'Home away from home': Edmonton Oilers fans flock to Trolley 5 to watch Stanley Cup Final
Article content
Waitstaff hustled to find seats for their customers, but people were patient, jovial even. Dressed in orange and blue jerseys — the colours of the Edmonton Oilers — it was shaping up to be a promising night.
Article content
Article content
It's the first game of the Stanley Cup Final and the Oilers are set to play against the Florida Panthers. For longtime fans of the Oilers, this marks an especially emotional milestone — and the best place in town to celebrate? Trolley 5 Brewpub.
Article content
Article content
'It makes you feel like you're home,' Heather Johnstone said.
Article content
Article content
Having grown up in Edmonton, Johnstone said she has always been an Oilers fan and brought her friends Dominique Mellafont and Jordan Aravena into the fold recently. The three sat in a corner on the first floor of the pub, all wearing Oilers colours, snacking on wings and beers.
Article content
It was Aravena's idea to watch the game at the pub, having watched the playoffs there a month ago. 'It was just full of energy,' she said. 'Like nothing you've ever seen before in a bar. Everyone's cheering, everyone's friends with each other. Just unbelievable energy.'
Article content
For Johnstone, the idea of watching the game at a bar surrounded by other Oilers lends a nostalgic comfort to the experience. 'It gives Oilers fans confidence to come out,' she said. 'I don't usually wear my jersey out there, unless I'm surrounded by other Oilers.
Article content
Article content
'We're like a family.'
Article content
Article content
Trolley 5 has in recent years become an unofficial haven for Oilers fans in a city renowned for its loyalty towards the Calgary Flames, the Oilers' longtime rival. With reservations made more than two weeks out, the pub is often packed on nights when the games are on, with goers boldly dressed in their jerseys, cheering the team on on televisions hanging from every corner.
Article content
Walking into the pub Wednesday would find waitstaff wearing the jerseys and blue pom poms placed on the tables for customers on the upper floor.
Article content
Pub owner Ernie Tsu wore his own jersey and cap. He's a fan of both the Oilers and the Flames, he said. 'I was born and raised in (Calgary), but I love my province, it's as simple as that.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
20 minutes ago
- CTV News
Panthers look to even the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers in Game 2
Florida Panthers' Seth Jones (3) and Edmonton Oilers' Vasily Podkolzin (92) battle for the puck during the second period in Game 1 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Edmonton, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. EDMONTON — Trailing the Stanley Cup Final after losing the opener in overtime, the defending champion Florida Panthers look to even things up in Game 2 at the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. Winning on the road has not been a problem for them so far, going 8-3 away from home, the third loss coming Wednesday on Leon Draisatl's power-play goal following a puck-over-the-glass penalty on Tomas Nosek. The task of going into a packed, loud arena is just another challenge the Panthers are embracing. 'It's that 'us against the world' mindset, but you really feel it especially being down in a series,' winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'Us against the 20-plus guys you're playing against, the 20,000 that are in the rink, the 20,000 that are outside the rink. It's just us against everybody. That's what makes playing on the road so fun and rewarding when you can get a win.' If they do, it will wrestle home-ice advantage away from the Oilers with play shifting to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4 next week. One of the toughest parts of being on the road is trying to defend Draisaitl and Connor McDavid when they're on the ice together. Coach Kris Knoblauch did that some late in Game 1, and it's difficult for Paul Maurice to counter without the last line change to control matchups. 'When they play together, they're obviously very creative players and they'll make everyone around them better,' Florida defenseman Seth Jones said. 'They like to look for each other, especially when they play together, little give-and-goes, things like that, and then they're dangerous off the rush, too. Whether they're playing together or apart, it's a five-man unit defending.' The Oilers remain without Zach Hyman, out for the remainder of the playoffs after his right wrist got dislocated on a hit during the last round. The Panthers could be close to full strength if A.J. Greer can return, and Maurice said fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich is good to go after missing part of Game 1. Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
Winnipeg Free Press
2 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Forget about the past': Fans weigh in on criticism of Wayne Gretzky over Trump ties
