What do Oilers’ early-season failures mean for businesses?
Posted November 12, 2023 4:04 pm.
After two seasons of deep playoff runs, the Edmonton Oilers find themselves in the basement of the NHL standings.
The 3-9-1 Oilers have the second-worst record in the league.
Paying the price Sunday were head coach Jay Woodcroft and assistant coach Dave Manson, who were let go.
Edmonton entered this season with Stanley Cup aspirations, but results have not gone their way.
What does that mean for Edmonton businesses that rely on the team – and its successes – for business?
“You definitely see a decline,” said Francesco De Gregorio, a bartender at Home and Away near Rogers Place. “We’ve had two playoff runs in a row where we’ve been lucky enough, everybody got a piece of coming out for the playoffs. But you definitely see it dwindle down.”
De Gregorio says it’s most noticeable during home games when fans file out of Rogers Place. Instead of wanting to extend the party, Oilers fans tend to return home after a loss.
“It’s definitely the post (game) you see a lot of people die down,” he said. “It’s really tough to get people, fans out when they’ve just spent $200 on tickets, maybe $80 on beers, and then you have to try and convince them to come out after a loss.”
If the trend continues under new coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Paul Coffey, there could be no playoffs down the road.
“You know it’s tough, but it’s important that everybody – whether it’s the community, or the organization – just stays positive,” De Gregorio said.
