déjàvu is a common event in the sports world, and the Edmonton Oilers are no stranger to repeated games. The Canadian team faced the New York Islanders in 1983 and 1984, with the biggest hockey award, the Stanley Cup. In this year's National Hockey Finals, the Oilers will avenge the Florida Panthers' Game 7 in 2024.

Fans say Edmontonians who have been waiting for redemption since then. The Trump administration's threat to its northern neighbors has exacerbated the wave of nationalism, which has made more fans eager for Canadians to win the Stanley Cup - something that hasn't happened since 1993. With hopes of fixing Edmonton in Edmonton, the final also attracted the renewed attention of some of Canada’s biggest exports: Hokey and Oil.

Novelist Leslie McFarlane once observed that for Canadians, “Hockey is more than just a game; it’s almost a religion.” Prayer and superstition abound, from wearing special clothes to fans avoiding their eyes when shooting a penalty kick.

Oilers also evoke another aspect of Canadian society, which for some is almost religiously important: resource extraction. In American and Canadian culture, oil has long been entangled with religion. In the eyes of some, it is God’s national blessing and a means of “a good life” for those who persist in finding it. For many in many communities, their economy revolves around resource extraction, the likelihood of success is higher than their environmental risks.

We are religious scholars who study sports and how oil shapes society or petrochemical culture. The Edmonton Oilers show a worldview where victory, luck and solid work pays off - belief on ice or on oil fields. Stanley Cup Dinal has a glimpse of how the oil industry has helped shape the religious passions around Canada’s favorite sport.

Boomtown

Edmonton is the capital of Alberta, which is known for its huge oil, gas and oil sands reserves. Five refineries produce an average of 3.8 million barrels per day, and oil and gas are the largest industry in Alberta and a way of life.

This is especially true in Edmonton, known as the "Petroleum Capital of Canada". Here, oil not only structures the local economy, but also shapes identity, architecture and everyday experiences.

For example, visit the West Edmonton Mall and you will see three statues drilled by oil workers, reminding shoppers that oil is the cornerstone of their business. Visit the Canadian Energy Museum to learn how oil and gas have rebuilt the area since the late 1940s and glimpse at items such as carved hard hats and "Oil Spotted Children" which is a spin on the iconic "Cabbage Children's Toys." Visit the Greater Edmonton area and see how to pump the jack. Oil is everywhere, shaping futures, destiny and possibilities.

In this context, the Oil Man’s name is not surprising. After all, it is not uncommon to name a team after the local industry. The Pittsburgh Steelers of Football pays tribute to the steel mill that once hired most of the team’s fan base. The Tennessee Oilers were originally the Houston Oilers, prompting other Texas teams, such as the XFL's thick neck, to follow suit. Further north, the Detroit Pistons of basketball are named Automotive Manufacturing.

Teams with industry-inspired names play a dual responsibility to respect a place and deals. Some fans cheer not only for the home team, but for themselves - confirming their industry and workforce.

In a Tiktok video from last year's Stanley Cup playoffs, a man happily overcame his hand as the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars, his hands slapped around his living room. The title reads: "My first generation immigrant oil rig works for the Philippines father, who has never played hockey in his life... cheers for the Oilers who are moving forward in the playoffs. It's better to bring that cup home." He seems to cheer for the Oilers rather than because they are the Hockey team, but because they are the Oilers.

Indeed, the oiler is a greasy team. For example, the Oilfield Network describes itself as “promoting only (ING) companies in the oil and gas industry”, allowing leaders to “connect through the power of oil hockey.”

The oiler's connection to the industry further emphasizes its logo. Current grease has simple grease, but past designs have mechanical equipment and an oil worker pulling levers shaped like hockey sticks.

In short, “Edmonton is all oil,” Oilers goalkeeper Stuart Skinner shared after defeating the Dallas Stars to win the 2025 Western Conference Final.

Liquid gold

A long tradition of pairing hockey with oil and Canada itself.

After the British North American Law was founded in Canada in 1867, the new state sought a unique identity through movements and other cultural forms.

Enter hockey. The winter game evolved from Gaelic “Shinty” and First Nations Lacrosse game to Canada and soon became part of the glue that held the nation together.

Since then, the media, politicians, sports groups and major industries have cheered on the enthusiastic enthusiasm and promoted hockey, becoming an integral part of the Canadian trunderman role.

In 1936, Imperial Petroleum, one of Canada's largest oil companies, began sponsoring hockey nights in Canada, a national radio show that reached millions of dollars a week. A few years later, Imperial Oil played a major role in bringing the show to television, where the Imperial Oil Choir sang the theme song. Imperial Petroleum and its gas station Esso also sponsors youth hockey programs across the country. In 2019, Imperial reached a deal to become the "official retail fuel" of the Canadian NHL.

Impress it with money

The link between hockey and the Alberta oil country’s hockey and industry is not only related to sponsorship. At the heart of both cultures is the idea of ​​luck – one of the many factors needed to extract fossil fuels historically. The “richness” in the oil field has been entangled with the idea of ​​divine will, especially among many Christian laborers.

Philosopher Terra Schwerin Rowe wrote about the “oil theology” in North America, explaining how many people see oil as a free-flowing gift of God to take it from the earth – if you can find it.

Oil represents wealth, who doesn’t want to borrow money for their team? Sports are excited because sometimes talented, team chemistry and family venue advantages still lose their good luck. Oil culture combines the idea of ​​God’s grace with persistence with rough endurance, similar to hockey.

Sometimes, if you don’t make money the first time you have to continue drilling. The next well may be the one that brings wealth. Oil prospectors know this, but sports fans who keep hope seasons also know it.

Soon, fans from all over the world will join Edmonton locals in vivid detail for the oilers. If Captain Connor McDavid enters the Pointy Box or dances to celebrate the Oiler's theme "La Bamba", they will put their hands in despair. Some of them will also fuel oil.

This is an updated version of the article originally published on June 19, 2024.