Annual Rooting Guide for the Stanley Cup Final

Every spring, hockey fans outside the Final act like temporary consultants for the rest of the league, and this guide leans right into that chaos. The whole exercise is built around one familiar NHL habit - picking a villain, a sentimental favorite, or the team that would make everybody else miserable. That is the real draw here, because the Stanley Cup Final is never just about the two teams on the ice. It is also about 30 fan bases doing the math on who they want to see hoist the Cup.