NHL playoffs
The Sporting News looks at the Vegas roster and how many Canadians play for the team.
How many Canadians are on the Golden Knights?
According to NHL.com, there are currently 19 players born in Canada that are on the Vegas' playoff roster. It is the most out of any of the teams that played in the 2023 postseason.
Almost the entire blue line for Vegas, which consists of eight players, is made up of Canadians, with the lone exception being Alec Martinez, who hails from Michigan. Three of the team's five goaltenders — which is excluding Robin Lehner — are from Canada, with Jonathan Quick (USA) and Jiri Patera (Czech Republic) as the non-Canadians.
Rosters are expanded for the playoffs, so not every player currently listed would normally be on Vegas' roster. However, that doesn't change the Canadian influence in Vegas.
When the season began, the Golden Knights were tied with, ironically, the Canadiens for the most players from Canada on the roster with 17.
There are five Americans on the roster. In addition to Quick and Martinez, Jack Eichel, Phil Kessel and Paul Cotter are from the USA.
Additionally, there are only four players on the roster that aren't from North America: William Karlsson (Sweden), Teddy Blueger (Latvia), Ivan Barbashev (Russia) and Patera.
Golden Knights by province
Out of the 19 Canadians on the Vegas roster, Ontario is the province with the most representation.
There are five players that come from Ontario, all hailing from different locations. There are also players from Quebec, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
| Province | # of Players |
| Ontario | 5 |
| Quebec | 3 |
| British Columbia | 3 |
| Manitoba | 3 |
| Saskatchewan | 3 |
| Alberta | 2 |
