It may not have been the way that Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid wanted to end the season, but he is grateful for every bit of it.
Coming up short in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers, McDavid sent out a heartfelt message to Oilers fans on his personal Instagram. In it, he thanked Oil Country for their passion throughout the playoffs and told them to keep on believing.
“A lot of highs and lows this season. Truly a learning experience,” McDavid wrote. “Thank you Oil Country for sticking with us to the end.
“We have the best fans in the league. Keep believing and I can’t wait to get back to work next season.”
Oilers fans were able to remind the entire hockey world just how passionate they are for their team throughout the long playoff run. The arena would routinely hit 115 decibels throughout almost every game, and fans would stay out late celebrating after each win.
Even when the Oilers went down 3-0 against the Panthers in the final, fans still clung to the belief that Edmonton could find a way to come back—which they very nearly did. That can be seen in how the arena sounded in the final minute of Game 6 against the Panthers, the final game of the season in Rogers Place.
LOUD “WE WANT THE CUP” CHANTS AT ROGERS PLACE 🔊 pic.twitter.com/SZFI1EyOgD
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 22, 2024
The hope for McDavid and the rest of the Oilers is that they can bring the city of Edmonton on an even better ride next season. The team has reloaded with a few exciting additions to their team and now holds the best odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2025, according to the latest from FanDuel.
If one thing is certain, it’s that McDavid will be as hungry as ever to capture his first championship after coming ever so close to it last season.