VANCOUVER — While Bruins fans pine for the return of the Stanley Cup to Boston for the first time since 1972, the nation of Canada is pulling for the Canucks to become the first Canadian team to win it since Montreal in 1993.
Over in Germany, they'll be happy either way. The Germans have both sides covered, and regardless of who wins this Cup Final, there will finally be a second German name inscribed on hockey's most hallowed prize as the matchup will pit Boston blueliner Dennis Seidenberg against fellow German Christian Ehrhoff, a defenseman for the Canucks.
"There's going to be a second German Stanley Cup champion after Uwe Krupp," Ehrhoff said after his club's practice at Rogers Arena on Monday. "That's definitely very special for German hockey, and hopefully it's going to be me."
Krupp won the Cup with Colorado in 1996, and this year another German will finally join him. "It's definitely something German hockey can be proud of," Ehrhoff said.
Sports fans back in Germany will have some divided loyalties in this series. They'll also have to split their attention, as another German athlete could soon take home a ring with Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
"They're very interested right now, and obviously with Dirk Nowitzki playing in the NBA Finals, there's definitely a lot of interest in U.S. sports right now," Ehrhoff said. "Right now they're getting pushed into the center of attention more and more and it's definitely fun."
Ehrhoff hails from Moers, while Seidenberg is from Schwenningen. That doesn't exactly make them neighbors, at least by German standards, but they have formed a friendship over the years.
"For North Americans it's probably near," Ehrhoff said of the pair's hometowns. "It's about four hours, but for us it's far away."
Still, Ehrhoff and Seidenberg have spent more time playing alongside each other than against one another, but they'll put that friendship aside for the next couple weeks with a Stanley Cup on the line.
"He's only one year older than I am and I played with him on the junior national teams," Ehrhoff said. "He was my [defense] partner at the Olympics last year, so we know each other very well.
"When we play against each other we try to go for dinner or for coffee or something," Ehrhoff added.
"We talk a little bit during the season, but right now we're just focused on our team and we'll talk after the series is done."
