It might be the happiest place on Earth, but a trip to Disney World was no match for seeing the Edmonton Oilers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final for one Rhode Island family.
Dressed in his Connor McDavid T-shirt and Oilers ball cap, six-year-old Edmonton fan Finn Olivera was Game 7-ready on Monday morning in Sunrise, Fla.
“I like McDavid. He’s fast and has some skills,” said Finn, a huge Oilers fan who has never been to an Oilers game before.
Finn’s family had plans to come to Florida to go to Disney World – a dream trip for any six-year-old. But when his favourite hockey team made the Stanley Cup Final, vacation plans changed.
“We told him at the beginning of the series if it gets to a Game 7, we’d think about coming,” Finn’s dad, Brian Olivera, said from outside Amerant Bank Arena Monday morning. “It wasn’t looking pretty good when they were down 0-3. They made the comeback, and we made the trip.”
Despite being a Colorado Avalanche fan, Brian said the idea of attending Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final is just as exciting for him as it is for his son.
“This is another chance for us to see a Stanley Cup and I’m looking forward to it,” Brian said.
“Personally, I’d rather come here than Disney World anyway, but mostly because of my son being a big Oilers fan and to see an Oilers game.”
The Oilers have rallied from a 0-3 deficit to tie the best-of-seven series against the Florida Panthers at three games a piece.
The Panthers are looking to win their first-ever Stanley Cup, while the Oilers are looking for their first Cup in 34 years.
You can listen to Game 7 on Monday night on 630 CHED, beginning with The Faceoff Show at 4 p.m. MT. The game starts at 6 p.m. MT.