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EDMONTON — It was nearly four years ago (Sept. 28, 2020, to be exact) that I was in this very city covering my first-ever Stanley Cup Final.
On that particular night, the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0 to win the best-of-seven series four games to two.
What followed next was a surreal scene, to say the least.
Lightning players poured onto the ice to celebrate, while not a single, solitary fan was there to witness it. The global pandemic had paused the 2019-20 campaign months earlier, only for it to resume inside the “bubble” environments in Toronto and Edmonton.
In hindsight, the NHL made the best of a terrible situation. But the eerie sound of silence, punctuated only by some canned noise, was my biggest takeaway.
Tampa Bay Lightning players surround NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman as they celebrate after defeating the Dallas Stars to win the Stanley Cup in Edmonton on Sept. 28, 2020. (Jason Franson / The Canadian Press files)
I remember leaving the rink a couple hours later after filing my stories and encountering what can only be described as a ghost town. It was a short walk to my rental car, parked on a nearby empty street, and I encountered a grand total of zero people on my way.
Fast forward to the present, where I’m about to experience a much different Edmonton and a much different Stanley Cup Final.
The Free Press has sent me west to cover Game 6, which will go down on Friday night in what is going to be an absolutely bonkers environment both inside and outside the rink.
The Oilers, who appeared dead in the water after three games, have rattled off two straight impressive victories as they attempt to become just the second team in NHL history, and the first since 1942, to erase a 3-0 deficit and win the Cup.
They appear to have the momentum of a runaway freight train, with the Florida Panthers helplessly caught in their path.
We’ll see if Paul Maurice’s crew can stop the Oilers in their tracks and rain all over the party by capturing a championship in enemy territory. But if Edmonton wins and forces a winner-take-all Game 7 next Monday in Sunrise, then I suspect the roof might just come off the downtown barn.
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Nobody asked me, but I believe Edmonton is going to complete the historic comeback — or, if you prefer, Florida will complete the historic collapse.
It sure feels like Game 5 was a “must-win” for the Panthers, and their failure to close it out may come back to haunt them.
Regardless of how it turns out, I’m looking forward to soaking in the atmosphere and sharing it with readers — especially given the stark contrast I just described above.
Unlike the last time around, this is hockey on the biggest stage as it is meant to be seen, heard and celebrated.
Look for my daily dispatches online and in Friday, Saturday and Monday’s print editions.
All that being said, you can add me to the growing list of folks complaining that the NHL season is simply dragging on too long.
There is no reason the Stanley Cup should be awarded after the first day of summer, which the calendar tells me is today.
I get why this particular series has been spread out so much — the NHL wanted to avoid any conflict with the NBA Finals schedule, and the distance between Alberta and Florida gives everyone a much-needed extra travel day.
The real problem was starting the playoffs so late, which was a product of starting the season so late.
There’s no chance of a reduced schedule from the current 82 games — TV revenues simply won’t allow it — so the only way around this was to drop the puck at the beginning of October, rather than the current setup that is closer to mid-month.
Hopefully that will be addressed in the future. Otherwise, the league is going to encounter what we’re now seeing from plenty of hockey fans — apathy.
Meanwhile, the other 30 clubs have grown impatient as they tend to important summer business such as blockbuster trades and signings, which only serve to steal the spotlight even more from what should be the primary focus.
I’m happy to report that you won’t find me on any blooper reels or memes following the ceremonial pitch I got to toss last Friday prior to the Winnipeg Goldeyes game.
In fact, I’d say I did a pretty good job of finding the strike zone.
Mike McIntyre
“That might be the one I’ve caught all year!” Goldeyes starting pitcher Landon Bourassa, who served as the catcher, told me on the mound.
“What was it? 85 miles an hour? 90?” I asked with a grin.
“Oh, 92 at least,” Bourassa replied.
At which point Dan Chase, the Goldeyes director of sales and marketing, hit me with a high, hard one as he stood beside us.
“More like 9.2,” he cracked.
Ouch.
Not to be outdone, my own brother sent me the following text upon seeing a video of the pitch.
“If I was at bat I would have taken you to Waterfront Drive,” he said.
Double ouch.
Hey, at least I won’t be an inflated ego or swelled head.
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