With the Stanley Cup Final set to begin on Saturday evening, Winnipeg Jets fans are once again forced to watch the year-end finale without a dog in the fight.
Having lost in the opening round of this year's postseason to the Vegas Golden Knights, a majority of the Jets have long been back home nursing injuries, enjoying family time, travelling, and/or working on their golf games.
A lucky few were selected to represent their country at the IIHF World Championship which wrapped up this past weekend from Finland and Latvia.
Although most fail to tune into the Stanley Cup Final once it rolls around, some will be checking out the series between Vegas and the Florida Panthers.
2023 will mark a first-time Stanley Cup winner, as neither team has come away victorious in their previous Final experience (Vegas in 2018, Florida in 1996).
Sure, there are fantastic story lines for both clubs, but the real question here is what team should fans of the Jets cheer for?
For some, the answer is easy: Florida, because it is coached by former Jets head coach Paul Maurice.
For others, it's Vegas, simply because the team is an extension of the province, as four active rostered players hail from Manitoba.
Over the Golden Knights' six total NHL seasons, 11 players of Manitoba descent have suited up in action for the Golden Knights.
In 2022-23 alone, five players skated in at least one game for Vegas. On top of those 11 players all-time from Manitoba, five others with ties to the province (Logan Thompson, Jiri Patera, Laurent Brossoit, Peyton Krebs and Paul Stastney) have played for the team.
The club's current roster sees Mark Stone (Winnipeg), Keegan Kolesar (Winnipeg), Zach Whitecloud (Brandon), Brett Howden (Oakbank) and the injured Nolan Patrick (Winnipeg) all serving as key pieces with Stone as the team captain.
A quick look at Vegas' goaltending situation also points back to the middle province. Of the five rostered netminders, two have served as No. 1 starters with the Brandon Wheat Kings over the past 10 years: Logan Thompson (2014-18) and Jiri Patera (2018-20), while another (Laurent Brossoit) was the Jets backup from 2018-21.
Yes, thanks to Brossoit's injury it currently is Adin Hill leading the charge in goal, but Brossoit was instrumental in the Golden Knights' opening round win over his former mates.
Typically, that sort of roster makeup would have Manitobans cheering left, right and centre, but thanks to recent postseason failure by the hometown Jets (at the hands of Vegas in both 2018 and 2023), those demons live on within the city, foiling any sort of support.
On the flip side, it's Maurice's 42-win Panthers that found their way to the Final as an eighth seed, far before Vegas was determined to be the opponent.
Those 42 wins just so happened to be the fewest number among any postseason participant (tied with the New York Islanders), but Florida's 12 playoff victories thus far has the team set to travel to Vegas, as it will once again open its next series on the road.
Maurice, a nine-year Winnipeg resident, has now seen his Cats dismantle the NHL record-setting Boston Bruins in the opening round, then go on to drop the powerful Toronto Maple Leafs in just five games, before sweeping the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final.
Vegas is, however, the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and finished the year as the fourth-best team overall with a 51-22-9 record despite missing some critical pieces along the way.
So, all that said, there really isn't a 'perfect' answer for those interested in knowing just who to cheer for in the Final.
Whether you're Team Maurice or Team Manitoba, the series will certainly be fun. A return of the Stanley Cup to Winnipeg, however, would be enjoyable, should the Golden Knights walk away victorious. But will fans of the Jets be willing to support and cheer for the team that finished off their precious hometown squad twice in the past five years?
Time will tell.
The series kicks off on Saturday at 7:00 PM central time.