It may have been two weeks in coming, but B.C. Premier David Eby has finally made good on his wager with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith as the Edmonton Oilers look to end Canada’s 30-year Stanley Cup dry spell.
The premiers made a bet last month that whoever lost the Edmonton Oilers-Vancouver Canucks Round 2 matchup would have to read a statement in the legislature written by the winner while wearing the opposing team’s jersey.
With the legislature now closed for the season, Mr. Eby instead took to social media on June 3 sporting an orange Oilers jersey.
“What in the name of Luongo was I thinking,” he asked in the video post titled, “A bet’s a bet.”
“Kids at home, I have a lesson for you: you make a fair bet, you lose a fair bet, you honour a fair bet,” he added.
The Canucks lost Game 7 to the Oilers on home ice May 20 despite rallying in the third period to score two goals, putting the final score at 3-2.
The Oilers have since gone on to defeat the Dallas Stars, winning 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference to advance to the finals for the first time since 2006.
Mr. Eby didn’t say why it took him two weeks to hold up his end of the bargain struck with his Alberta counterpart, but he did voice his support for “Canada’s team” as they prepare to take on the Florida Panthers this weekend.
“Yes Oilers, you’re Canada’s team now,” he said in the video posted to X. “Go get ’em we hope you win. Bring the Stanley Cup home to Canada.”
If You Can’t Beat ’Em, Join ’Em
The B.C. premier was less enthusiastic about reading Ms. Smith’s statement, however, relaying the words on the page with little inflection in his voice. “There are few certainties in this life: death, taxes, Alberta leading Canada in economic growth,” he read without looking up at the camera. “But as it pertains to our beloved national sport, we do have many certainties we can rely on.”
The statement took a swipe at the Maple Leafs, saying the Toronto team will always “lose in the first round” while the Ottawa Senators seem destined to rebuild “each and every year.”
As for other certainties listed in the statement, “the hockey gods will continue to bless northern Alberta with the greatest players to ever play the game,” Mr. Eby read.
He muffled a chuckle before continuing: “And, of course, when the Edmonton Oilers face the Vancouver Canucks in the playoffs, the Oilers win every single time.”
The statement goes on to list common excuses made by Canucks fans when the Oilers win—from Vancouver players being injured to the unfairness of the Edmonton team getting all of the NHL greats such as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Connor McDavid.
The last and final excuse was that “the referees have been paid off with big oil money.”
“It does not change the sobering reality that when meeting head to head in the playoffs, the score is Edmonton 3, Vancouver 0,” the premier read. “And when it comes to Stanley Cups, it’s Alberta 6, and British Columbia 0.”
The statement ended with Mr. Eby reading unenthusiastically, “in the spirit of national unity and pride and because if you can’t beat ‘em you may as well join ‘em, let’s go Oilers, bring Stanley back home to Canada.”
After finishing the statement, Mr. Eby set the record straight on the success of the province’s teams. He pointed out that two teams have technically won the Stanley Cup: the Vancouver Millionaires in 1915 and the Victoria Cougars in 1925. Both wins were prior to the cup going to the NHL in 1926.
Ms. Smith also took to social media to share her peer’s post, and to thank him for “being a great sport with our bet.”
“The series with Vancouver was well-played, and we enjoyed every minute of it,” she wrote. “Now we can all cheer on the Oilers to bring home the Stanley Cup to Canada!”
The Stanley Cup Finals kick off June 8. The Oilers, who are seeded No. 2 in the Pacific Division, will travel to Sunrise, Florida, to take on the Florida Panthers, the No. 1 seed from the Atlantic Division.
The Panthers secured their second straight Stanley Cup final with a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference on June 1.
