While the NHL playoffs haven’t yet begun, United Sport and Cycle is hoping to hype up Edmonton Oilers fans ahead of the run.
The popular sports store on Gateway Boulevard south of Whyte Avenue has launched a drive-thru store that is encouraging Oilers fans to get decked out in team colours from the comfort and safety of their vehicles.
“Just because we can’t celebrate the NHL playoffs and our playoff run in the way we know and the way we’ve done in the past, doesn’t mean we don’t need to do it,” United Cycle’s operations manager Kelly Hodgson said.
The Oilers have just two games left — Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens and Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks — until the playoffs begin.
Hodgson said the idea came up after some brainstorming, since the normal ways to celebrate like gathering at Rogers Place or heading out to local bars weren’t an option this year amid COVID-19.
“What we wanted to do is just kind of create a similar atmosphere to what it would be like during our playoff run in 2006, or any other run that we’ve done. So we knew that people wouldn’t be able to get down to the rink… they wouldn’t be able to visit some local establishments.”
He said the “drive-thru” store lets fans do literally that — just drive up, get what they need to show their pride, and drive on out.
“You never have to leave your vehicle,” Hodgson said. “You drive up — you say, ‘I’ll take an orange flag, a blue flag, give me some face paint,’ — we get them into your vehicle for you. You just tap your card and drive away.
“We want to create an environment where people can do a little pit stop. We have literally a drive-thru.”
Currently, the United Cycle Oilers drive-thru store is expected to run daily from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. until Friday, May 14.
United Sport & Cycle is located at 7620 Gateway Blvd NW.
The Oilers have clinched their playoff spot and wait to see who they will face in the first round.