It seems like an eternity since a Canadian team last hoisted the Stanley Cup. Much has changed since the Montreal Canadiens achieved the feat in 1993, and the sports world looked a whole lot different back then too. Here’s a look at some notable facts from the time, that will make you scratch your head and realize how long it’s actually been.
The Toronto Blue Jays were coming off of their first World Series Championship
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That’s right, the Blue Jays won their first championship nearly 25 years ago. They would go on to win their second consecutive title later in the year, off of Joe Carter’s historic walk-off home run.
Gary Bettman had just begun his tenure as NHL commissioner
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Bettman had been named commissioner just a few months prior to the Canadiens' championship.
The Toronto Raptors did not exist
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The Raptors' inaugural season came in 1995, as did the Vancouver Grizzlies'.
The Dallas Cowboys were in the middle of their dynasty
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Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin were the faces of football. At 47 years old, Smith is the youngest of the three.
Deion Sanders was still playing in the NFL... and MLB
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One of the greatest multi-sport athletes in history, Sanders was a member of both Atlanta’s Falcons and Braves at the time.
Pete Sampras was ranked #1 by the ATP
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The American would go on to win Wimbledon and the U.S. Open later that year.
Did this help put into perspective how long it has actually been since the Canadiens captured their last cup? The Edmonton Oilers and Ottawa Senators are currently the only teams capable of breaking the curse this season. Otherwise, the painful streak will remarkably reach the quarter-century mark next year.
