Six years ago, William Dmytrow didn’t know what to write for his Saskatoon high school yearbook quote — so he decided to go with “Edmonton Oilers 2024, watch it happen.”
“I was like, ‘How funny would it be if I predicted my favourite team in the world, the Edmonton Oilers of course, to win the Stanley Cup,'” Dmytrow, who is now a pastor, said.
“I just picked a random date. I was like, ‘Hey 2024,’ and didn’t even think twice about it until about last year when we started to go on a good run.'”
Saskatoon Morning5:226 years ago in school yearbook, local hockey fan predicts 2024 Stanley Cup win for Edmonton Oilers
Host Theresa Kliem speaks with William Dmytrow about his prophetic belief that the Oilers will win the Stanley Cup.
Now, the diehard Oilers fan is holding out hope that the 2018 prediction in his Centennial Collegiate yearbook will come true.
“I’ve been trying to figure out [why I picked 2024] too, but here’s what I think. I actually think it’s prophetic. I think it’s a prediction. I think it’s real,” Dmytrow said on CBC Radio’s Saskatoon Morning.
Edmonton is currently down three games to one against Florida in the Stanley Cup final. The Oilers lost the first three games of the series before thumping the Panthers 8-1 on Saturday. Game 5 is at 6 p.m. CST on Tuesday.
The 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs are the only team in NHL history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup final, but that isn’t deterring Dmytrow’s confidence in his team.
“As a kid, my mood would change based on if they won or if they lost, which probably wasn’t a good thing, but it was. I just remember going through the 2010s, really tough years, getting last place, so many first overall picks, being frustrated,” Dmytrow said.
“But look at us now. I saw the Oilers in their toughest times. Now we’re seeing the Oilers in their best times and they’re just going to win the Stanley Cup this year. I’m confident.”
Dmytrow joked there’s only one thing that could make this Oilers’ run even more memorable.
“I would love to see Game 6 happen at Rogers [Place], to get some free tickets there to cheer on my Oilers [in Edmonton] would be sweet too, if anybody out there has a plug let me know, ” Dmytrow said.
Bob and Holly Knoblauch of Imperial, Sask., were in Edmonton for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final. They say Kris has been a hockey “fanatic” since he skated on their frozen slough, and that he can shepherd the Oilers to a win in the series.