Analyzing the Mid-Season Favourites to Win the 2024 Stanley Cup

At the All-Star break of the 2023-24 NHL season, it feels like there is a clear sense of what to expect for the rest of the year. The top teams have established themselves, and there are some clear favourites that are expected to challenge for this year’s Stanley Cup. While, of course, there is still time for teams to beat the odds, it is always interesting to check in on the league’s top contenders.

Several teams have separated themselves from the pack thus far this season. Let’s take a look at the groups that are poised to make a run to the best trophy in sports, according to the odds on popular sports betting websites.

Colorado Avalanche, +800

The favourite on most betting sites is the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche look like a force to be reckoned with. They are led by Nathan Mackinnon, who is having an incredible year and is one of the prime contenders for the Hart Trophy. But he is far from the only star on the roster, with Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen both performing at the highest of levels. The Avalanche are also proven in the postseason, having claimed a victory two years ago. It would not surprise anyone to see this team make a deep run through the Western Conference.

Edmonton Oilers, +850

Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like the Edmonton Oilers were falling apart. But this team has pulled it together in a resounding fashion. They have won 16 games in a row, putting together one of the longest win streaks in NHL history. This flipped their odds, and they are now one of the league’s top contenders. While Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will ensure this team’s offence is always a force to be reckoned with, they have been winning with defence and goaltending as well during their streak. That should scare all opponents.

Boston Bruins, +950

Many predicted a major falloff for the Boston Bruins after a disappointing exit from the 2023 postseason and the retirement of Patrice Bergeron. However, they have silenced all doubters and sent their odds skyrocketing to start the year. The Bruins are tied for the best record in the league, and they continue to play winning hockey. Their goaltending duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremey Swayman has been dominant once again, and they are getting an elite season out of David Pastrnak. They have the depth and attitude to make a run to the Stanley Cup. After a rough summer, this team will be very hungry for postseason success.

Florida Panthers, +950

The Florida Panthers shocked a lot of people by making a run to the Stanley Cup last year, but the element of surprise was gone this year. A big performance was expected, and they delivered. This is the kind of team no one enjoys playing. They are physical and mean, with guys like Matthew Tkachuk and Nick Cousins who get under opponents’ skin. Sam Reinhard is having his best year as a pro, and the goaltending has held up. The Panthers have seen improved play in recent weeks. As we move toward the postseason, their odds could improve, as they showed their mettle last year.

Carolina Hurricanes, +1000

The Carolina Hurricanes have been knocking on the doorstep for some time. They have been in the postseason for the past several years but have consistently fallen short. They will be looking to change the narrative this year and have surprisingly strong odds from Vegas here. Carolina has been solid but not dominant this season, although they have picked it up in recent weeks. They have an array of star players, including Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis. The question with this team will be whether they can make the leap and actually get the job done on the game’s biggest stage.

New York Rangers, +1100

The New York Rangers came absolutely flying out of the gate this year. They had one of the hottest starts in the NHL. They have slowed down significantly, but there is no ignoring the talent this team has, and they continue to sit atop the Metropolitan division. They have a talented forward group with Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider. And defenceman Adam Fox is one of the best in the game. Goaltending has been somewhat spotty, with superstar Igor Shesterkin not fully finding his legs. But if he manages to get going, this team could make these odds look foolish.

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The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

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Also Interesting

The bizarre story of Taro Tsujimoto

Published on March 28, 2025

Todayville Content Team

The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen its fair share of strange moments, but few compare to the bizarre and hilarious tale of Taro Tsujimoto, a player who never existed. His “selection” in the 1974 NHL Draft remains one of the most legendary pranks in hockey history. If you want to wager on actual players, making the 1xBet app download is definitely a great idea.

In the 1970s, the NHL Draft was a much less glamorous event than today. It was a tedious process conducted over the phone, with teams calling in their picks. The 3 biggest highlights of what happened during that year’s draft were:

the draft dragged on for hours;
there were multiple rounds and teams selecting unknown prospects from obscure leagues;
frustrated with the monotony, Buffalo Sabres general manager Punch Imlach decided to have a little fun.

As the 11th round approached, Imlach instructed his team’s representative to draft Taro Tsujimoto, a supposed forward from the Tokyo Katanas of the Japan Ice Hockey League. The name sounded authentic enough. The league officials, unfamiliar with Japanese hockey, accepted the pick without question. By downloading the 1xBet app you will also be able to wager on great NHL teams too.

A small problem

There was a small problem with all of this, as 2 things didn’t exist: Tsujimoto and the Tokyo Katanas. Imlach had completely fabricated the player as a joke, taking advantage of the NHL’s lack of verification. When it comes to NHL wagers, there is no better platform than the 1xBet Canada site.

