'Want to win for the fans': Edmonton Oilers thrive under pressure of hockey-mad city

National Post

22-05-2025

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Ever want to know what it feels like to be inside of zoo exhibit? What it would feel like to be an otter, looking at kids pressed up against the glass surrounding your enclosure?
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Be inside Hall of Fame Room at Rogers Place after a playoff win. When the Edmonton Oilers arrive for the post-game press conference, the blinds are lifted, and fans on 104 Avenue get as close to the glass as they can. They can see the reporters, seated in rows, as the players wait on the stage to answer questions. For the journalists inside, it's hard to hear the players' answers over the chanting and banging coming from just outside the window.
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All that's missing is a sign that reads, 'Do not bang on the glass, as it scares the reporters.' Or, 'Please don't throw food at the reporters.'
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The post-game news conferences, and the fan hulabaloo that surrounds them, is just a sign of how much the Oilers mean to Edmontonians. And it's also a sign of why there's so much pressure on the shoulders of the players who wear the blue and orange.
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'I think the pressure is higher than it's ever been,' said Chris Joseph, who played with the Oilers from 1987-1994. 'I think that's because it's such a high-profile game, now. There's so much money at stake. Edmonton has a bit of a history with Cups, the pressure is higher now than it was even in our era, the '80s and '90s.'
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And dealing with the pressure and outside noise is a balancing act. Take current Oilers defenceman John Klingberg, who loves the fact the fans here care so much, but also puts limits on how much he exposes himself to the outside world.
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Klingberg's X account has almost 26,000 followers. He has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram.
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If his tens of thousands of online fans have been waiting for him to update his accounts, they shouldn't hold their collective breath. Klingberg hasn't 'xeeted' since 2022. There hasn't been a fresh Instagram post since September of 2023.
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The veteran defenceman played most of his career in Dallas, where the Stars would be pushed to the back of the sports section if the Cowboys signed a backup punter. He had brief stints in Anaheim and Minnesota.
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But his social media silence coincided with his move to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and has continued through his Edmonton tenure. That's because playing pro hockey in Canada is different. The pressure is intense, and it grows exponentially during the playoffs. So Klingberg made a conscious decision to tune out as much of the noise as possible.
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'Let me tell you, I know that there is pressure in Canada,' said Klingberg as the Oilers prepared to face Dallas in the Western Conference final. 'Especially in Edmonton and Toronto. But I haven't used my social media in two years, so I am blocking the noise.'