Politically correct or not, this author still calls Edmonton the 'City of Champions'. The last Championship a professional team in Edmonton can lay claim to is the Edmonton Stingers in 2021. Maybe a fella needs to ask a higher power for some help to bring some credence back to a phrase coined...checks notes...
"Edmonton adopted the “City of Champions” moniker in the late 1980s as a way to mark the community’s response to the devastating Black Friday tornado in 1987, as well as the city’s sporting success in the ’80s." Global News
Dear Santa, one Stanley Cup please
For those of you born after 1990, the man carrying the Stanley Cup is Billy Ranford. For those of us old enough to remember that Stanley Cup victory, Ranford was pressed into being the starting goaltender for those playoffs as Grant Fuhr's shoulder injuries that year put him on the sideline. Game 1 versus the Winnipeg Jets (version 1.0) did not inspire confidence in the fan base as the Jets scored 7. An opening series that saw the team go down 3-1...but's lets move to more recent history.
Six months ago the Oilers found themselves down 3-0 in the Stanley Cup Finals. The improbable almost happened as the Club fought back forcing a game seven. The heroes a hockey team needs to win the Stanley Cup are all still here - Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Mattias Ekholm, Evan Bouchard, Stuart Skinner and more. The unfair expectation of Cup or bust put on all their collective shoulders. Maybe instead of milk and cookies, shall we leave out some champagne?
Dear Santa, Playoff Football at Commonwealth Stadium please
J.C. Sherritt hoisting the 2015 Grey Cup is the perfect visual aid for fans of the Double E as he returns to the organization this upcoming season. The Green and Gold have not made the playoffs since 2019 crossing over to the East bracket. The team has not hosted a home playoff game since that wonderful 2015 season.
This CFL offseason has already been quite eventful for an organization that needed change and direction. Rick LeLacheur, who came back to the team as most people were fleeing, helped the transition to a new owner and new President and CEO in Chris Morris. Ed Hervey has returned to the Club and has wasted little time in shaping and re-shaping the team. A new energized coaching staff, an actual plan with the starting quarterback situation, both breakout running backs re-signed, the checkmarks on the to-do list continue to grow. There's room for negotiation here Santa as football fans will "settle" for ending playoff appearance drought.
Dear Santa, Edmonton Stingers recapturing championship glory
The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) inaugural season was 2019. The Edmonton Stingers powered by Xavier Moon (playing overseas in Russia this season after 3 years in the Los Angeles Clippers organization) and Jordan Baker (current Coach and General Manager) won the 2020 and 2021 Championships. A team that will enter the 2025 sans retiring stars Brody Clarke and Adika Peter-McNeilly, both were original Stingers, to share their championship experiences.
The CEBL has expanded from a 20-game regular season to a 24-game regular season. The league continues to do their Championship Weekend in a host city which in 2025 is Winnipeg. The Stingers regular season begins on Sunday May 11th at the Edmonton Expo Center versus the Calgary Surge. If you grant this wish Santa, it will end in Winnipeg on either August 23rd or 24th.