Stephen Harper won't admit to rooting for a particular NHL team. He was born in Toronto, lived in Calgary and rules Ottawa. In typical political style, he realizes that deciding on a favourite will upset a large portion of voters. He's happily assumed his perch on the fence.
On Wednesday night, he and his son attended the Leafs ~ Sens game at the ACC. As James mentioned, he was caught wildly (for him, it was wild) celebrating Mats Sundin's goal on a penalty shot. In that moment, we caught a glimpse of an unguarded Prime Minister, reacting with his gut and not at the mercy of his spin doctors.
It's known that Harper's son is a Leafs fan. It's not a far stretch to assume pops feels the same way. The fact is, there was no blue in the T.Dot following the last federal election. Twenty Toronto seats when to the Liberals and the three others went to the NDP. Perhaps Harper feels rooting for the Leafs will help him gain some ground in the GTA and the rest of Southern Ontario?
Of course, there's a dangerous flip-side to that strategy. Many out west root for the Flames, Oilers or Canucks. If Harper is revealed as a Leafs fan, he may be alienating his base. If they think he's gone Toronto, he's in big trouble. The rest of Canada hates Toronto, or so I've been told.
I choose to believe that we caught our very first glimpse of the man in a natural state. He was very happy to see the blue and white pot a goal against the Sens and he pumped his fist in delight. I can dislike the man's politics, but I've gotta respect that passion for Canada's team.
