ATHABASCA — Agnes Lupiezowiec grew up with a hockey fan in the house, her mother.
And now she carries on the tradition of cheering for the Edmonton Oilers from her Athabasca home wrapped up in an Oilers' blanket, wearing Oilers-themed socks, warning anyone walking up to keep quiet and having a very dry crying towel – unless it’s for tears of joy this playoff season.
“I've been watching them other years, but this is a year I've really gotten into it,” Lupiezowiec said in a May 26 interview.
So into it, in fact, since the beginning of the season in October she’s been keeping track of every Oilers' game.
“Every game they play and who they played against I keep score,” she said.
She might not get quite as exuberant as her mother, but she does love the game.
“My mother, you should have heard her, if someone was slammed into the boards she was yelling and screaming and the linesmen should have noticed,” Lupiezowiec laughed.
But she has another reason to focus on the Oilers after a friendly bet with the grandson of a friend who had to have some surgery on his leg.
“Her little grandson was five years old when he started playing hockey and now, he’s eight,” she said. “And he had a serious, big operation on his leg Nov. 23 and he cheers for the (Calgary) Flames, and I cheer for the Oilers.”
He sent her an Oilers' hoodie and the blanket and other items, including a pair of socks with writing on one that says, 'If you can read this', and the other saying, 'Shhh! The Oilers game is on'. She sent him cookies and Boston Pizza gift cards and more.
“It'll be about a year-and-a-half, two years before he'll be able to play hockey again,” said Lupiezowiec, who sympathizes because she’s had knee surgery.
“I wrote him a little note and said the road to recovery is to do your exercises faithfully.”
They even had a $100 bet on who would win the series and since the Oilers beat the Flames May 26 in five games, Lupiezowiec could be $100 richer.
“I'm gonna turn round and give it to him and his little sister,” she said. “$50 for him, $50 for her.”
And while she doesn’t watch the game talking to her young friend on the phone, she does allow friends a few minutes during intermissions to discuss the previous period’s events.
“You have a glass of wine, and you chew your nails,” she laughed.
