Canadian teams hit rock bottom in NHL

For the first time since 1973, there is just one Canadian team in the NHL postseason. The Montreal Canadiens represent the nation’s only hope of ending a 21-year Stanley Cup drought, and that’s a long shot.

Across the rest of the country, disappointment reigns.

“It’s not fun, for sure,” said Calgary Flames forward Mike Cammalleri, who spent parts of three seasons with Montreal. “The players on the team, I can tell you for sure, feel it. It weighs a lot on you, no doubt.

“That’s part of also what makes it so special to play in a Canadian market. When it goes the other way, there’s no more rewarding feeling.”

Playoff hopes slipped away at different times during the 2013-14 season for the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames, culminating Tuesday night when the Leafs were the final team eliminated.

Change has already come for some clubs and more is on the way. Flames general manager Jay Feaster, Canucks GM Mike Gillis and Jets coach Claude Noel have already lost their jobs as part of this lost season.

And already, Vancouver hired Trevor Linden and Toronto brought in Brendan Shanahan to oversee what comes next.

The biggest collapse has been by the Canucks.

All seemed well at the start of 2014 for the perennial contenders who came within one win of capturing the Stanley Cup two seasons ago. Daniel and Henrik Sedin had new four-year contract extensions, and a 10-1-2 December had Vancouver in playoff position.

Then the bottom fell out. Seven losses in eight games to start January brought signs of trouble. Mercurial coach John Tortorella’s infamous attempt to enter the Flames’ locker room after a brawl made things worse.

In March, Gillis blamed injuries and the locker room incident for the Canucks’ free fall that also included trading goaltender Roberto Luongo to Florida less than a year after sending Cory Schneider to New Jersey.

Now Gillis is gone and Linden must pick up the pieces.

For now, other than in Montreal, Canada is the Not So Great White North on the hockey landscape.