Letâs just say my 2026 spring plans didnât go as planned.Â
There also may have been a tear/Oil drop in my coffee this morning after my Edmonton Oilers lost in five games in the first round of the NHL playoffs.
The last two springs had set a bit of a traditionâIâd come home from my travels just in time for a long run of Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey. With back-to-back Finals appearances, Iâd grown used to games every other night, stretching deep into June.
I lived in Edmonton for a dynasty making me a fanatic for life!
5 Stanley Cups in 7 years!
The Edmonton Oilers won the Stanley Cup five times in their franchise history, all within a seven-year span during their 1980s dynasty: 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, and 1990.
Here is a breakdown of the dynasty:
Lost to 4X Cup Champions New York Islanders 1983:
Defeated New York Islanders1984:Â
Defeated Philadelphia Flyers1985
Lost to Calgary – own goal 1986
Defeated Philadelphia Flyers 1987
Defeated Boston Bruins 1988
Lost to Gretzky’s LA Kings 1989
Defeated Boston Bruins 1990
All five championships were won after joining the NHL in 1979.
They have been close a few more times:
Lost in game 7 to Carolina 2006
Lost in game 7 to Florida 2024
Lost to Florida in game 5 2025
Lost this year in the first round to Anaheim 2026
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Edmonton is always a different city during Edmonton Oilers playoff hockey.Â
Spring is in the air, the energy is high, and the party basically ran non-stop for two months. It is a shame it was cut short this year!
Game nights are locked in, and on off nights, everyone turns into an armchair coach or GM. And of courseâno matter whatâs happeningâfans can always find something to complain about running players out of town.
Well, the fans got what they wanted. They pushed too many players out of town who might have made a difference in 2026 and beyond.
Worse yet, the replacements didnât measure upâ2026 wasnât even close to the 2024 or 2025 teams some people complained about.
I used to say, âEnjoy the game,â because you never know when it might be their last real run. After all, we waited almost 20 years for another shot at the Cup.
The craziest part? Win or lose:
Every season, itâs the same story with Edmonton Oilers fans calling for change:
#TradeXYZ
#SignXYZ
#FireXYZ
New management basically ripped apart teams that were a goal (2006/2024) and 2 games (2025) away from winning it all!
I am no different, I blame President of Hockey operations Jeff Jackson and Dennis Sundar for pretending to be the smartest people in the room.
Let’s just say that these latest changes have the Edmonton Oilers Stanley Cup winning window is closing faster than my blogging career. đ