EDMONTON – It wasn't long ago that some Canadians were up in arms about hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's ties to U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. But as the Edmonton Oilers skate their way through the Stanley Cup final, hockey fans say it's time to let bygones be bygones. 'I don't think it matters,' said Craig Hiscock, a longtime Oilers fan, as he posed Wednesday for a photo with a statue of Gretzky outside Rogers Place in Edmonton ahead of Game 1. 'Let's forget about the past. What he did here was a lot for the city, a lot for hockey.' The statue was vandalized in March and smeared with what appeared to be and strongly smelled like feces. On Wednesday, a hip-high metal fence was up around the bronze figure. An online petition started in February calling for a new name for Wayne Gretzky Drive also has about 14,000 signatures. Gretzky, the Ontario-born hockey star who led the Oilers to four Stanley Cup victories in the 1980s, recently drew the ire of Canadians for his public support of Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his desire for Canada to join the U.S and become its 51st state. The Great One was photographed with Trump several times at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. In January, Gretzky and his wife, Janet, attended Trump's inauguration in Washington. Frustrations grew after he appeared as honorary captain for Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off final with the United States. Video footage showed him giving the U.S. team a thumbs-up as he walked to the ice. Gretzky also congratulated Dallas Stars players in their locker room last month, after they advanced to the Western Conference final. The Oilers eliminated the Stars in five games and now have one win against the Florida Panthers in the Cup final. Game 2 is Friday night. Brian Foulken, who became a fan during the Gretzky era and collects Oilers merchandise, said Gretzky's accomplishments, including multiple scoring records that stand to this day, still resonate with people. As for the criticism, Foulken said people are going to have their own opinions. 'At the end of the day, (Gretzky) played here for a long time. The diehard Oilers (fans), we love him,' he said outside the arena before Game 1. 'He's an amazing player.' Foulken added that current Oilers captain Connor McDavid is inching closer to Gretzky-level greatness. Darren Rogers, a Gretzky fan since the Oilers' inception into the NHL in 1979, said Gretzky's leadership led the team to win multiple Stanley Cups. Politics aside, that accomplishment should matter more to people in the grand scheme of things, Rogers said. Gretzky was in Edmonton for Wednesday's game. And as storied as Gretzky is to the Oilers franchise, he appeared to still be catching up to this new generation's fan base. On an American sports network, he sat side by side with commentators, as they discussed the Oilers' new tradition of playing the pop song 'Pink Pony Club.' Players have been tight-lipped about the significance of the Chappell Roan hit, typically heard after the team plays 'La Bamba' by Los Lobos following a win. 'Pink Pony — is that a band or is that a song?' the 64-year-old Gretzky asked TNT Sports co-host Paul Bissonnette following the Oilers' 4-3 overtime victory in Game 1. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. '(Roan) sings a song, 'Pink Pony Club,' and it's famous. It's on the radio,' Bissonnette answered. 'It's the new generation, Wayne,' he added. Gretzky appeared disappointed to learn Roan isn't Canadian, but still seemed eager to check out the song. 'I gotta get that (as) my ringtone,' Gretzky said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Panthers look to even the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers in Game 2
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Trailing the Stanley Cup Final after losing the opener in overtime, the defending champion Florida Panthers look to even things up in Game 2 at the Edmonton Oilers on Friday night. Winning on the road has not been a problem for them so far, going 8-3 away from home, the third loss coming Wednesday on Leon Draisatl's power-play goal following a puck-over-the-glass penalty on Tomas Nosek. The task of going into a packed, loud arena is just another challenge the Panthers are embracing. 'It's that 'us against the world' mindset, but you really feel it especially being down in a series,' winger Matthew Tkachuk said. 'Us against the 20-plus guys you're playing against, the 20,000 that are in the rink, the 20,000 that are outside the rink. It's just us against everybody. That's what makes playing on the road so fun and rewarding when you can get a win.' If they do, it will wrestle home-ice advantage away from the Oilers with play shifting to Sunrise for Games 3 and 4 next week. One of the toughest parts of being on the road is trying to defend Draisaitl and Connor McDavid when they're on the ice together. Coach Kris Knoblauch did that some late in Game 1, and it's difficult for Paul Maurice to counter without the last line change to control matchups. 'When they play together, they're obviously very creative players and they'll make everyone around them better,' Florida defenseman Seth Jones said. 'They like to look for each other, especially when they play together, little give-and-goes, things like that, and then they're dangerous off the rush, too. Whether they're playing together or apart, it's a five-man unit defending.' The Oilers remain without Zach Hyman, out for the remainder of the playoffs after his right wrist got dislocated on a hit during the last round. The Panthers could be close to full strength if A.J. Greer can return, and Maurice said fourth-liner Jonah Gadjovich is good to go after missing part of Game 1. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
