Edmonton Oilers return to the scene of their greatest heartbreak
SUNRISE, FLA. — Is there a song you can't bear to listen to because it reminds you of someone from your past? Is there a restaurant that reminds you of a happier time with a person who later ripped your heart out and fed it to you? What about that one coach whom you never forgave for cutting you from the team back in junior high?
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Imagine those scars, amplified.
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We all watched the videos that came from the visitors' dressing room at Amerant Bank Arena after the Oilers' one-goal loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup final. There were tears. Anger. Promises that they'd be back to challenge for the Cup. It's telling that the videos of the Oilers in pain became the most-remembered images from Game 7, not of the Panthers skating around the ice with the Cup. Connor McDavid deciding to stay in the dressing room rather than skate back onto the ice to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy was a big deal, whether you sympathize with the player or not.
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And, now, after splitting the first two games of the 2025 Cup final at Rogers Place, the Oilers are back in Sunrise, Fla. Back in the place where they shed their tears.
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Defenceman Mattias Ekholm said it's fitting that the team is back in Florida in June.
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'It's obviously for the right reasons,' he said. 'It feels good.'
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And he said players can't hide from the strong emotions that the Cup brings.
'That's what this is. That's what everybody feels. Everybody cares in there. This is what everybody wants, it's the ultimate.'
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The Oilers played in Florida in late February, losing 4-3 as part of a four-game swoon that followed the Four Nations. But the trip to South Florida allowed the Oilers to exorcise a lot of the demons. They used that same dressing room.
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It's no longer time to look back, said Ekholm.
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'And I think everybody is so focused, it doesn't matter what room we walk into,' said Ekholm. 'We just focus on the task at hand.'
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Coach Kris Knoblauch said that even if the Oilers win in 2025, it won't avenge the 2024 loss. While winning the Cup this season is the goal, it doesn't ease the pain of last year. So, you can't apply the famed Klingon proverb 'revenge is a dish best served cold' to this series, because it's not about that. Each year is taken in isolation, just as a successful team knows how to prepare for each game in isolation. As well, these aren't the exact same rosters from last year. Both teams added and subtracted. And, for some of the Oilers who left the team after 2024, they might never get back to the final.
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'But I think everyone's focus is on this season. But, no matter what happens, I don't think that changes or helps anything. It's just that we're in a new stage of our season or path, and we're just focused on what we need to do.'
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Winnipeg Free Press
35 minutes ago
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an hour ago
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Here's your Calder Cup cheat sheet. The Abbotsford Canucks and the Charlotte Checkers square off in the AHL's version of the Stanley Cup Finals starting Friday at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, N.C. The best-of-seven set shifts to the Abbotsford Centre on Tuesday, starting with Game 3. Here's all you need to know about the match-up between the top farm teams of the Vancouver Canucks and Florida Panthers. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Game 1 goes Friday at Bojangles (affectionately known as The BOplex) with a 4 p.m. Pacific time start. Game 2 is there Sunday (1 p.m.), before the series moves to Abbotsford for Game 3 on Tuesday (7 p.m.), Game 4 on Thursday (7 p.m.), and then, if necessary, Game 5 on Saturday (6 p.m.). If required, Games 6 and 7 would be June 23 (4 p.m.) and June 25 (4 p.m.) back in North Carolina. The Checkers' announced attendance average in the regular season was 6,964. Abbotsford was 4,152. The Canucks had an announced crowd of 6,983 for the 4-2 win over the visiting Texas Stars on Sunday that advanced Abbotsford to the final. How we're stacking up against the Checkers in the Finals ⬇️ The trophy was first handed out at the end of the AHL's inaugural season in 1936-37, and went to the Syracuse Stars after they beat the Philadelphia Ramblers in four games in a best-of-five finals. The league was eight teams back then. It's 32 now. The trophy is named after Frank Calder. 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FloHockey announced Wednesday morning that they are streaming Game 1 on Friday for free on YouTube, as well as Facebook and X. You'll need to subscribe to FloHockey to stream the reminder of the series . They list a monthly subscription for $39.99. Check out their website for more details, though. Sportsnet 650 has also been carrying the series on the radio. The Canadian Brewhouse in Abbotsford (3122 Mount Lehman ) hosted watch parties in the last round for the away games and plans to do the same again. There is bound to be other spots willing to put the game on the big screen. Check with your favourite establishment. The AHL Store online has a full selection of Western Conference and Calder Cup. There's also a team store at the Abbotsford Centre . @SteveEwen sewen@
