Calgary getting financial bump and buzz from unlikely place: the Oilers
With the Oilers punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup finals on Sunday, the playoff buzz is still alive in Alberta.
It marks the first finals appearance for the Oilers since the spring of 2006 when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes.
While many Flames fans may be conflicted, businesses are feeling a nice boost from the deep run, even if it's centred in Edmonton.
"We've had almost a sellout every single night that the Oilers have been playing," said Kyle Gordon, owner of the Pig and Duke Pub on 12th Avenue S.W.
"It'd definitely been noticeable."
Jersey City and Lids have seen the effect as well, with a strange phenomenon that seems to underline the divided loyalties of Calgary fans.
"There is a love-hate relationship here, I'm noticing. I think it depends how long and how true you've been a Flames fan for," said Travis Hillier, an assistant district sales manager for Lids.
"If it's in your roots, there's definitely some people hopping on the Florida bandwagon, but we're still seeing a lot of people hop on the Oilers bandwagon as well."
The Oilers are one of the most Canadian teams possible – 22 of the 34 players listed in its 2023-24 lineup are Canadian-born, including captain Connor McDavid, widely considered the best player in the world right now.
The Oilers play their first game against the Panthers on Saturday in Florida.
Edmonton has won five cups in its history – the last in the 1989-90 season.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'It looks quite real': Two Ontarians lose money to fake phone scam
About 85 per cent of Canadians have a smartphone and once you have one they’re hard to live without. The latest smartphones can cost as much as $2,000, so if you’re trying to save money, make sure you don’t get caught in a fake smartphone scam.
Preparation for next U.S. president started months ago, Trudeau's cabinet says
Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says the Trudeau government is in a better position to manage trade negotiations with the next American president than it was the last time it signed a deal with the U.S. and Mexico.
New homeowners find skeleton in attic 15 years after previous occupant disappeared
Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work.
5 things to watch for as Americans head to the polls on election day
Americans are facing a decision about the future of their country and no matter which president they choose, Canada cannot escape the pull of political polarization from its closest neighbour.
No jail time for man who drove truck through residential school march in B.C.
A British Columbia senior who drove his pickup truck into a march for Indigenous residential school survivors will avoid jail time after he was sentenced Monday to nine months of house arrest.
America reaches Election Day and a stark choice between Trump and Harris
A presidential campaign marked by upheaval and rancor approached its finale on Election Day as Americans decided whether to send Donald Trump back to the White House or elevate Kamala Harris to the Oval Office.
North Korean troops in Russia are shelled by Ukrainian forces, an official says
North Korean troops recently deployed to help Russia in its war with Ukraine have come under Ukrainian fire, a Kyiv official said Tuesday.
Tim Hortons parent Restaurant Brands misses sales estimates on muted demand
Restaurant Brands missed estimates for quarterly revenue on Tuesday due to weak demand across key businesses such as Tim Hortons, Burger King and international markets including China and the Middle East.
Canada Post, union, still disagree over weekend delivery following weekend talks
Canada Post and the union representing its workers are commenting on how weekend talks for a new contract went, with the employer calling them less productive than they'd hoped and the union claiming their employer is focused on flexibility to deliver parcels at the lowest possible cost.