Oilers’ dressing room undergoes tough makeover following Stanley Cup loss
The team puts a whole lot of pressure on its players with their harsh change, ahead of the home opener.
One goal away. The Edmonton Oilers were just one goal away from the Stanley Cup this past June, when they lost 2-1 in Game 7 of the Finals against the Florida Panthers. Fans have seen the brutal heartbreak all over social media and the newest Amazon series Faceoff, but clearly the Oilers’ organization wanted the players to have a constant reminder of how close they came to winning the championship.
The Athletic has reported that the Oilers’ dressing room has undergone a makeover ahead of the 2024-25 season with a special message to the current players and their objective for the next nine months.
“Five replica Stanley Cups have been pushed over, leaving an empty space on the side. Empty for last year’s mission, unfulfilled.”
None of the players that spoke with Daniel Nugent-Bowman knew who moved them or, at least, was willing to share.
Some of the players that spoke to Nugent-Bowman do enjoy the symbolism and this new take on the Cup-or-bust mentality. However, who knows if others will crack under the pressure, especially since Edmonton is projected as Stanley Cup favourites this season. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm said:
“It really does matter early on — and that’s something that we’ve learned the hard way. Hopefully, we’ve learned that lesson to know that we can’t take this lightly. We can’t think things are going to come easy — because they won’t.”
The Oilers know all too well about this after starting the last campaign with , a 2-9-1 record through their initial12 games that cost coaches Jay Woodcroft and Dave Manson their jobs.
The dressing room, like the entire organization, sends the message of kicking off the calendar strong and playing a more consistent regular season that can only help the Oilers winning their first Stanley Cup in decades. There is place for it in the new dressing room.
Will the Oilers be able to place the prestigious trophy in the empty spot at the end of this season? Their campaign kicks off later tonight against the visiting Winnipeg Jets in Edmonton.
