A tale of two playoffs: Edmonton Oil Kings and Oilers compete for wins under one roof
As the city rallies behind the Edmonton Oilers taking the lead in the Battle of Alberta playoff edition, other playoff games are also being played at Rogers Place.
The Edmonton Oil Kings are competing in round three of the Western Hockey League playoffs in a tied series with the Winnipeg ICE, the league's second-best team in the regular season.
Edmonton took the series lead in the first game with a 5-4 overtime win last Friday. In a defensive second game, the Oil Kings managed to hold a 1-1 tied game until the third period on Saturday night, when the ICE scored four goals to secure the win.
For Ethan Peters, an Oil Kings defenceman, it is a dream come true not only to be vying for the top spot in the WHL but also to do it simultaneously and in the same building as his favourite NHL team is making their playoff run.
"It's breathtaking, honestly," Peters said. "To watch them go at their thing and do their thing while we're doing our thing in the playoffs it's really exciting."
"That doesn't happen a lot, you know," added Dylan Guenther, Oil Kings right wing. "Not a lot of CHL teams play in the same arena that the NHL team does."
"It's cool when we sometimes bump into them," Guenther said, adding the teams exchange words of support.
Brad Lauer, head coach, told CTV News Edmonton that after two years of abbreviated pandemic seasons and no playoff opportunities, the squad had a goal of making it to the end this year.
"We've had a good year," Lauer said. "Our guys did a good job in the regular season to accomplish that goal.
"Winnipeg is a good team. They're number two in the country. We're number three in the country. It's good hockey. It's a lot of fun."
The team is focused on getting a win in front of their home crowd and taking the series lead once again.
"It's great times for the city of Edmonton, and its great times for the Edmonton Oilers and the Oil Kings," Lauer added.
"It almost adds to the city to just have two different teams going at the same time," Peters said. "I think it's pretty cool and a really special moment for the city."
Game 3 of the tied series takes place Monday night 7 p.m. at Rogers Place.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jessica Robb
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.