For weeks, the league listed Tsujimoto as an official draft pick, and even some newspapers reported on Buffalo’s mysterious new Japanese prospect. Eventually, the Sabres admitted the hoax, and the NHL was forced to retroactively erase the selection from its records.

Despite being a fictional player, Taro Tsujimoto took on a life of his own. Buffalo Sabres fans embraced the prank, and over the years, his name has become a cult legend in hockey culture. Some fans even wore jerseys with “Tsujimoto” on the back. The joke persisted so much that when EA Sports released NHL video games, players could occasionally find Tsujimoto in the game’s draft pool as a hidden Easter egg.

More than just a prank, the story of Taro Tsujimoto highlights 2 things: the quirks of old-school sports management and the creativity of one of hockey’s most colorful executives. Today, with the draft process being highly scrutinized and broadcast live, such a prank would be impossible. But Tsujimoto’s legacy lives on as one of hockey’s greatest inside jokes. What is not a joke are the great rewards that a platform like the Canadian 1xBet site can give you.

Also Interesting

60% of Canadians gamble each month – why the industry is going from strength to strength

Published on March 26, 2025

Todayville Content Team

When it comes to regulating gambling, Canada has a somewhat relaxed approach. The Canadian Gaming Association oversees the industry, but it’s up to individual provinces to enact and enforce any laws relating to online casino gaming, sports betting, traditional casino gaming, and other forms of gambling.

Canada’s online casino gaming laws are not totally clear, but individual provinces are starting to put this right. Ontario was the first and did so when it launched its own regulated igaming market in April 2022. Now some other provinces have followed suit, creating a safer igaming environment for players in those provinces. Below is a look at gambling in Canada compared to other parts of the world, at gaming laws in Alberta compared to other provinces, and at the future of the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries.

Canada: a forever love of gambling

Gambling in some form or other has always been popular in Canada. Way back in the 1990s, research found six in ten Canadians (60%) gambled every month. Additionally, four in ten (43%) spent between 1 and 20 Canadian dollars on gambling. Fast forward to today and the Canadian gambling market is worth 14.2 billion US dollars as of January 2024, according to data on the website of consumer and market data company Statista.

It seems Canada enjoys wagering just as much as two other countries that love a gamble: the US and the UK. Data on the Statista website shows that 49% of US adults took part in gambling activities in 2023. Fifty-six percent said their attitude towards gambling had relaxed, compared to the 50% of 2019.

The UK returned similar stats for the same year. Forty-eight percent of adults reported engaging in gambling activity. Online casinos generated the most gross gambling yield in 2023, but it was the nation’s National Lottery that people played the most.

Alberta: following Ontario’s lead

The regulatory developments in Ontario have triggered movement in Alberta. In May 2024, Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Amendment Act, made it through the process and later received Royal Assent to become law. The act removes the monopoly of gaming by a single government entity and will allow private operators, licensed by Alberta’s provincial regulator, to provide online gaming services in Alberta, meaning players will have a choice of more than one Alberta online casino to play at.

The regulation transforms Alberta into one of the more liberal provinces when it comes to online gambling, others being Quebec, Ontario, and British Columbia.

Several provinces, such as Novia Scotia and Northwest Territories, have no provincially regulated online gaming sites. Some also restrict betting on horse racing and/or other types of sports betting, obliging citizens to use international betting sites for freedom from caps and betting on as many events as they wish.

What lies ahead for the Canadian, US, and UK gambling industries?

Canada’s appetite for gambling is clear, and the industry’s online sector is beginning to thrive. Ontario has enjoyed vast success by creating its own regulated market, one which, in just its first year, saw Canadians place billions in wagers and the industry itself generate more than a billion in total gaming revenue.

Canada can expect to see other provinces follow Ontario’s lead and allow private operators to provide services in the province under license. The purpose of the regulation is player protection. Any province that develops a regulated market will focus on this, so there will also be regulations around the advertising of gambling services.

The US

Gambling online is the future for the US, too, although states are slow to legalize it. As of September 2024, 38 states had legalized sports betting, following the US Supreme Court’s ruling that states could regulate sports gambling directly.

Despite allowing sports betting, some states only permit in-person betting, and only a few states allow online casino gaming. Operators believe online casino gaming is the future of gambling.

The UK

In the UK, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) will get bigger and bigger. Companies have realized AI can enhance players’ experience and are embracing it more and more. For instance, sports betting websites can use it to crunch data and provide iGamers with stats and other data to make better betting decisions. They’re also understanding they can use AI to prioritize content players are likely to be interested in and to personalize their offerings and services to players’ preferences.

Canada enjoys gambling as much as America and the UK. Although laws around igaming are more of a grey area in Canada, some provinces are clearing the issue up by creating regulated markets and experiencing great success. As time goes by, more are sure to follow.