Confident Oilers fans make long trip to Florida for Game 5
Posted June 18, 2024 6:46 pm.
Last Updated June 18, 2024 6:47 pm.
Oilers fans from Edmonton and beyond – some as far as Germany – were brimming with confidence ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final.
Not deterred by the Florida heat or the long flight, the Oilers faithful – decked in orange and blue – told CityNews they were already thinking about being back in the Sunshine State for Game 7.
For that to happen, the Oilers would need to erase the 3-0 series hole they dug themselves in. A convincing Game 4 victory was one step in the right direction.
“I’m sweating more than the watch party and the game hasn’t even started yet,” said an Oilers fan before puck drop. “But you know what, we’re willing to make sacrifices just like the Oilers. So we came to see a win and we’re going to bring it back home and we’re coming back to Florida to take it all.
“So we’re feeling pretty confident. If we win Game 5, we can win it all.”
Also outside Amerant Bank Arena was an Oilers fan who is racking up some serious air miles after 50 hours of travelling – from Bavaria, Germany to Edmonton (where he watched two Oilers games) and then Florida. Then he has to do it all over again to get back home.
And it’s all to see the Deutschland Dangler – Leon Draisaitl.
“I know Draisaitl’s father, he was a coach,” the man said. “And Draisaitl was a boy of three years. Now I’m back here. It’s unbelievable. I’m very proud to be here.”
Also heading to the game was a father-son duo from Edmonton.
“About a month ago, we basically said, ‘look if Florida and Edmonton make it’ – because we have friends that live 15 minutes away here, and they’re season ticket holders, they can get us tickets – I said, ‘and it goes to Game 5 or goes to Game 7, and it’s either 3-1 or 3-3 and there’s a potential chance for a Cup win, we’ll go,” said Jason Bedford.
That had Bedford’s son Nolan watching Game 4 with extra intent.
“When we were winning 2-0, I thought we might go,” Nolan said. “And then it was 2-1, I’m like, oh, we’re kind of tight. And then it started just go higher. Three, four, five, six, seven, eight. And I’m like, I was really excited.”
The Bedfords were not the only father-son duo who made the trip to Florida for the Stanley Cup final. Two hockey fans from Michigan told CityNews the game is a family sport.
“Hockey fans in general are good people. Right?” the father said. “And it’s just a family atmosphere and just the togetherness of the game, really, and all the sportsmanship, camaraderie even when teams are getting beaten up on each other, they got and handshake after the game.”
