I’m sure I’m not the only one disappointed in this city with the terrible season the Edmonton Oilers are having. I’ve been going to games for 4 or 5 years now and have a pretty good knack for what goes on at home games. The first few years it never donned on me because just being at the game was entertainment in itself, yet the more you go the more you notice things happening outside the game. Don’t get me wrong I don’t go to games to watch the big screen, I go to watch the Oilers but when we’re on an intermission break or T.V timeout we are doing one of two things:
1: Buying from the concessions/hitting the bathroom or
2: Dealing with the intermission/timeout entertainment.
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Not a big deal right? Of course not, like I say I’m there to see the game. But when you have to suffer through months of a mediocre hockey team or you know nothing about the game something has to keep you entertained right?
I’ve been pretty fortunate the last couple years to tour the southwest U.S and visit some pretty spectacular arenas and hockey games and while a lot of fans still dont know the game inside and out like most of us Canadians (even though there are a LOT of idiot know it alls at Oiler games) I do give them credit for keeping the fans “entertained” outside of the game.
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In Phoenix they have “The Pack” dance team who often performs in the first intermission (if you haven’t seen it visit my video section) . As well they are scattered throughout the arena cheerleading, celebrating in the isles, taking post game photo’s etc. Anaheim is much of the same aside from having girls cleaning the ice in between T.V timeouts. Even in Europe at events like the World Juniors you see cheerleaders in the isles dancing in between whistles.
To my counting approximately 20 NHL teams (give or take) have some form of cheerleading/ice girl posse with more teams following suit. Teams like the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, and New York Islanders have scantly clad women scraping the ice in between whistles while teams like the Detroit Red Wings even have some of these girls picking up the lone Octopus that hits the ice at the Joe.
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But of course in Edmonton you have the “Hockey Traditionalist” who believe these girls have no business being inside of a hockey arena easily offended with a little T and A. Or maybe its the fact they think it’s not right for children to see women dressed like that, but in reality there is no difference between an ice girl and a NFL cheerleader aside from ice girls wearing skates. People offended by how little clothing some of these Ice Girls wear should go to the source and ask them (the girls) how they feel about it. I would be willing to bet that they “don’t care” and “enjoy” what they do regardless of what they’re wearing.
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The Flames have bit the bullet on ice girls which makes me wonder when or if the Edmonton Oilers will. We all know in the past Edmonton has been known for its tremendous ice so maybe thats why ice girls we’re never brought in (riiiight), but the fact is the ice is miserable this year so that excuse is easily dismissed. Maybe it’s because Edmonton is to small of a city and word would get around pretty quickly if a player and ice girl bumped uglies, or maybe its the potential dozens or so potential rape charges each night some girls would face with all the drunken stupidity that happens at hockey games in Canada. But hey, if Calgary hasn’t had any problems then neither should Edmonton.
The Oilers team has an event staff but for starters you rarely see them. Inside the confines of Rexall they are:
1. Assisting Mark Schultz doing absolutely nothing.
2. Throwing away free bags of chips.
3. Dropping Bell parachutes for a chance to win an Oilers jersey.
Thats it, at least thats the jist of what I ever recall them doing. On the other hand in Phoenix they are entertaining fans. I have only been to a handful of Phoenix games but I find myself sitting in my seat wanting to tour the arena, I keep tabs on the video board, and even enjoy watching some of the intermissions. Inside Rexall place it’s been (for the most part) the same dreary atmosphere every year. You have the Ford Small Stars, some dismal intermission contest, and the Kiss cam. I won’t even get started on the music selection or pre game introduction which gets even worse come Christmas time.
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Besides looking good and giving every guy in the crowd a chance to hoot and holler these “packs” of girls actually try to drive up the energy in the building, but if you would rather stare at a LCD screen reading “LOUDER” or “NOISE” to get fired up you are either gay, a hockey traditionalist, or a gay hockey traditionalist.
Aside from that girls in skates are hot!**
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** Assuming they aren’t tanks
Walks
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