THANK YOU, OILERS

Watching Edmonton’s vanquished heroes trudge through a handshake line receiving chest pats from their former foes was bitter medicine for Oilers fans. The boys in orange, white and blue came close but fell a couple of goals short.

But let’s not dwell any longer on the heartbreak, the botched calls, bad bounces and missed opportunities in this series. Forget about what might have been this post-season and let’s reflect on the past and, more importantly, what awaits us in the future.

Let’s be thankful for a month of high spirits and camaraderie, the likes of which this city hasn’t experienced in 11 years, the last time the Oilers made the playoffs and went all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

Remember when the team was so bad that the NHL draft lottery and the annual selection of promising young players itself were the only things that sustained Oilers fans through joyless times. Every year those teenage prospects offered hope that one day Edmonton could ice a contending and entertaining squad.

That day has finally come.

Yes, cynics will carp that it’s millionaires playing a kids’ game, or it’s a big business out for profit, but it’s undeniable how the Oilers brought this city together this spring like few other forces can. For a month, Edmontonians — hardcore fanatics, casual fans and bandwagon hoppers — donned jerseys, planted car flags and painted their faces.

They sold out Rogers Place for home games and, incredibly, filled it during away games to watch their boys on the big screen. They belted out O Canada, and on one occasion, even the U.S. national anthem, a feat that went viral and earned Edmontonians the admiration of our American neighbours.

After the games, Edmontonians partied like it was 2006, but there was also a difference. They celebrated without sullying the city’s name with vandalism and drunken hooliganism. Credit goes to the Edmonton Police Service and other authorities for better planning and organization this time around, having been caught flat-footed 11 years ago. Police were out in force, even if all they were called on to do was high-five happy fans.

The Oilers watch parties packed the arena with kids and those unable to afford highpriced playoff tickets, giving the festivities an inclusive, family-friendly air.

Things can only get better, on the ice and off. The team is young and talented and now, baptized by playoff fire. Meanwhile, a completed Ice District will transform the downtown.

Thanks for the run, Oilers. Let’s do it again next year — only longer.