June 8, 2024 by Ryan Lotsberg

It’s time. The Edmonton Oilers will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006 today. This is the first Stanley Cup Final for the Oilers in the Connor McDavid era.

It’s hard to not look back at the last eighteen years on this day. Today is not the time for that because there’s still a job to finish. There is still one more series to play, and one opponent left to vanquish. The task right now is to stay in the present moment.

Fans of both the Oilers and the Florida Panthers have felt a lot of frustration over the years. I’m not going to reflect on the Oilers’ dark days right now. The Panthers have never won the Stanley Cup. They have been to the Stanley Cup Final twice, and they’ve only won one Stanley Cup Final game in their history. The Panthers have had their time at the bottom as well. They’ve been the butt of jokes about terrible play and poorly attended home games.

Related: Edmonton Oilers reach Stanley Cup Final for first time since 2006

Fans of both teams are excited that their team is playing in the Stanley Cup Final. There’s a relationship between excitement and frustration. They live on opposite ends on a scale of emotions, but they definitely enhance each other. Not being able to have something that makes you excited causes frustration. When you finally get something that has caused a lot of frustration, the excitement turns into something more, such as jubilation. When you can’t have something that is really exciting, the frustration turns into devastation and anger.

The playoffs are incredibly exciting because the stakes are higher. The games get you closer to the ultimate goal, which is the Stanley Cup. The excitement surrounding the Stanley Cup Final is elevated beyond the excitement of the first round. Both of these teams have endured their share of frustration. They battled for draft lottery positioning ten years ago, and now they will battle for a Stanley Cup. The victors and their fans will experience jubilation. Devastation and anger await one team and its fan base.

Related: Deep Dive: Oilers and Panthers Stanley Cup Final Connections and Storylines

All of that causes anxiety. Our hearts race and our palms sweat during these games because the emotional stakes are high and we don’t know what the outcome will be. We have no control over it as fans. The emotional investment is what makes being a fan such an incredible experience. You go through the lows with your team and with a fan base so that you can experience the highs when they occur. The excitement and the anxiety that we feel right now is the fun part.

We’re about to watch history. The best player on the planet is making his Stanley Cup Final debut, and we get a front row seat. We get to watch the greatest player to come out of Germany make his Stanley Cup Final debut. That is so great for hockey in Germany! We finally get to watch Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the longest serving Oiler, play in the Stanley Cup Final. It’s all unfolding in front of our very eyes.

The Oilers have brought in renowned mental game expert George Mumford to help the team with its mental game. Consider the following quote from Mumford:

“The hardest thing, after all the work and all the time spent on training and technique, is just being fully present in the moment.”

That’s what is required right now. The finish line is near and it’s hard to not think about the prize that awaits the winner of this series, but the task at hand requires presence in the current moment.

We as fans should be thinking the same way. This series is a coin flip. Both the Oilers and the Panthers are elite teams. Nothing is guaranteed to either team. What is guaranteed is that we are going to be treated to some incredible hockey on the biggest stage, and our team is squarely in the fight.

This moment has been eighteen difficult years in the making for Oilers fans. Enjoy this feeling of excitement. Embrace this feeling of anxiety. Live in this moment and enjoy the hell out of it because these moments are what sports are all about. Win or lose, this series is going to be an experience that we will talk about forever.

Related: Stanley Cup Final Preview: Oilers vs Panthers