Hundreds of people took to Churchill Square Thursday afternoon for the city’s Orange Crush rally for fans to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers.
Fans dressed in Oilers gear, proudly waving Oilers flags, gathered to show support for the team as they get set to play Game 5 against the San Jose Sharks at home Thursday night.
Mayor Don Iveson was on hand with members of city council, all dressed in their finest Orange Crush gear.
READ MORE: Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson offers scruffy support for Oilers’ NHL playoff run
Several former members of the Edmonton Oilers also took part, including Raffi Torres and Fernando Pisani, who were both with the team during the 2006 Stanley Cup run.
“Thanks for everybody for coming today. The last couple weeks has been a blast,” Pisani said, adding it’s been great catching up with some of his former teammates.
“The one thing that everybody talked about when they come back here is how awesome the fans were.”
“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight,” Torres said. “The louder you guys are, the boys are really gonna know what’s going on.”
Watch below: Raffi Torres, who was with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2006 Stanley Cup run, said being back in the city brings back a lot of great memories.
Kevin Lowe and Dave Semenko also addressed the crowd, joking about how some of them are likely too young to know who they are.
“I’m not sure many of you people were around when Kevin and I were playing… Just to be safe, check with your grandparents,” Semenko joked.
READ MORE: Connor McDavid jersey takes in San Jose sights during Edmonton man’s epic trip
Talking about what an exciting time it is right now in Edmonton, Semenko said it’s actually tougher for him to watch the games than it was for him to play.
“When we were watching the boys go out for the first time, I was with Wayne Gretzky down below and we both looked and each other and said, ‘I want to play tonight.’
“Those feelings come back. It’s an exciting time for all of us no matter how far we’ve been removed from the game or the playoffs.”
Watch below: Kevin Lowe and Dave Semenko address the crowd at Churchill Square
Before the rally started, the Oilers anthem singer Robert Clark surprised everyone; he was standing among the fans in the crowd and led them in signing O Canada, just as he did at Rogers Place before Game 1 and Game 2.
Watch below: Robert Clark, along with hundreds of Oilers fan, sing O Canada during fan rally at Churchill Square
The Oilers look to rebound against the Sharks Thursday night after a crushing 7-0 loss in San Jose Tuesday night.
The puck drops at 8:30 p.m.
Watch below: Edmonton Oilers fan rally takes over Churchill Square
Watch below: Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson speaks to Jack Haskins about his memories of the last time the Oilers made the playoffs, his playoff beard and the city’s support for the team.
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