I've been an Edmonton Oilers fan for almost as long as I can remember. When I was nine years old, my father brought me to Edmonton, where he, my uncle and I attended my first NHL game. It was November 17th, 2000, and the Oilers were taking on the Chicago Blackhawks at the Skyreach Centre. From the moment I walked into the building, I was captivated. The atmosphere, the excitement, and the brotherhood between the Oilers fans in attendance made me feel like I was right at home in that sold out crowd of 16,900 people. The game may have ended in a 3-3 tie, but the Oilers won a lifelong fan that night.


Over the past 17 years, Oilers fans have seen a lot of ups and downs. We watched the team's 'Cinderella story' eighth seed 2005/2006 Stanley Cup playoff run, only to see them lose tragically to the Carolina Hurricanes in game seven. My fifteen-year-old self shed tears along with Ryan Smyth when he was traded at the 2007 Trade Deadline and again in 2014 when he retired as the honorary captain of the team in the last home game of the season. We suffered through the embarrassment and ridicule of a decade-long "rebuild" mismanaged by an old-boys club left over from the golden years of the City of Champions. We tied the record for the longest playoff drought in NHL history at 11 seasons. It was a long dark period of time for Oilers fans. But, 2015 marked the beginning of a major change for the Oilers with the arrival of Connor McDavid.


Connor's first season was derailed by an unfortunate collarbone injury, but he still managed to impress, scoring 48 points in 45 games. Management and fans alike saw the tides turning, but nobody knew how fast it would happen. In his second season, McDavid become the captain of the Oilers, making him the youngest captain in NHL history. Captain Connor went on to deliver huge numbers in his sophomore season, leading the league with 100 points in 82 games. This, the addition of Adam Larsson, Kris Russel, and Milan Lucic, as well as the emergence of Leon Draisaitl, Oskar Klefbom, and goaltender Cam Talbot, allowed the Oilers to make a huge leap in the standings. After finishing 29th in the League the previous season (only one point ahead of the last-place Toronto Maple Leafs), the Oilers finished only point behind the Anaheim Ducks in the division standings, and finally earned the elusive playoff berth they'd been sorely missing the decade previous.


Now, we are sitting on the heels of a devastating game seven loss to the Ducks in the second round of the playoffs. Most fans are understandably disappointed with the way this series went, with a lack of secondary scoring and some questionable officiating being blamed for the loss. No matter what you think of the Oilers' playoff performance, every fan should feel one thing; Pride. Be proud that this team bounced back from one of the worst decades in NHL history. Be proud that this team managed to defeat the defending Western Conference champions, the San Jose Sharks, in the first round of the playoffs. Be proud that the Oilers took this year's Pacific division champion Anaheim Ducks to a seven game series. No matter how bad the game seven loss stings, I'm proud to be an Oilers fan.