Twice in the last 20 years, the Edmonton Oilers (and the team’s fans) have endured the ultimate heartbreak: Losing Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
In 2006 and 2024, the franchise rolled all the way to the deciding game of the entire season, and fell short. Ask an Oilers fan about the experience, and the first-blush reaction is pain and the idea that it would have been better to fall out of the playoffs earlier. As time and distance allows for more perspective, the 2006 team (and increasingly the 2024 edition) are viewed fondly.
All agree that winning the Stanley Cup is the ultimate. An Oilers fan who was 15 when the team last won it all in 1990 is now 50. Much of the team’s overall fan base knows the lore of the five Stanley…