There’s one word fans are using to describe the city of Edmonton come playoff time.
“Electric is the first thing that comes to mind,” said fan Connor Mccartan.
Some gathered for lunch at 1ST RND downtown couldn’t hold back their excitement now that the regular season is complete.
“I’ve called it an 82-game preseason, and now it’s money time,” said fan Chris Jarbeau.
“Hockey’s everything to this town right?” said fan Keith Stevenson. “They love their sports teams between the Elks and the Oilers and we support them fully so we’re excited.”
While fans in the city are ready for game one to start, businesses like 1ST RND are using the next few days to prepare for what they’re hoping is an other long run to the Stanley Cup.
“It’s getting the staff really engaged and honestly bringing in extra tables and chairs so we can fit everybody in the room,” said general manager Franco Camminatore.
He said the playoffs have been a boon to his business, seeing a packed bar every single game day.
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“Every second day is a Saturday night essentially so you kind of have to treat it that way.”
Oilers gear is also set to fly off the racks.
“We know how the city blows up and goes insane,” United Sport and Cycle general manager Kelly Hodgson said as he prepped a new shelf for Oilers merchandise. “I mean, even during the decade of darkness, Oiler fans were still there, they supported the team.”
Hodgson said the shop has seen jerseys and other kinds of gear double in sales during the previous two trips to the playoffs. He added this is the time to bring out the things for superfans and those just wanting to be a part of something bigger.
“This time of year we bring out the wigs, we bring out the beads, we bring out all things like that that usually don’t sell a whole bunch throughout the course of the year but during this time of the year, they sell in plenty,” he said.
“We pulled a ton of online orders this morning for people that have ordered stuff and the first few people through the door were talking about the playoffs and getting ready.”
Ice District Plaza, where one of the main watch party spaces is held, is also getting its finishing touches throughout the weekend. Staff at Oilers Entertainment Group said if you are wanting to come down to watch, you’ll need to be a part of it’s free ‘LOILTY’ program.
“It’s a fun way for us to have a better idea of who’s coming to these events as well, and the other layer of that is just we can make sure these events are as safe as possible,” said marketing vice-president Dan Cote-Rosen.
So while businesses in the city are hard at work to be ready for puck drop Monday night, the thought on many fans’ minds has remained the same the last two years.
“Bringing home the cup, that’s the goal,” said Mccartan.
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