IN PHOTOS: Edmonton Oilers practise day before Game 1 of Stanley Cup final
See more sharing options
Send this page to someone via email
Share this item on Twitter
Share this item via WhatsApp
Share this item on Facebook
The Edmonton Oilers held practice and spoke to the media Tuesday, before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday at Rogers Place in Edmonton.
View the photo gallery below to see some scenes from the practice and media day.
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
View full screen
Previous Image
Next Image
Close Modal Gallery
Story continues below advertisement
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Global News
an hour ago
- Global News
Canadian pride or hometown star? Local fans split on rooting for Brad Marchand
Hockey fans in Brad Marchand's hometown of Hammonds Plains, N.S. are split on whether to root for his Florida Panthers or the Canadian team — the Edmonton Oilers — during this Stanley Cup final. The Oilers beat the Panthers 4-3 in Game 1 in overtime Wednesday night. Marchand scored in the second period for his fifth goal of the playoffs. At Marchand's old stomping grounds, the St. Margaret's Centre arena in Upper Tantallon, fans are torn between supporting the local guy or the Canadian team. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I'm still rooting for the Oilers, basically because they are Canadian,' said hockey fan Danny McPhee outside the sports centre located about 20 minutes from Halifax. Others, like former area MLA Ben Jessome, are proud to declare they are 'a Brad Marchand guy.' 'As much as I'd love to see the Oilers win a cup, I've been friends with Brad since we were kids. I've played with him over the years and I'm really excited to see him in another cup final and hopefully he brings it home,' said Jessome. Story continues below advertisement Marchand has a long hockey history in the Halifax-area and the Maritimes. Growing up, he played for the TASA Ducks in minor hockey, then eventually joined the QMJHL where he had stints with the Moncton Wildcats and Halifax Mooseheads. He enjoys the fanfare he receives wherever he goes and even laughs off the nicknames he's received over the years — most notably, 'rat.' 'I didn't think that one would stick. But, yeah, it's one that obviously hung around for a while,' he said during a media availability Wednesday. 'Things like that, I kind of take them more as a compliment.'
Edmonton Journal
2 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Ekholm making a difference for Edmonton Oilers in return from injury
Article content And he followed up with the tying goal in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, forcing the overtime period where Leon Draisaitl ended up scoring the 4-3 winner to give them a 1-0 series lead over the same Florida Panthers they lost to in seven games exactly one year ago. Two games. Two crucial points. Two more wins of the 16 the Oilers need to surpass the 15 from last year's near-miraculous ride. At this point, you might even say the Oilers were missing Ekholm more for his offensive prowess than the staunch defence he's known for on the team's top pairing alongside Evan Bouchard. And it would be hard to argue. Especially after watching Ekholm snap home a puck that was threaded to him on a seeing-eye pass by McDavid in the third period to knot the score 3-3, returning the favour from one game earlier. 'I don't know if he sees me or not, but it was a great pass,' Ekholm said. 'He put it on a platter for me. It was kind of one of those I have to score.
Vancouver Sun
2 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Healthy Leon Draisaitl a clear and present danger for Florida Panthers
It was dead-even. A coin toss. Anyone's game. On a night when the margins were too thin to even measure, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final was decided by one of Edmonton's unfair advantages. Leon Draisaitl. As an opponent, you can do everything right. You can play the Oilers hard, you can put them on the ropes, you can drag them into overtime and be one shot away from stealing away the home ice advantage they believe is such an important factor in this series. Then Draisaitl or Connor McDavid gets you and that's it. One of the guys you don't have an answer for ends your night. 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. Wednesday against the Florida Panthers it was Draisaitl, scoring first to set the tone 66 seconds into Game 1 and scoring last to win it with 31 seconds left in overtime. That makes it nine goals and 18 assists in 17 games and an NHL record-tying three overtime winners in these playoffs, which is pretty good considering Edmonton has only played four OT games. The best power forward in hockey, and on some nights the best player in the world, was once again a magical blend of brute force, diamond-cutter precision and assassin's nerves in taking down a seasoned Panthers team that played well enough to win. 'You can't put a number on it,' said McDavid, when asked to quantify Draisaitl's value to Edmonton's Stanley Cup quest. 'He's invaluable. He does so many good things. He's clutch. Faceoffs. You name it, he does it. And he doesn't get enough respect or credit for his defensive abilities. 'When he's dug in, there's not many better. Maybe nobody better.' There weren't any on Wednesday, that's for certain. It's been said and written about Draisaitl and McDavid so many times it must make the fans in Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver nauseous — when your best players find another gear in the playoffs, and then find another gear after that when the playoffs pressure is greatest, it's a special thing to watch. Draisaitl was that guy on the pivotal Game 1 stage. 'The way he's playing right now and the season he's had, that's as good as I've seen,' said Oilers defenceman Brett Kulak, who's glad he doesn't have to figure out a way to keep a bull like Draisaitl at bay. 'I don't think we win that game without him,' added defenceman Mattias Ekholm. 'He's a game-breaker for us, he's a game-changer for us.' He's a six-foot-two, 209-pound, four-time 50-goal scorer with 135 points in 91 playoff games who's starting to get Selke votes as top defensive forward in the league. In other words, not an easy guy to play against. If you're the Panthers, he's a clear and present danger. 'He scores the goals and the winners, and whatever, but he also does so many little things on the defensive side of the puck which, for me as a defensive defenceman, I really enjoy,' said Ekholm. 'I enjoy being out there with him because I know he's got my back.' Last year, Draisaitl was one of several Oilers who limped into the final and couldn't unleash his best. Hand and rib injuries had him fighting through the pain, producing just three assists in seven games. He didn't score a goal, didn't deliver a moment like the one he did Wednesday night. This time, he was full Draisaitl. And he was dug in. 'It feels good,' he said. 'And I think that goes for a lot of our guys. Some of our guys got pretty banged up early last year in the playoffs and, you know, the fatigue seemed to come a bit quicker. 'So it's nice to feel good and healthy, and hopefully it stays that way.' The overtime winner might be the biggest goal of his career to date — it gives Edmonton its first lead in a Stanley Cup Final series since 1990 — and it was a beauty. Evan Bouchard to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to Corey Perry to McDavid to Draisaitl for the one-timer past Sergei Bobrovsky. 'I'm standing there watching this whole thing unfold,' said Draisaitl. 'I'm the beneficiary but the work is done way before that — four really good plays in a row. ' What made it even more perfect is that his parents were in the building, seated not far from the Panthers net, and shared in the game-winning experience. 'It's everything,' Draisaitl said. 'Like any hockey parent they've sacrificed time, money,. It's special to have them here, special for them to be a part of this. It obviously worked out well that they got a front row seat.' E-mail: rtychkowski@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters . 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
