Politics and hockey: Which NHL team is more Canadian?

So who's Canada's team in these NHL playoffs? Heritage Minister James Moore — who represents a Vancouver-area riding — had the temerity to suggest that his Vancouver Canucks were Canada's team. That brought howls from his Quebec-based political opponents who argue that the Montreal Canadiens are, of course, Canada's team. Vancouver and Montreal are, of course, the only two teams who play in Canada left in the tournament. My colleague Mike De Souza reports on the political back-and-forth.

I headed to NHL.com to check out the rosters of the teams left in the 2010 Stanley Cup tournament to see which team has the right to call itself more Canadian based on the makeup of its team.

Here's the numbers to consider:

Number of Canadians on active roster:

1. Chicago Blackhawks – 20
2. Vancouver Canucks – 18
   Philadelphia Flyers – 18
3. Pittsburgh Penguins – 16
4. San Jose Sharks – 15
5. Montreal Canadiens – 14
6. Boston Bruins – 12
7. Detroit Red Wings – 11

Percentage of Canadians on active roster:

1. San Jose Sharks – 62.5 %
2. Philadelphia Flyers – 62 %
3. Vancouver Canucks – 60 %
4. Chicago Blackhawks – 59 %
5. Montreal Canadiens – 53.8 %
6. Boston Bruins – 48 %
7. Pittsburgh Penguins – 47 %
8. Detroit Red Wings – 39 %