logo
The Edmonton Oilers are... America's team?

The Edmonton Oilers are... America's team?

Yahoo7 hours ago

Sunrise, Fla. — Sonya Gabriel grew up in Alberta. but she has called Florida home for the past 25 years.
Wearing 1990s-era copper and blue Oilers' throwback jerseys, Gabriel and her husband, Sam, walked towards Amerant Bank Arena ahead of the faceoff of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
But, there's a little more to this story. Gabriel grew up in Alberta, all right. As in Calgary, Alberta. Does she still have family there? Is her love for the Oilers a dirty secret?
'I do have family there,' she said. 'They all know I'm here.
'I've always loved the Oilers, since I was a kid. Since the Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Fuhr times.'
Her husband has only gotten into hockey over the past couple of years. Let's face it, the guy had absolutely no choice when it came to which team he was going to support.
'I've really been getting into it,' he said.
Will they be back for Game 4?
'We'll see about Game 4,' said Sonya. 'We'll see how they do tonight.'
The Gabriels are just part of the group of Oilers fans from across America who have travelled to Sunrise, Fla. for Game 3.
Jay McIntyre and his son, Kyle, are rabid hockey fans from Philadelphia.
'We're every NHL team's fan,' said Jay (Just not the Flyers or Panthers, it seems). 'We've actually been to 23 venues. We were actually going to go to Rogers Place this year, but we couldn't make it.'
'Watching games that come from there, they just look so cool,' said Kyle.
Getting to Edmonton is task No.1 left on their hockey bucket list, though.
'I want to see McDavid lift the Cup for the first time,' said Kyle. 'The Panthers have already won it last year, so I'm, like, meh. It's somebody else's turn.'
'I wanted to see them win last year,' said Jay. 'But I'm here to watch them this year.'
Shelly Shively is from Elk Rapids, Michigan. She arrived at the arena wearing an Oilers home blue jersey. The Red Wings? Not her thing.
She became an Oilers fan in 1987, during the Rendez-Vous series, which saw an NHL All-Star Team face the Soviet national side.
'A friend of mine was already a hockey fan, and she asked me, 'Pick your player,'' Shively said. 'So I picked my player, and it was Mark Messier. So, the next day, I looked in the paper to see who he played for.'
And an Oilers fan was born. See, Messier's icy cold stare was actually endearing to some people.
She's been to Edmonton to cheer on the team. And she's feeling good about the series. And, maybe, if things turn bad for the Oilers, she can aim an icy stare towards the visiting team's bench in order to get them to pick things up
Why is the NHL tilted in Florida's favour? Lightning, Panthers hold six-year run on Eastern Conference dominance
The long trek to Sunrise from Edmonton to cover the Oilers-Panthers final
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post, and 13 other Canadian news sites. The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds, tips and betting trends - June 12, 2025
Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds, tips and betting trends - June 12, 2025

USA Today

time30 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds, tips and betting trends - June 12, 2025

Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds, tips and betting trends - June 12, 2025 Tune in to see Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on TNT when the Edmonton Oilers visit the Florida Panthers. The Panthers lead 2-1 in the series. Florida earned a 6-1 victory at home its last time out on June 9 against the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton played on the road in its last game on June 9, and fell 6-1 against the Florida Panthers. Here is everything you need to prepare for this Stanley Cup Final contest. Stream NHL games and originals all season long on ESPN+! Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers odds and betting lines NHL odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Tuesday at 1:51 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub. Favorite: Panthers (-149) Panthers (-149) Underdog: Oilers (+124) Oilers (+124) Over/under: 6.5 Watch the NHL on Fubo! Panthers stats and trends Florida has won 49 of its 81 games as a favorite this season. Through 57 games with moneyline odds lower than -149 this season, the Panthers have been victorious 35 times. The moneyline odds say Florida has a 59.8% chance of winning this game. Florida has combined with its opponent to score more than 6.5 goals in 43 of 102 games this season. Over the past 10 games, the Panthers have claimed 80.0% of the possible points with a 7-2-1 record. They have averaged 4.1 goals per game (41 total) during that stretch. On the defensive end, the Panthers have given up 20 goals (2.0 per game) in those 10 matchups. Oilers stats and trends

