The 2025 NHL playoffs have been nothing short of a thrilling ride for hockey fans on both sides of the 49th parallel as teams vie for one of the most revered trophies in North American sports.
The Stanley Cup finals are now in full swing with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers battling it out for the second year in a row. And in territory commonly understood to belong to B.C.'s beloved Vancouver Canucks, a Victoria pub has been packed with orange and blue jerseys throughout the 2025 season.
"I just love great hockey. You know what, deep down if it was a Canucks and the Oilers, I'd be cheering for the Oilers. But if it was a Canadian hockey team involved in the playoffs in any capacity, I'm always cheering for the Canadian team, of course. But my blood is orange and blue and I'm an Oilers fan," said Jeremy Petzing, owner of The Local on Wharf Street.
After the Oilers narrowly won the first game of the finals, the pub was packed on Friday, June 6, in anticipation of Game Two.
"It's been a terrific ride. It wasn't the outcome we were looking for, but to make it back now already this year, it's so much fun. I feel confident. I think this group, they learned from last year. I think this group is going to get it done this year," said Tom, a "big-time Oiler fan," just before the game started.
The Local has become somewhat of a haven for fans of the Prairie-based team, peppered with neon signs of the team logo, jerseys belonging to team greats hung along the wall, and an Oilers logo covering each menu.
"[The Local] started in 2006 and kind of morphed into a great patio, a great supper club, a great sports bar," said Petzing. "It took two or three years to kind of find our identity and what we really wanted to be and go after. Having said that, it just kind of turned into what it is."
Petzing, a longtime hockey fan and supporter of Vancouver Island hockey, said it's been a great playoffs for the team, and he's excited to see the "two best teams in the league" face off once again in the finals. He noted the Western Conference Finals – where the Oilers outlasted the Dallas Stars – was bittersweet as he watched his team beat Victoria's own Jamie Benn, a left winger for the Stars.
"Jamie Benn had an exceptional year. He's a Victoria kid, or a Saanich kid. Just an unbelievable ambassador to the hockey community on the Island and in Canada," said Petzing.
The Oilers lost Friday's game 5-4 in a double-overtime nail-biter, leaving the teams deadlocked at one win apiece as they move towards Monday's Game Three in Sunrise, Fla. Oilers fans, however, are confident this is the year they take the cup.
"I think this is the year they bring it back to Canada," said Tom.
As the NHL and NBA seasons come to an end, the fun will not stop at The Local – which boasts a large, waterfront patio.
"It's just crazy, fun patio season. Lots of great tourists from the States, Canada, and this is when Victoria really gets to shine," said Petzing. "It's really an amazing place to be."
