- Cole Caufield called the Canadiens “Canada’s favorite team” after the Heritage Classic
- ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski called the comment “a gift to the discourse”
- Read below for Caufield’s full quote and the Larkin trade chatter around it
Cole Caufield called the Canadiens “Canada’s favorite team” after Sunday’s Heritage Classic, and the country has been arguing about it ever since.
The Habs winger had two assists in the 2-1 win over the Jets at Princess Auto Stadium. TNT’s Jackie Redmond caught him on the ice afterward, and Caufield talked about the Montreal fans who made the trip to Winnipeg.
“Best fans in the league, they travel very well,” Caufield said. “We might be Canada’s favorite team. You can tell by tonight. Very lucky to play in these games, super fun.”
Watch the clip from NHL on TNT:
Caufield set up both Montreal goals, one for Lane Hutson and one for Kaiden Guhle. Jacob Fowler stopped 33 shots to hold off Winnipeg, and you can find the full breakdown in our Heritage Classic recap.
The quote spread fast. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski reacted within minutes of the clip going up.
Fans of the Maple Leafs, Oilers and Jets have probably already filed their objections. Montreal supporters will point to 24 Stanley Cups and a crowd that turned a Winnipeg stadium into a home game.
The comment also landed with Dylan Larkin trade talk still swirling. Some Habs fans took it as a recruiting pitch. Caufield never mentioned Larkin, though, and he was talking about the crowd. We covered the latest on that situation in our Larkin trade story.
Caufield is playing like a guy who likes where he is. He has six goals and 10 points in 11 games with a plus-4 rating, and Montreal sits at 6-3-2 after four straight games with a point.
The Canadiens visit the Blues on Tuesday and the Stars on Thursday. Expect the “favorite team” line to follow them around both stops.
