Zoe Armstrong – MET

The Edmonton Oilers fan club: A subculture like no other

My first experience as an Edmonton Oilers hockey fan occurred at the age of 10 when my brother-in-law took me to my first game. At the time, I knew very little about hockey but was taken with the atmosphere of being in the arena. The following year, the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup finals but tragically lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in a close game 7. This exciting season was when I became part of the Oilers fan culture. From there, my love for the culture only grew, contributing to my membership and now deep love for this hockey team.

Here is what I’ve learnt to be expected behaviour when attending an Edmonton Oilers home game at Rogers Place:

Step 1: Begin preparations for the game by seeking an Edmonton Oilers jersey. If you are unable to find or purchase a jersey, make sure, at minimum, you’ve got something orange or blue (ideally both) to wear. If you are not wearing Oilers colours or an Oilers jersey, there is risk that others will not see you as a true fan, or, even worse, that you are cheering for the opposing team.

Step 2: Make sure you are early for the game, about 30 minutes before puck drop ideally. You’ve got a few things to get done before the game even starts. Once you’ve arrived at the arena, you’ll need to purchase two beers (one for each hand). Ensure this is done before finding your seats in the arena, as once you have found your seats, it is considered somewhat rude to continuously come and go. If you are not someone who drinks alcoholic beverages, you might want to consider hitting up the concession for either a hot dog or some nachos. Maybe even both. Though you can show up to your seats empty handed, it will make you seem like a noob. And that is not what we’re going for here. 

Step 3: Now that you’ve found your seats and you’ve got your libations, you are ready to take in the opening to the game. This will involve cheering as loudly as you can when the Oilers skate onto the ice and booing as loudly as you can when the opposing team does. You will also need to sing your heart out when it comes time for the Canadian national anthem.

Step 4: After puck drop and during game play, you must be actively watching the game. You should contribute to the atmosphere by participating in the arena-wide chants that will happen frequently. It is considered rude to leave your seat unless there is a stop in play or it is the end of a period. 

Step 5: When the Oilers score (and they will), you must stand up out of your seat and cheer loudly. It is appropriate at this time to high-five the people around you, even if they are complete strangers. If the people beside you are cheering for the opposing team, you must make them uncomfortable with how much cheering you are doing.  

Step 6: If the referee of the game makes a poor call against the Oilers, you will participate in the “ref, you suck” chant. This is a non-negotiable. If you do not participate, other Oilers fans around you might sense you are not a really an Oilers fan. 

Step 7: When the whistle buzzer goes at the end of each period, this is the appropriate time to visit the washroom or stock up on libations. Remember, if you have not returned to your seat by the time the next period has started, you need to wait for a stop in play to get back to your seat. 

Step 8: You will need to stay in your seat until the final buzzer of the game. No matter what the score, a true fan stays until the end. If the game resulted in a win for the Oilers, you will hear La Bamba played by Los Lobos. Sing. Your. Heart. Out. When walking out, make sure to be extra friendly with your fellow Oilers fans. Perhaps additional high-fives and many smiles as you walk out of the arena. If the game resulted in a loss for the Oilers, make sure to sulk your way out of the arena. If you don’t, other Oilers fans might notice and assume that you did not take the game seriously. 

Step 9: Get home safely. If you did decide to enjoy a few alcoholic beverages, it is imperative that you take an Uber or public transportation after the game. Oilers fans go hard, but they are also socially responsible. 

The Edmonton Oilers club’s “Brand Book” shares those of loyalty, passion, and respect (Edmonton Oilers, n.d.) These values are evident when reviewing the steps of attending a home game. Oilers fans are described as “the most passionate, and knowledgeable in the sport,” (Edmonton Oilers, n.d., p. 6). Between 2004 and 2016, the Oilers only made the playoffs once (Champs or Chumps, 2025). This never deterred Oiler fan culture, however, displaying the loyalty that the culture is known for. The concept of a “we-identity” from Anthony D. Smith (1991), became more evident during this difficult time for the culture.

The ‘onion’ model of culture from Geert Hofstede (1991) can help to understand Oilers fan culture. The values have been described above, so let’s dive into the above three layers:

Figure 1. The ‘onion’ model of culture (Hofstede, 1991 and others) 

• The rituals of Oilers fan culture are strong and can be identified when reviewing the steps of attending a home game. Examples include singing loudly to the national anthem, high-fiving fellow fans after a goal has been scored, and knowing when it is appropriate to come and go from your seat. 
• The heroes of Oilers fan culture are most observably the players. Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Ryan Smyth, and Connor McDavid are just a few. Oftentimes, the coaches and super-fans (for example, Superfan Magoo), are seen as heroes within the culture as well. 
• The symbols of Oilers culture are plenty. Step 1 of attending an Oilers home game is to ensure you are outwardly expressing your membership to the culture through visible colours or a jersey. On top of that, the La Bamba victory song is iconic to present-day Oilers culture, being played after every home win since the 2021-22 season (Lampa & Ekelund, 2025). 
• And lastly, the practices of Oilers culture span the above three sections in that they are all present when attending a home game at Rogers Place. 

The culture of the Edmonton Oilers fans has brought me a lot of joy throughout the years. I hope everyone has the opportunity to be part of a culture with as much passion as this one.

References:

Champs or Chumps. (2025). Edmonton oilers playoff history. Retrieved from: https://champsorchumps.us/team/nhl/edmonton-oilers

Edmonton Oilers. (n.d.) Edmonton oilers brand book. Retrieved from: https://cloud.edmontonoilers.com/brand-hub/Edmonton-Oilers-Brand-Book.pdf

ETEC 542 Culture and Communication in Virtual Learning Environments. (n.d.) 1.1.5 Culture: Models and metaphors. Module 1 Unit 1: The notion of culture. Retrieved from: https://canvas.ubc.ca/courses/164208/pages/1-dot-1-5-culture-models-and-metaphors?module_item_id=7964901