Canadians were met with disappointment after the Edmonton Oilers failed to secure the Stanley Cup on Monday night.
The Oilers faced off against the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final in Edmonton. Despite many fans staying up late to watch the game, the Oilers lost 2-1, leaving ice hockey fans across Canada disheartened.
Many had hoped to witness a historic victory, as it has been 34 years since the Oilers last won the Stanley Cup and 31 years since a Canadian NHL team claimed the title.
The last Canadian team to win was the Montreal Canadiens, who defeated the Los Angeles Kings in five games in 1993. Since then, only seven Canadian teams, including the 2024 Edmonton Oilers, have made it to the Stanley Cup Final.
READ MORE: https://nowtoronto.com/news/its-called-coming-together-as-a-nation-fans-weigh-in-on-whether-edmonton-oilers-are-canadas-team-ahead-of-game-7/
The loss broke many hearts, and fans were quick to express their frustration.
Many Torontonians humorously noted that being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan had prepared them for such disappointment. “Thankfully, being a Toronto Maple Leafs fan prepared one very well for disappointment in Game 7s,” one X user commented.
“Are the Edmonton Oilers the Toronto Maple Leafs of the West?,” added another person.
Others were just happy that the Oilers got that far in the game. “The Edmonton Oilers have gotten closer to winning the Stanley Cup than the Toronto Maple Leafs have in an embarrassingly long time,” said one X user.
The official X account of CN Tower joined in, tweeting, “Tonight the #CNTower will not be lit blue, orange, and white for the 2024 Stanley Cup champions.”
The tweet drew a sarcastic response from one user, who remarked, “Not tweeting was also an option.”
Meanwhile, Torontonians did manage to witness a historical moment when they woke up to the news of Conservatives winning the Toronto-St. Paul’s byelection.
“Went to bed to the Oilers Game Seven loss. 🥺 Woke up to the Cons winning a seat in Downtown Toronto. 😤,” remarked one X user.
Nonetheless, a dedicated and hopeful ice hockey fan said, “Anyone who thinks the Oilers won’t be back here probably didn’t have faith in them to begin with. We’ll be lifting that Cup again and again and again.”
For now, Boston Pizza wants to help soothe the “hockey heartache” and help fans “fuel up for next year” by offering 30,000 free pizzas to Oilers fans in Edmonton and selected stores across Canada on June 26.
“Keep an eye out for the biggest (though maybe saddest) pizza delivery in history,” a statement from Boston Pizza said.
