CALGARY, Alberta, 30 May 2004 — The Stanley Cup finally returns to Canada yesterday when the Calgary Flames face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the NHL Championship ending a decade of frustration.

The Flames, the Great White North’s hope, limped back to Calgary under the cover of darkness on Thursday evening licking their wounds after being thumped 4-1 by the Lightning in Tampa, leveling the best-of-seven series at a game apiece.

However, the sun rose brightly over the Prairies on Friday morning and along with it the optimism of Calgarians as they prepared to host this hockey-obsessed nation’s first Stanley Cup game since 1994.

They are a mix of Americans, Europeans and Canadians but the Flames are now Canada’s team, with fans from Victoria to Newfoundland rallying their support around the Flaming-C as they attempt to become the first Canadian team to sip champagne from Lord Stanley’s mug since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

Certainly there is no confusing the importance of hockey’s Holy Grail in the national psyche of the countries.

Game One of the finals on Tuesday produced the lowest television ratings for a Stanley Cup contest in the United States since 1990.

In contrast, the same game — a 4-1 Calgary win — was the second highest rated NHL-game ever on CBC pulling in over three million viewers.

While Stanley Cup fever in Tampa seems confined to the St. Petes Times Forum, hysteria has gripped nearly every corner of this city of 900,000 and spread across much of the country.

In parts of French-speaking Quebec some hockey fans have sided with native sons and Lightning stars Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis but in Calgary there are no divided loyalties.

Team flags seem to flutter from every passing car while huge banners hang for office buildings and home offer the same message “Go Flames”.

Over 19,000 Flames supporters filled the Saddledome on Thursday to watch Game Two on giant television screens, just 3,000 less than the record crowd that attended the contest in Tampa.

Stores cannot keep Flames sweaters in stock while touts are asking for up to $2,400 for a pair of $330 tickets to Game Three.

For those without tickets, an area around the arena has become known as the Red-Mile, party central for Flames fans and a no-go zone for Lightning supporters.

In a very real way, the Red-Mile runs well beyond Calgary city limits.

When Calgary captured the Western Conference and advanced to their first Stanley Cup final in 15-years Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin was among the first to phone offering congratulations.

With a federal election called for next month, Martin was in Calgary on Friday and so was Conservative leader Stephen Harper, both wearing Flames jerseys campaigning for the “hockey dad vote”.

Flames fans are expecting to get little sleep over the next four days and hope to make sure the Lightning get the same.

During the Western Conference final against the San Jose Sharks a local Calgary radio station hired six tractor-trailers to park in front of the Tampa hotel at 6 a.m. and honk their horns.

Extra police have been stationed around Lightning hotel to keep fans from disrupting players’ sleep.

“It’s a great atmosphere,” Flames captain Jarome Iginla said.

“It was a very big game, last game, and it’s a very big one coming up.”

Flames Would Fight Tyson for Stanley Cup

The Calgary Flames say they are prepared to do whatever it takes to bring the Stanley Cup home to Canada, even fight Mike Tyson.

The Flames face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the best-of-seven series that has turned decidedly ill-tempered following several ugly skirmishes at the end of Game Two.

With the series level at a game apiece and nerves fraying, the bad blood has upped the intensity level several notches for contest, the first Stanley Cup game held on Canadian ice since 1994 and being played in front of a frenzied capacity crowd at the Saddledome.

“I know what our team is willing to do to win the Cup,” said the Flames’ Andrew Ference during Friday’s practice. “Throw Mike Tyson out there and I’m sure somebody would fight him for the cup because we want it. “You dangle that in front of somebody’s nose and they are going to do a lot to take it. I know especially the guys on our team will.”