May 26, 2022 At least hockey is back

The agony of defeat.

A roller coaster of emotions consumed my heart and my soul. Anyone who is a sports fan understands the whirlwind of emotions that can erupt inside. My favourite hockey team, The Calgary Flames, lost to my arch-enemy, Edmonton Oilers, in the first “Battle of Alberta” playoff series in over thirty years.

Unfortunately, the end result was not much different than all those heartbreaks so many years ago. A bad call by the replay officials and great play by the opposition served a double whammy of pain. 

It started with so much promise. 

The series opener started with an onslaught by the hometown favourites. Calgary went up three to nothing and then six to two. Each time Edmonton battled back to tie the game. Calgary would go on to win the first game 9-6 but that was as close as my team got to tasting sweet victory.

Instead, we have the bitter taste of defeat to swallow until next season.

It always has to be next season for someone.

I just wish it wasn’t my team who was going home. I wish the series could have lasted longer. I wish the Flames had been a little better. I wish the goal scored by Coleman had been allowed instead of called a kick-in (which it wasn’t pfft). I wish…

At least we had playoff hockey to wish about.

Last year wasn’t the same when the teams played a reduced schedule, the year before they played in a playoff bubble. This year it was for real for the first time since covid interrupted our lives. At Christmas, we weren’t even sure this would be a full season.

We went to the local pub, Whiski Jacks, to watch the first of what I’d hoped was three elimination games. I dusted off my Iginla jersey from the last big playoff run my team went on back in 2004. Eighteen years ago… Eighteen… where does the time go?

My wife and I walked into the bar and looked for a seat. I was disappointed to see only one other Flames jersey and quite a few Oilers shirts. I paced back and forth looking for a spot to watch the game. Four thirty-some-year-old ladies were wearing Edmonton colours and right away they cheered and jeered my sweater. 

“Come sit here,” They offered, “come sit next to us.”

I looked at my wife and shrugged, “It could be fun or… it could be annoying.”

“Why not?” The girl named Amy asked me, “It will be fun.”

So we sat down next to the four ladies from Edmonton and the roller coaster began.

I started out great, Calgary went up to a two-goal lead. “I just want to win 2-0,” I told my honey. My heart didn’t think it could take the emotions of a close game.

Then the bar erupted with Oiler fans when the team from Edmonton got on the scoreboard.

My stomach sank, here we go again, I thought to myself. The Oilers had the Flame’s goalies’ number it seemed. Their first line was outplaying the Flame’s first line and I had a bad feeling.

The game was filled with excitement and action. During the intermission, we went outside and I chatted with the girls who were on a golf vacation to the Okanagan. We reminisced about our teems past successes and the heartbreak we felt when they lost out in the Stanley Cup final all those years ago. Calgary lost in seven games to Tampa back in 2004 and Edmonton lost to Carolina in 2006. We found we had a connection with each other as hockey fans.

I found myself liking this group from my arch enemy. We decided we could be ‘frenemies’ instead. 

“As long as Tampa doesn’t win again.” We all agreed. Suddenly I found myself hating the Oilers a little less.

In sports, it isn’t really hatred. 

The beer and the tequila flowed free and the energy in the bar was ramping up.

“Goal!” The Flames scored with only six minutes left to play and they took the lead. I jumped up and ran around the bar high-fiving the few Flames fans I found and annoying the Oiler fans in my path.

Wait a minute, why were they reviewing the goal? It was a good goal. What the…?

“It was a good goal,” admitted Amy, her friends Chelsea, Daniele and Haley all agreed. Almost all the Oiler fans in the bar conceded that the goal should count and the series would be going back to Edmonton for a game six.

Except that is not how the officials in Toronto saw it.

They took away the goal and took away my feeling of hope. I sank back in my chair, and a feeling of dread came over me.

Even outside during the intermission we stood around and had a safety meeting everyone agreed it was a good goal and a bad call.

But there was nothing we could do about it. 

Overtime came and the game began again, action-filled the rink and the bar was abuzz with anticipation. Would my beloved Flames have their season ended or would we live to see another game?

The waitress came to collect money from the rambunctious group of Edmontonian ladies. “Thank you for your enthusiasm it was fun having you here.” The young waitress smiled at the group of hockey fans.

“Wait a minute they aren’t leaving till the game is over…”

“McDavid scores!” 

What the hell? Did I just jinx the game? Maybe it was my Iginlas Jersey? In my heart, I knew it had nothing to do with me. But sports are like that sometimes.

The girls erupted and the bar was filled with cheers for the victorious Edmonton Oilers. My team was relegated to the what could have been the category. My heart was broken again.

But I couldn’t help but feel a little joy in the reaction of the ladies from Edmonton. 

At least there would be a Canadian team to carry on to the next round. All my life I have had two favourite teams: Calgary and whoever is Playing Edmonton.

This year it may be different.

I hugged my rivals and wished them the best, I told them I hoped they would win. “Anybody but Tampa.” I shrugged and swallowed my pain.

In their joy, I found myself a consolation. It was fun to hang with other real hockey fans, it was ok to be frenemies.

I swallowed hard and smiled at the ladies as we said goodbye. “I never thought I would ever say this girls, but, um… Go Oilers Go.”