A lament for the Stanley Cup drought that has left Canada dry

The odds of Stanley Cup glory now heavily favor teams based in U.S. cities, which outnumber Canadian franchises 25 to 7. The NHL salary cap has also evened the playing field, making it impossible to build a dynasty such as Montreal’s, when the team had several future Hall of Famers on the roster every year. NHL franchises in the sunshine states can be very appealing to top free agents — especially in Florida, where there is no state income tax. The weather is also hard to beat, and there isn’t the sort of pressure that comes with playing in a Canadian city, where every move, both on and off the ice, is scrutinized by fans and media. The best players tend to stay put.