Edmonton Oilers playoff run reigniting downtown economy

Once again, the Oilers are Canada’s best chance at bringing the cup home, according to oddsmakers, and Edmonton’s downtown businesses are doubling down and cashing in on the excitement.

“Each game we’ve just felt the energy more and more and more,” said Michael Paruby, the general manager of Campio Brewing Co.

Paruby’s restaurant is a five-minute walk from Rogers Place. This spring, he is once again banking on the Oilers successes. 

The playoffs conveniently line up with Campio Brewing’s patio season, and that blossoms into a larger, more passionate wave of customers as early as the lunch rush, extending well into the night after the final whistle.

“We get a huge pre-game rush during all the Oilers games, regular season or playoffs, and then just adding our beer garden, our extended patio, an extra 30 tables, it just only goes up,” Paruby explained.

Spending stats from round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs, provided by payment processing company Moneris, show nearby restaurants cashing in on fan enthusiasm.

By Game 3, when the Oilers played their first home game of the campaign, restaurant spending shot up 82 per cent compared to the same day the week before.

And just two days later, for Game 4, that number climbed up even more.

Even when the Oilers are playing in enemy territory, fans still head to downtown Edmonton, with Moneris sharing that restaurant spending went up anywhere from 11 per cent to 25 per cent week over week in the first round.

The Oilers were just one game away from winning it all in 2024, and fans in the city hope the final result will be different this year and those businesses that are raking in the cash hope another long Stanley Cup campaign is in store.

“It definitely pulls at your heartstrings when you’re like, okay, do we want to see that extra home game? I think the number one thing is getting the Oilers to the finish line. Getting them that cup they deserve,” said Paruby.