Stanley Cup Finals

The Bruins are going to the Stanley Cup Finals. But this is the matchup I least wanted.

I like the Vancouver Canucks. Growing up, the Bruins were (and always will be) my favorite team. But I've always had a casual affinity for two other teams -- the Hartford Whalers (because they were still New England) and the Vancouver Canucks.

Because the Canucks were that team I could identify with as a long-suffering Boston sports fan. Vancouver was generally a bad team that would have a great season once a decade, only to lose to a team, I hated (New York Islanders, Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers).

Generally, fate seems to feed off of my hatred of other teams, pitting my Boston teams in their respective league finals against teams I can't stand -- Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bears, New York Mets, Edmonton Oilers, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants. But this time, fate has thrown me for a loop. If the Bruins lose to Vancouver, that would ordinarily constitute instant and henceforth permanent lifetime hatred toward the Canucks. But I'm not sure I can hate them, no matter what the outcome.

Hopefully, that's a positive sign, a sign that I won't need to bother learning to hate the Canucks. Go Bruins!