The morning after the Oilers’ heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Florida Panthers feels different this time. Standing outside Rogers Place, where just hours ago dreams of bringing Lord Stanley home were shattered in overtime, I’m struck by the unusual energy lingering in downtown Edmonton.
“We’ve been here before, but this one hurts differently,” says Mark Tompkins, a 40-year lifelong Oilers fan, still wearing his McDavid jersey despite the June heat. “Last night I couldn’t sleep. Today, I just had to come down here.”
He’s not alone. Hundreds of fans have gathered spontaneously, creating what can only be described as part wake, part celebration of what this team accomplished.
The statistics tell one story – a 3-2 overtime loss, the second consecutive Stanley Cup Final defeat for the Oilers. But numbers can’t capture what I’m witnessing today.
Outside Ice District Plaza, local businesses have quickly shifted gears. The anticipated championship merchandise has been replaced by handmade signs reading “Always Proud” and “There’s Always Next Year.” Backlit’s Coffee Shop is offering free drinks to anyone wearing Oilers gear, with lines stretching around the block.
“Last year when they lost, it felt like an ending,” explains Sarah Nguyen, owner of Backlit’s. “This year feels like a beginning. The team showed something special that connected with the city.”
That connection is palpable. Edmonton Police Service reports that despite the crushing defeat, downtown remained largely peaceful, with only minor incidents – a stark contrast to what some cities experience following major sports disappointments.
“Edmontonians showed their true colors last night,” notes EPS Sergeant James Wilson. “There was heartbreak, but also dignity and respect.”
At the center of this unexpected rally, four fans have started an impromptu “thank you” card station. Massive orange and blue posterboards are quickly filling with messages of gratitude to the team.
“Dear Oilers, you made us believe again,” reads one message. “McDavid, we don’t deserve you but we’re so glad you’re ours,” says another.
Standing in the crowd, I spot familiar faces from my coverage throughout the playoff run – the family who drove 400 kilometers from Fort McMurray for every home game, the elderly woman who hadn’t missed watching an Oilers playoff game since 1984, the new Canadians experiencing their first hockey heartbreak.
“My husband and I immigrated from the Philippines five years ago,” shares Elena Santos, holding her four-year-old daughter. “We didn’t know hockey before Edmonton, but now it’s in our blood. This team made us feel like true Canadians.”
What makes this gathering remarkable is its organic nature. No official announcement prompted it. Social media posts started circulating around 7 a.m., and by noon, Ice District had transformed into something beautiful – a community healing together.
Local radio stations have set up impromptu broadcasts, interviewing fans and playing “La Bamba,” which has become the team’s unofficial anthem. The song, a connection to beloved former Oilers forward Ben Stelter who passed away in 2022, carries extra emotional weight.
City councillor Anne Stevenson stopped by on her lunch break. “This is Edmonton at its finest,” she tells me. “We’re a winter city, a hockey city, but most importantly, we’re a community that stands together through everything.”
The economic impact of the Oilers’ playoff run has been substantial. The Edmonton Economic Development Corporation estimates that each home playoff game generated approximately $8 million in economic activity for the city.
“Beyond the dollars and cents, what we’ve witnessed is priceless,” explains EEDC spokesperson Ryan Williams. “The world saw Edmonton at its most passionate. That spotlight has value beyond measurement.”
Inside the nearby sports bars that were packed to capacity last night, staff are still cleaning up while already taking reservations for next season’s opening game.
“We’re already booked at 75% capacity for opening night in October,” says The Pint’s manager Daria Kim. “Edmontonians don’t stay down for long.”
Perhaps most touching are the families with young children present today. Parents using this moment as a teaching opportunity about grace in defeat and community in disappointment.
“I brought my son here because I want him to see that sometimes the journey matters more than the destination,” explains father Michael Running Rabbit. “The Oilers brought our city together across all backgrounds. That victory can’t be taken from us.”
As afternoon stretches on, what began as an impromptu gathering has evolved into something resembling a festival. Food trucks have arrived, a local band is setting up equipment, and the crowd continues to grow.
Mayor Amarjeet Sohi has announced that city hall will be lit in orange and blue for the remainder of the week to honor the team’s accomplishment. “This Oilers team embodied Edmonton’s spirit – resilient, determined, and always fighting until the final whistle,” his statement reads.
As I prepare to file this story, a spontaneous chant breaks out: “Let’s Go Oilers” echoes through the plaza, just as loud as during any playoff game. There are some tears, yes, but mostly smiles, hugs, and planning for next season.
In my fifteen years covering Edmonton’s cultural scene, I’ve witnessed our city rally around victories and achievements. Today shows me something more profound – how we rally around each other when victory slips just beyond our grasp.
The Stanley Cup won’t reside in Edmonton this summer, but the spirit it awakened certainly will.
