It was quite a party in the Alberta capital last night as the city celebrated the Edmonton Oilers advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 18 years.
The scene inside Rogers Place was a spectacle. Oilers fans almost assuredly hit over 115 decibels as the final seconds of the clock ticked down to make it official. Being in the arena was a surreal experience, and those watching the game got to see the moment with commentary from the legendary Jack Michaels on Sportsnet.
18 years in the making. No other city/atmosphere comes close. pic.twitter.com/pAPnY9CjPk
— Jack Michaels (@EdmontonJack) June 3, 2024
Fans stayed in the building to see their Western Conference Champions be awarded the Clarence Campbell Bowl, and then the celebration poured out onto the streets of downtown Edmonton. Fans were so loud that they interrupted the post-game media conferences multiple times.
It might not have been a weekend night, but that didn’t stop the party from going further into the night. Fans were still as loud as ever two hours after the game had ended, with horns honking and sporadic “Let’s Go Oilers” chants heard all around downtown.
This was the scene last night as I left Rogers Place nearly two hours after the game had ended.
I hope a lot of #Oilers fans were able to get today off 😅😅 pic.twitter.com/AkuioPF0Yr
— Preston Hodgkinson (@NHLHodgkinson) June 3, 2024
2 hours after the win and downtown is still vibrating #letsgooilers pic.twitter.com/w1b3RjAM9z
— Chris Scheetz (@ChrisScheetz) June 3, 2024
Two hours after the game, the line of cars honking and driving by Roger’s Place still seems endless. pic.twitter.com/OD6VEUyowl
— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) June 3, 2024
Every horn in Edmonton is honking right now. They’re going nuts downtown, celebrating the Oilers win in the West Final.
The game ended over two hour ago, and it’s still this nuts. pic.twitter.com/NydeGPgh1j
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) June 3, 2024
Fans have every right to be pumped up about their team. This fanbase has suffered through an entire decade without playoff hockey and has been chasing the high of a deep Stanley Cup run since 2006. The job is far from over for the Oilers, but one of the hardest hurdles has finally been overcome.
The Florida Panthers present their most challenging opponent yet. Still, if there is a battle in which the Oilers can almost assuredly beat them, it’s the amount of passion and support the Edmonton fanbase has.
As controversial as it may be in some cities, the Oilers are also carrying the mantle as “Canada’s team” and will be playing for an entire country to bring the Stanley Cup to Canada for the first time since 1993.
As the finals arrive, you can expect Oilers fans to get even more frenzied.