‘Not our best': Undisciplined Oilers thumped 6-1 by Panthers in ugly Game 3
‘Not our best': Undisciplined Oilers thumped 6-1 by Panthers in ugly Game 3

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

‘Not our best': Undisciplined Oilers thumped 6-1 by Panthers in ugly Game 3

SUNRISE - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had the puck with Sergei Bobrovsky at his mercy. The Oilers forward — an injury question mark coming into Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final — fired high and wide of the Panthers' goal with his team enjoying an early power play. It was about as good as things would get for Edmonton on an ugly Monday night that saw Florida dominate in picking up a resounding 6-1 victory to grab a 2-1 lead in the NHL title series. 'Not our best,' Oilers captain Connor McDavid said of his team's performance. 'I don't think our best has shown up all series long, but it's coming.' It better happen quick. A knife-edged matchup through 8 1/2 periods — a 4-3 Edmonton overtime victory and a 5-4 Florida triumph in double OT — didn't follow the same pattern after shifting from Alberta's capital to Sunrise's stifling heat. 'We didn't play very well, that's evident,' said Oilers winger Evander Kane, who took a pair of penalties in the first period. 'We have nobody to blame but ourselves.' Brad Marchand scored 56 seconds after puck drop to send Amerant Bank Arena into an early frenzy before that man-advantage chance where Nugent-Hopkins ripped that puck off the glass. The Oilers were undisciplined from there with three minor penalties in the offensive zone and another for too many men on the ice before the first intermission. The Panthers finally made the visitors pay when Carter Verhaeghe went bar down on Stuart Skinner. Corey Perry cut the deficit in half 100 seconds into the middle period on a power play as Edmonton briefly showed signs of life, but a turnover by Oilers defenceman John Klingberg led to Sam Reinhart making it 3-1. Sam Bennett then crushed Edmonton winger Vasily Podkolzin to create a turnover that led to his own breakaway goal before Aaron Ekblad and Evan Rodrigues rounded out the scoring on man advantages in the third. The Oilers played into the Panthers' hands all night, coming unhinged with scuffles after the whistle — something they had largely avoided through two games. Florida, which defeated Edmonton in seven to capture the franchise's first championship 12 months ago, showed again why its roster is littered with players adept at straddling or crossing the officiating line. And, from the Oilers' perspective, the calls have been tilted in the Panthers' favour. 'They seem to get away with it more than we do,' Kane said of the gamesmanship. 'It's tough to find the line. They're doing just as much stuff as we are … there seems to be a little bit more attention on our group.' Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch, whose team felt there should have been a too-many-men penalty on Florida in extra time of Game 2, had a biting take on the refereeing so far in the series. '(Wes McCauley and Francis Charron) did an outstanding job,' he said of Monday's officiating crew. 'They even caught the too-many-men penalty in the first period, which was too many men. 'They caught us there. I just wish they had been calling the game in Game 2 in overtime.' Skinner said it won't be difficult to flush the result. 'It's one game,' the netminder said after getting the hook following Florida's fifth goal on 23 shots. 'They could've beat us 12-0 and it's the same result. It's still just 2-1 (in the series). 'It might feel a little bit harder just because we weren't in the game, but it doesn't change how we're going to respond.' Both teams pivoted to message-sending mode in the third period, including a long fight between Edmonton defenceman Darnell Nurse and Florida forward Jonah Gadjovich. 'Boys being boys,' Knoblauch said. 'Just trying to make investments for the next game.' McDavid said his group can, if necessary, match the Panthers' physical style moving forward. 'We feel like we can play any game,' he said. 'When the game's out of hand, you're going to see that stuff.' Edmonton now has 48 hours to regroup before Game 4 on Thursday. 'You go back home at 2-2 or down 3-1 … it's a big swing,' said McDavid, whose team will host Game 5 on Saturday. 'It's a pivotal game. There's no doubt about it.' The Oilers will need a lot more — offence, discipline and composure — in a contest that could go a long way in determining if their Cup script is any different this time around. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 9, 2025.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store