What happened when a popular Leafs' YouTuber started streaming Montreal Canadiens' playoff games? He gained some new fans — and an appreciation for what is now the last remaining Canadian team in the post-season.
For 82 games this season, Steve 'Dangle' Glynn lived, breathed and screamed in anger along with Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
But when the team that he loves — and streams about — didn't qualify for the playoffs, the popular YouTuber did something that was out of the ordinary.
He became a Habs fan.
Well, sort of.
With Toronto out, Dangle decided to jump aboard the Montreal Canadiens' bandwagon and stream their entire first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, as well as their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
The reaction from Leafs Nation was mixed, to say the least.
Some Habs fans appreciated the love that a diehard Leafs fan was giving to a rival team and even praised Dangle's attempt at trying to work in some French phrases.
Others, however, were not so complimentary.
"Dangle has y'all confused and thinking that Leafs fans would cheer for Montreal because they're Canadian? Lol," @leafguy403 wrote on X.
"If you're a Leafs fans cheering for Montreal, you aren't a Leafs fan," wrote @Harriso14352372. "I don't care if it's because 'I don't like the USA,' you simply never cheer for Montreal as a Leafs fan."
That last comment — "you simply never cheer for Montreal as a Leafs fan" — is front and center now that Edmonton and Ottawa were eliminated in the first round, leaving Montreal as the last remaining Canadian team in the playoffs.
If the Habs were to go on and win it all, Montreal would be the first Canadian team since the 1993 Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup. And while that would end a 32-year championship drought for the entire country, it raises an obvious question: would the rest of Canada celebrate alongside Montreal?
Should they?
Should national pride trump regional fandom? Should Leafs fans — or fans of the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Vancouver Canucks or Winnipeg Jets — put aside their hatred for a few weeks and jump on board the Habs bandwagon just because there's no one else left in the country to cheer for?
Even Dangle isn't so sure.
"I've never been a believer in arbitrarily cheering for the last Canadian team," said Dangle. "Lots of Canadians teams have been in the Stanley Cup final the last decade. Sometimes, I've wanted them to win. Other times, I haven't. It's personal preference."
As Dangle has experienced, it's difficult to convince longtime Leafs fans to pull a reverse of The Hockey Sweater and change colors, especially when you're talking about an Original Six rival. After all, can you imagine a New York Yankees fan cheering for the Boston Red Sox?
At the same time, all of Canada got behind the Toronto Blue Jays during last year's World Series run. While there weren't any other options, you could say the same thing about this year's NHL playoffs.
As much as you might like or dislike the Habs, it beats the alternative of having to watch yet another American-based team hoist the Stanley Cup again.
"The criticism is silly," he said of the backlash his streaming has caused among Leafs Nation, especially considering that the Steve Dangle Podcast Network has streamed non-Leafs games in past post-seasons. "I'm just trying to entertain people on the stream. I'm disappointed that the Leafs are not in the playoffs, but one silver lining is we've been able to prove that we're not a Leafs-only network."
The other silver lining is that Dangle has gained a newfound appreciation for the Habs. He's probably not alone in that regard.
Whether you're based in Montreal, Moncton or Mississauga, the images of a sold-out Bell Centre chanting "Ole! Ole! Ole!" in the first round were enough to give you chills. There simply is no better place to watch a playoff game than in Montreal. And after advancing to the second round, the Habs have shown there's a lot to like about a roster that is not just fast and skilled — but also really Canadian.
In fact, the Habs have had 14 Canadian-born players on the ice during the playoffs, including captain Nick Suzuki. That's more than Vegas (12), Buffalo (10) and any of the other eight remaining teams in the playoffs.
"I think a lot of people like this Montreal Canadiens team because they're fun to watch and the fan base is electric," said Dangle. "But you don't have to like them just because they're Canadian."
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