'Won’t open them until we win': Flames fan hopes to pop Champagne bottles meant for '04 Stanley Cup run
It was almost exactly 18 years ago when Calgary Flames fan Shane Byciuk managed to sneak two bottles of Champagne into the Saddledome for Game 6 of the 2004 Stanley Cup finals.
He had hoped to pop them if the Flames hoisted the Cup that evening, but those same bottles still remain in his fridge to this day.
“I won’t open them until we win the Stanley Cup and hopefully it’s this year,” Byciuk said.
“I still remember that night, we brought those mini bottles fully expecting to crack them. I cracked off the top of the bottles when the game went into overtime just waiting for that goal, but it never came.”
June 4, 2004 is a night many Flames fans will never forget thanks to a controversial call on a play where it appeared the Calgary forward Martin Gelinas was able to sneak the puck past the goal-line.
That goal was called off by the referee, much to the dismay of Calgary fans who watched as their team lost that game and fell in a devastating Game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“Everybody thought it was in,” said Byciuk.
“You know, that’s like a huge circumstance and when that goal was called back, everybody was disheartened, it was just complete silence and anger, right? Even to this day, people are still saying that that goal was in.”
Byciuk says the 2004 playoff run was one of the most exciting memories he has of the team he’s been cheering for his entire life.
Fast-forward to 2022 and the Battle of Alberta has now amplified that excitement in the hopes that those Champagne bottles can get one step closer to being opened with a victory in this playoff series.
“If we don’t win, they're going back into my beer fridge, but I can’t wait to open them up,” said Byciuk.
“I don't know what the Champagne would taste like after all those years and I wouldn't want to find out. I won’t drink it, but I’ll spray it outdoors if they win the Cup or maybe on some Oiler fans,” he joked.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Conservatives launch marathon voting session over Liberal refusal to scrap carbon tax
Pierre Poilievre's Conservatives have launched an overnight marathon voting session in the House of Commons, after signalling they'd be making good on their threat to delay the government's agenda over their opposition to the carbon tax.
Two charged with murder of Quebecer Daniel Langlois and partner in Dominica
The director of public prosecutions in the Caribbean nation of Dominica has confirmed that two men have been charged in the death of Quebecer Daniel Langlois and his partner.
Death toll rises to five in cantaloupe salmonella outbreak, as cases almost double
The Public Health Agency of Canada says the death toll has risen to five in a salmonella outbreak linked to Malichita and Rudy brand cantaloupes.
Two months into war, a Palestinian doctor and an Israeli activist's son unite in calls for peace
After two months of war, a Palestinian doctor and the son of an Israeli activist, are united in a common call for peace.
Ottawa announces $5.5M for health worker well-being and foreign medical grads
Ottawa has announced nearly $5.5 million in new funding to address health worker well-being and speed up the application process for international medical graduates who want to work in Canada.
Hunter Biden indicted on nine tax charges, adding to gun charges in special counsel probe
Hunter Biden was indicted on nine tax charges in California on Thursday as a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of President Joe Biden's son intensifies against the backdrop of the looming 2024 election.
UNLV shooting suspect had list of targets at that campus and another university, police say
The suspect in the deadly shooting at the University of Las Vegas, Nevada, had a list of targets at the school and at East Carolina University in North Carolina, police said Thursday.
Canada doubling cost-of-living requirement for international students
Canada will more than double the cost-of-living financial requirement for incoming international students on Jan. 1, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller announced today.
'The Brick' is at the centre of our galaxy. An unexpected new finding may help unlock its mysteries
A box-shaped cloud of opaque dust that lies at the centre of our galaxy has long perplexed scientists, and observations that reveal a new detail about its composition are deepening the mystery — possibly upending what’s known about how stars form.