WESTLOCK — As the Edmonton Oilers took on the Florida Panthers in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final on June 24, many Albertans were gathered together in watch parties at bars and hockey arenas to share in this historic moment.
Among them were Art Gazley and a number of other residents at the Westlock Continuing Care Centre, who have organized their own watch party for the playoffs.
Gazley is a huge Oilers fan; though at one point he cheered on the Red Wings, he said he switched over to the Oilers when he moved out west from Brockville, Ont. To give you an idea of how long that's been, he's been cheering on the Oilers since the days they signed Wayne Gretzky.
Gazley said a lot of residents at the Continuing Care Centre were watching the playoffs, but they were generally doing so in their own rooms. So he, with the help of volunteer/friend Tammy Funk, started putting on a communal watch party in a recreation area on the second level.
"I thought, 'What the heck, let's get together in a group,'" he said.
Gazley said they had as many as 29 residents watching one of the games, and they've had "a heck of a time" watching as the Oilers overcame the Panthers' 3-0 lead and eventually tie them.
As to what he thinks the outcome will be, Gazley was absolutely confident on June 21 that the Oilers would win Game 6 (which they did by a score of 5-1) and he thinks they will be victorious again on Monday night.
"We've got a great chance of winning the Cup," he said.
