O O Ø O O O O
La Coupe Stanley to Québec?
1989-05-26
The federal government today announced it would award the Stanley Cup to Québec, even though the Calgary Flames from Alberta won the 1989 competition.
The Cup will go instead to the Montréal Canadiens in the province of Québec, the team which was defeated by the Flames four games to two in the best of seven series.
Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said the hockey series was “only a guideline” and not binding. He conceded that Calgary might have the best hockey team, “but we look at what’s best for Canada.”
Mulroney said the decision to award the Stanley Cup to Montréal is based on Québec’s special status as the traditional centre of hockey in Canada.
“We have to support Canada’s hockey industry, which is centred in Montréal,” said the Prime Minister. “Montréal is in the best position to take full advantage of the Stanley Cup.”
He said the decision to overrule the playoff results was “difficult and painful,” but the national interest had to prevail over petty regional considerations.
Loss of the coveted trophy left most Albertans seething with rage.
“It’s another example of Québec getting the goodies and the West getting the shaft.” said a spokesman for the stridently regionalist news magazine Alberta Report.
Western Tory MPs were not so hostile. They shuffled their feet, clenched their buttocks, pursed their lips and said nothing at all. Neither did Alberta premier Don Getty, who was golfing and unavailable for comment. However, reliable sources indicated he “seemed quite upset” and was “way off his game.”
Indignant Québec MPs who lobbied long and hard for the Stanley Cup vehemently denied that the decision had anything to do with politics.
“It’s not as if the West isn’t getting its fair share of the federal support,” sniffed Benoit Bouchard, Tory senior Québec cabinet minister. “We’ve announced the Lloydminster upgrader six or eight times. The West received the very lucrative contract for the air in the CF-18’s tires. And let’s not forget that rain for the Western farmers this spring.”
Québec industry minister Pierre Johnson dismissed Western complaints as “anti-French hysteria from Alberta dinosaurs.”
“Québec absolutely deserves this,” he said. “The Montréal Canadiens have extensive experience as Stanley Cup Champions, while the Calgary Flames have none at all. Sure, Calgary won this particular series with a couple of saves, but the Canadiens have proven themselves over the long haul.”
“If we’re denied the Stanley Cup now, it could only rejuvenate Québec separatism and threaten the integrity of all Canada.”
Saskatchewan’s Tory premier Grant Devine said sending the cup to Québec “seems fair enough.”
Devine claimed “Ottawa has done plenty for the West. Just look at the Dundurn army base. They could have shut it down, but they didn’t. They let Swift Current keep the Memorial Cup. And there’s a darn good chance we’ll keep our Via Rail service too.”
Mel Hurtig blamed it all on free trade.
Québec Premier Robert Bourassa was delighted to see the Cup go to Montréal. He said the trophy will be re-engraved with its new name La Coupe Stanley to comply with Québec’s sign laws.